In my quest to have 2 working arms again, I have made some progress-I don't have to wear my bionic arm brace anymore (unless, as my doctor advised, I'm doing a lot of activity or something--which, yes, I'm going to go doing something that requires a lot of activity when I have a broke arm, sure, no problem-I'll put that brace right back on when that happens). And, I can actually move my arm. But, with new movement, I have also picked up a "click" in my elbow. Yes, I've become the old lady with a clicky joint. And, it gets achy when the temperature drops or there is precipitation. I have the arm of a 75 year old woman. And, while clicking might seem like a fun new side effect, it's not, it's gross and just feels wrong. It's bone on bone action people. Again, gross. Your bones aren't supposed to do that. And, the best part, if it doesn't go away on its own (which, luckily dr. bone specialist is fairly confident it will), I will have to have surgery. Really? I would make it this far to have to get surgery to fix a click?! So, to reconfirm my previous advice-don't break your elbow.
One of the benefits of a broken elbow, is I have 20 minutes everytime I go to PT just to read--I get heat before and iced down after-so I use the time to read. And, I recently finished The Gum Thief by Douglas Coupland. It's his most recent, I believe. And, was very pleasantly surprised. I wasn't sure about it when I read the summary-it's basically just a journal, letters, and then a novel the main character is writing-there is no other interaction. And, while I enjoy all of his books (except Girlfriend in a Coma-boo hiss)-the last handful have been a little uneven. So, I went in a little hesistant but was turned around immediately. I loved the characters right off and the format was intriguing because you have to fill in the blanks of what's not in the letters and the journal-and until the end, they somewhat do too b/c they don't really interact in person at all-it's a decision they all make for their own reasons. The characters are all terribly flawed and I often wondered if I'd like them if I met them. But in the comfort of the journal and the letters, they were lovely and I wanted to be their friend and forgive them for everything they were putting out in the world. And, then, there is this little gem of the main character's book that shows up throughout (all of the other characters are reading it too-and it all starts to blend). I really thought I would hate that-but I was always excited to get a new chapter. It was very Whos's Afraid of Virginia Woolfe with an older couple who gets a visit by a younger couple-but not as depressing or scary (the movie used to freak me out). And, the story kind of has the opposite effect with the characters-you only really see what they're putting out in the world-and they're a TRAIN WRECK-again all of them for their own reasons. But, I loved them-for being unapologetically messy. But then you do learn bits and pieces about what makes them messy and I loved them even more and wanted to hug them too. It's such an enjoyable read-and very funny. There are tear-jerker moments too-but it's b/c you've been able to laugh with them for a while that now you feel okay crying with them too.
