Day 106 - Aches and pains

This morning James really pushed cleo hard, working on her shoulder and arm. He is pleased that her hand remains flexible, even after the weekend when he has not seen her since Thursday last. He suggests this is a good sign.

He worked on her shoulder mobility, and is keen to promote closure of the "gap" which has opened between the top of the humerus bone and the shoulder joint face. This is a normal thing because in the shoulder the joint is held together by muscle tone, and without that strength in the muscles the weight of the arm pulls the joint apart slightly. If we can achieve that closure then the resulting stability will be better, and it follows that control and movement will be better.

However the work needed is stressful and creates aches and pains. cleo has suffered through the rest of the day with this, but i am sure she understands the reasons for this.

James is also keen to help the lateral movement of the arm (the movement to allow the arm to raise it sideways awayfrom the body) because that will allow dressing and washing to be done more easily. Each of these small goals will build to become bigger steps in cleos Road to Recovery. As always we are realistic, and while we aspire to a complete rehabilitation, it is not necessarily possible that will happen, but the work cleo is doing now will enable some return to "normality" in the look and carriage of the arm, along with perhaps some movement and dexterity at least.

I sense we are starting another chapter here, where the work that cleo does herself becomes far more important, even pivotal to her rehabilitation. There are no quick fixes and as we always knew there will be bad as well as good, but perseverance and a vision of where all this may lead will drive cleo, and with my help too I hope, to achieve the very best that she can from here on.