Its pretty simple really. Just realize everything takes two or three times longer to heal than you'd expect. And, don't worry because another pain will come along in another area to take your mind off the first one. Best advice I can give is to not focus on the pain; instead, focus on anything else to keep your mind off it. For myself, as the weather changes and fall comes on Art starts raising hell with my neck, shoulders, etc., etc. But complaining about it only means I'm thinking too much about it so I try to ignore it as best I can.

 

Good advice, Dave. I do like to keep busy, and you are right, the busier one is, the less you can think about an ache/pain. Sunday was a great day of keeping busy. The shoulder was bugging me, but a walk on the beach with camera in hand and I was too busy and enjoying myself to think about it. Unfortunately, for me, Sunday is followed by Monday and I'm back chained to a desk, not keeping busy in the way I'd prefer. Such is life but thankfully, "Art" has taken leave for now.

 

I agree, Dave. I don't talk about pain very much, because it has been a constant for me for the last several years following a major accident. Not dwelling on it, ignoring it, not focusing on it is the best remedy for me, But nothing really works. I don't like to take pain medications, because for chronic suffering they are always a dead end. Unfortunately pain cannot always be ignored, and pain often causes you NOT to do things that you would otherwise like very much to do. Still, life is good, and being around is infinitely better than the painless alternative.

 

^ My mother is the same way. She doesn't like to take pain meds, either, although she does take methadone with an occasional Vicodin. Has been for a long time. But even at 90, she is going to talk to the pain specialist tomorrow about cutting back on the methadone. She is like you and refuses to give up. Good for you and her!!

 

I agree, Dave. I don't talk about pain very much, because it has been a constant for me for the last several years following a major accident. Not dwelling on it, ignoring it, not focusing on it is the best remedy for me, But nothing really works. I don't like to take pain medications, because for chronic suffering they are always a dead end. Unfortunately pain cannot always be ignored, and pain often causes you NOT to do things that you would otherwise like very much to do. Still, life is good, and being around is infinitely better than the painless alternative.
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Jim, I don't know how you deal with constant pain. I think I'm just a big with no pain tolerance. You have a great attitude.

BTW, if you don't mind sharing, are the new shoulders doing OK? I know a couple of women who recently had replacements, and both are struggling with pain and poor range of motion. I know shoulder and knee replacements are tough stuff.

 

^Having spent several days being around Jim in Colorado, I agree with you, Lainey. He deals with the pain very well and his great attitude helps immensely. I, on the other hand, am somewhat like you in dealing with pain, though I'm too stubborn to do anything about it!

On a somewhat related topic, I went to a doctor's appointment this afternoon that I had on my calendar for 2:00, and got there a few minutes early (I have been having a stiff neck lately). The receptionist then informed me that I was a whole day early! Oh, well, now I can wash the NSX today like I was planning to do tomorrow!

 

Shoulder replacements are fine, but it takes a lot of tolerance for enduring the hurt during extensive rehab. PT takes a couple of years. But I think rehab is in most cases the most important component, i.e. if you are fortunate to have a good sawbones doing the cutting and pasting.

I do have full range of arm motion and normal strength; if my back were good, I could probably lift a Volkswagen.

 

on the shoulders. Start with a VW bug if you feel like lifting a VW!

 

Gene, LOL on the appointment, we've all done things like that. Rick even drove to the wrong doctor's office a while back. Headed to the primary care doc when his appointment was with the dermatologist. Thankfully, the two offices are pretty close.

Hope your neck issue resolves. Have you tried a massage yet? Best medicine ever in my book!

 

Thanks, Lainey. Actually, my neck started to bother me at Jim's cabin in Colorado after driving on some great twisties, so I thought it was just a sprained muscle. It doesn't hurt all the time, and it seems to get worse after I drive either the S or the NSX. I have a benign cyst in that area (I've had it for at least 35 years), so my family doctor suggested that I get a second opinion from a surgeon, to make sure it hasn't grown and is the source of the problem. In the meantime, I take an Aleve when it really bothers me.

One of Bea's friends also suggested a massage, so if the surgeon doesn't find anything, that will be next on my list.