About this Blog

~Hi, my name is Courtney. I was a full time college student, starting to be a dancer, and used to work with kids part time, living on my own until my illness disabled me.
~I became sick in 2005. I created this blog in the summer of 2006 to record my "headache" diary and to see if anyone finds it interesting.
~12/2006 I lost my job then after, failed a year of college.
~2/2007 Dx Lyme Disease with Bartonella: prescribed 8 months of oral antibiotics. I'm not even sure if I ever had the Lyme Disease.
~11/2007 The doctor took me off medicines while I was still improving but not fully recovered.
~6/2008 Dx Chiari I Malformation by a neurosurgeon in Beverly Hills.
~8/2008 Decompression and Lamenectomy helped 80% of my problems.
~2/2009 Dx Hypermobility by an Orthopedic Surgeon/School Doc: Started PT, dancing, going to school and working.
~6/2009 Started working full time as an Infant-Toddler teacher, which requires lifting. Dancing part time, maybe I'll finish school eventually...lol
~12/2009 Dx Chronic Sinusitis: Stopped dancing due to constant infections.
~2/2010 Sinus Surgery & complication: Severe Epistaxis: Became severely anemic.
~3/2010: Dx Ehlers Danlos Syndrome: by Geneticist
~4/2011: Switched jobs, now work at a Pre-K teacher for 3 and 4 year olds. Less lifting!
~5/2011: Started PT and exercising again

Thursday, March 26, 2009

shoulder impingement




ah yes my hypermobile shoulders have now gotten the best of me. two days ago my shoulders were starting to hurt. later my head hurt as i was driving to work. i thought, here comes my migraine (in my shoulders) i dont know what i was thinking. anyways i would get bursts of pain shooting around my shoulders and also in my head. it was weird. i took medicine, i also put ice on my back. the next day in ballet i asked my teacher about the pain, she said it probably was from tense muscles in my neck/shoulder area. i sat out half the session putting icy-hot on my shoulders. i missed classes that day so i could go get a massage. the pain was that bad. though the massage felt good the pain still lasted through the night. i tried licorice tea as well as ice and heat packs. this morning i went to school, i was in pain. i thought i would miss my midterm because the pain hurt i couldn't think straight. i went to the health center at school and they said i would have to come back tomorrow. I had my therapy session and was still in pain. I decided to go to urgent care. now i have nausea as well. the UC doctor sent me to the ER just in case... i dont really know why. While at the ER the doctor did "excessive testing" as he put it. I had x-rays, a ct-scan of my lungs, and four viles of blood drawn. all to find out that it was impingement.

anyways this is a secondary condition to shoulder instability. yikes. now i definitely need physical therapy. im on it!

7 comments:

Unknown said...

did it get better after the physicsl therapy and how long did it take thank you

Courtney said...

I found the best medicine for my secondary condition was ice applied. I couldnt afford the physical therapy for that long but the 3-4 weeks of it was helpful. I've done athletic rehab and dancing to help sustain my joints and shoulders. icing often as well as heat has helped the most. I hope that helps :)

Kevin McManus said...

How did dancing help the impingement?
Wouldn't that hurt your shoulder more?

Kevin McManus said...

How could dancing help with the impingement?

Kevin McManus said...

Sorry about the question--im not sure if i saw that on this blog or not because now i don't see anything about dancing? OPPS
but if it could help please let me know. thanks

Courtney said...

yeah kevin. well my shoulder impingement is secondary to my hypermobility issues. the dancing is a bit like PT in that it helps to stabalize my shoulder muscles and prevents impingement. dancing meaning ballet or jazz exercises. Im sure pilates would work just as well.

Zebra Jazz said...

Courtney, I have EDS type 3 as well as SEVERE shoulder impingements on both shoulders. It has taken away my teaching and music career away. I can totally relate to you! Zebra Hugs!

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