I phoned the doctor’s office at 8.30 this morning, as they are open for blood work. I figured that the doctor might check anything outstanding before starting surgery at 9 a.m.

I didn’t hear anything, and it was 24 hours since I had been told that they had the results. I phoned again, and told the receptionist that I would be out, and could she make sure that I was called on my cellphone.

I picked my girlfriend up, who has broken her wrist, and has her arm in a sling. We went to an Irish pub, she had fish ‘n’ chips, and I had bangers and mash, with Guinness onion gravy. The mash, and the gravy were amazing, but the sausage was on the hard side. I couldn’t enjoy myself as I kept looking at the phone.

After I dropped my girlfriend home, I decided to go to the doctor’s office, to get answers. I feared that they may have to break the bone, and reset it.

I spoke to the receptionist, and she went into the back. Around ten minutes later she came back, and said that Andrew, the P.A., said it was tendinitis, and went to close the glass between us. I told her that my doctor had personally phoned me, and said that the X-ray had shown a tear in the rotator cuff, so I would like to see Andrew.

Upon her return, she said that he would see me shortly. I had to wait in the waiting room, and then was put in a room, where I waited again. When he came in, and asked ‘What he could help with’.

This ‘strong women’ as many of you call me, burst into tears, and explained all that had been going on. He got about Len’s death, how it happened, how I heard, and felt the rip, what the doctor, and physical therapist had said.

He put the screen on, to take a further look at the MRI, which I couldn’t see. He said that there was a tear, but not a full one, so surgery wasn’t necessary. However, with the tear, and the inflamed tendinitis, I need to have my arm in a sling unless I am in bed, or having a shower. I told him that I had been doing everything, including sorting, and boxing up stuff, lifting heavy boxes of it, etc. He said that I shouldn’t have been doing any of that. Rest is the best thing for it.

I asked, do I need a cortisone shot, and he said not at this time. I said that I had been to the physical therapist, and they were waiting on the MRI. He said that they would send a copy to them, and to make an appointment.

I drove home, upset, frustrated, and thinking of all the wasted time. I had been doing the rotator cuff exercises, when he is saying I should have been resting it.

I have made an appointment for 11 a.m. tomorrow with my P.T. guy, and hoping after he looks at the MRI, I might be able to get more information. I do have an appointment with my G.P. next Thursday, so again I might get more out of her. I know that with this kind of injury it could take months, and sometimes years, and also that I may never get full recovery from it.

At least my life isn’t on hold anymore.