Some days are meant to be counted, others are meant to be weighed.

I've had my arthrogram MRI but not when I was supposed to.  Actually, I've spent more time than I expected in the hospital over the past few weeks. Sometimes, the day ends, and you realize you just witnessed one of those moments.  You know... one of 'those'.  When life could have changed utterly and completely.... but it didn't.

My MRI was scheduled for a Friday a few weeks ago but I couldn't go.  I was in Florida instead while my dad had surgery to clear a 95% blockage in his corotid artery.  The end of the story is that he is fine. Feeling good and back at life.  But knowing how things could have been different makes me realize just how lucky I am.  Not just to have a healthy father, but also to have access to such amazing health care for my dad, and for my shoulder too.

So back to my shoulder...I had my MRI, but it was a week later than originally planned. I got there early and met with a doctor who did the 'arthrogram' part.  I wasn't realizing what a procedure that was going to be, having gone to The Google for the Slap tear, I never thought to check the injection part of the MRI.
I laid on a table while a xray machine overhead showed the doctor where to put a giant needle into my shoulder joint.  Seems like most of these appointments lately involve a physican student. This one was no different.  Once the needle, acting more like a port really, was put into the middle of my joint, the student and doctor talked, pointed, and basically had a teaching moment while I laid there.  Awesome.  I coudln't even look at it.   They explained how they would pump this dye into my joint, causing it to expand and of course, give contrast, so they could see things better.  As soon as they said, 'This is going to feel uncomfortable'... I knew I should have checked The Google.  Oh well, they were right, uncomfortable is a nice way to describe it.
After that, I waited about 30 minutes for the dye to work its way around my joint and then headed into the MRI machine.   It wasn't long, maybe 20 minutes and then I headed home, circling back with the doctor a few days later for the results.

I know you are dying to know what the verdict is!
* SLAP Tear in my right shoulder
*Distal clavicle exasion
* S.A.D
What?   Basically they are going to drill some holes in my bone, add some anchors and put that SLAP tear back together and then saw off the the very end of my clavicle and remove the damaged part.  Yuk. 

I go in for surgery on April 8th and should be in and out within 2 hours.  Then home to recooperate.  I have a new Tens unit for pain and will be getting a special chair that will move my arm up and down for 3 weeks that I have to sit in for 5-6 hours a day.  Sounds amazing.

After all that, everyone asks about Crossfit and if it's worth it and if maybe I shouldn't go so hard.  I have to say, I believe that I probably WAS lifting too heavy but I fully believe this was an injury I got in the gym back when I was 22 years old and never had fixed.  The muscles held it together well enough when I was doing regular daily activity, but the added pressure of crossfit caused it to breakdown again. I don't think I was 'perfectly perfect' and Crossfit did this... and I don't believe crossfit is a bad idea. 
Look, here's the thing.  I love doing crossfit.  I love being active. I am about to turn FOURTY years old and I think, if you look at other folks with intact shoulders (or intact everything)... the rest of them isn't all that healthy.  So, I will fix the shoulder and I will be back to normal and you will think that I work out too hard. Meanwhile your body is breaking down in other ways.  We get older. Things happen.  I'm mildly defensive about it, I appologize. 

With everything that has been happening and with the pain associated with what is going on with my shoulder, I have not been going to crossfit.  It was really frustrating to always be modifing the WODS and really got boring because I felt like I was always doing air squats.  ugh.  I've been watching my diet like crazy, and have lost some weight but now I have 4 weeks until surgery, I need to start running or doing some kind of activity while I can.   I'm trying to decide how I'm going to do that.  It's getting warmer out so running and being outside will be a lot more doable and fun.

So....here we go...
-CFPC