When do I get to 'normal?'

Every day that goes by, I notice little changes for the better. My fingers are squishier, my skin is softer, my swelling is smaller, my brown feet are fading.

The biggie this week is that my shoulder is no longer disconnected. I've been moving, painfully, for two, two and a half years with a shoulder that would not stay in joint, a shoulder blade that pops up and down with every movement and have lost the ability to raise my right arm.

Since January, i've seen a physical therapist whose helped me keep the muscles I do have working healthy.

In July, I started antibiotics for scleroedema, and after ten days, I noticed the muscles in the right arm were getting stronger. Since then, I've been able to gain strength in my right arm. '

Since July, the right shoulder joint has been able to increase movement, and as it has, I've become more aware of 'mass' obstructing the movement of the joint. A week will go by, and I'll notice less obstruction.

As the obstruction is dissipating, I have noticed that muscles I have not been able to use are starting to 'ache' like sore muscles. At that point, I've asked my physical therapist to give me an exercise for that specific muscle to encourage it's health. Slowly, the muscles behind my shoulder blade have become strong, but the shoulder blade still pops up, and i can't raise my arm.

Over the weekend, I became aware that the muscles below the shoulder blade were suddenly more sensitive, so I laid in bed and tried to flex them. At first they were really weak, and I couldn't get movement out of them, but after about ten tries, they started to move. Later, i gave it another try, and by then, there was some strength.

This morning, I tried raising my right arm, and the shoulder blade did not pop up. I can't raise the arm yet, but I'm thinking it is not going to be long before I can.

The weakness in my neck is substantially less, as well, which means that the muscles are controlling my wobbling head's movement more and more. i can't raise my head when I'm leaning forward, but i can feel that the swelling in my neck is dissipating and that there is just a little left. I wish I could think it away.

I'm so much better than I was 90 days ago. I'm getting closer and closer to being 'normal.'