I've managed to pull the deltoid muscle in my left shoulder. It should come as no surprise given that my left shoulder the weakest, and any activity at all can strain it. It could have been something as simple as a daily activity like picking up my shoes or rolling over in bed; or it could have been a transfer, perhaps into my truck or off of the couch. All these things put tremendous strain on what muscle ability I have remaining.
This sore shoulder has already had an impact on my day. I found myself needing two tries to roll up the small slope into my bathroom. It needed an extra step in the process to transfer on and off of my toilet, and getting from the shower bench was more difficult. All this because of the pain and limited range of motion. I've taken some Tylenol, but in reality there is not much to be done. It's not bad enough for a serious pain killer, just bad enough to hurt.
Speaking of Range of Motion, my arm exercises today on my left side were a complete fail. I was unable to lift my left arm at all when lying down. I couldn't move my arm though a full vertical range, nor could I swing it over my body without additional help from my HCA. The lower body exercises were only somewhat affected, mostly where I had to use my left arm to hold onto my legs during an activity.
This is how it all goes. What begins as weakness becomes overuse. Overuse turns into pain. Pain leads to reduced usage. Reduced usage leads to increased weakness. It is a vicious cycle. What's worse is that it takes so long for any muscle damage on my body to heal. Last year I had a groin pull which gave me trouble for almost six months. I'm hoping this pull repairs itself somewhat faster, since I still have some muscle activity there.
But I'm afraid; afraid that this damage won't self-repair, afraid that the loss is permanent, afraid of the pain. I get to be afraid a lot with ALS.
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