When my arm gets better I’ll teach myself to draw EEnE again.

It’s been so long since I’ve drawn in that style, I wanna get used to it again - it’s so much fun.

tingling sensation in my arm when lifting while lying down during exercises - upper side of my upper arm, right underneath the shoulder.

PLUS: A little over one month has passed since I started visiting the therapist. Small improvements, but I hope to see many more soon, hopefully big ones.

Wow, it makes me so nervous!

I keep fearing that I’ve lost the touch, that my arm will mess up completely, that everything will just go wrong - sigh, I’ll have to work on that, too. But for now I’m gonna focus on the physical part. :)

This is gonna be a short entry, I’m not motivated to write at all but I wanna keep this blog updated anyway, haha

I’ve started swimming - I’m going to swim twice a week, probably on Mondays and Fridays. I’ve always loved swimming, so hopefully it’s gonna be fun! It’s definitely the most enjoyable way to exercise, in my opinion. :)

My pains are almost only in my shoulderblade at this point.. I hope it’s gonna stay that way, keeping the pain in one place makes it all much easier to handle, and stresses me out less. I’ll probably be sore tomorrow (I went swimming for the first time today), and I sure hope it’ll pay off!

I’m doing more exercises now, too. I’m not going to write them all down (unless someone wants me to, that is), but I sure hope they’ll help!

I’m not in constant discomfort any more. I sure hope it’ll keep going in this direction. I’m still afraid to draw and write, though.. afraid that if I do it, it’s gonna start hurting. We’ll see!

Note to self: Tingling sensation in my shoulder blade when doing certain exercises. Pain in elbow when doing the upper-arm stretch.

Can’t wait to start swimming.. All I need is a swimsuit or something, haha.

Man, I have no muscles what so ever, haha.. The muscles in my upper arm are sore just from those small exercises! Better call the physiotherapist if they keep hurting, to make sure it’s normal.

Notes to self and others:

• Taking breaks from the pc every thirty minutes is very important.
• Switch positions every thirty minutes too! Think of it this way: Your next position is always the best position.
• + Exercise. Not exercising will most likely catch up with you eventually : ( Swimming is one of the best options, so if you have the money/the time, 30 minutes a couple of times a week is perfect. The physiotherapist recommended a comfortable, steady pace the first couple of times if you’re not used to working out, and then, once you feel stronger and more confident in the water, start swimming crawl.
• Any kind of exercise is better than none

Current condition: Diffuse pain + pins and needles in my hand, mostly around the wrist-area. It often spreads to by elbow and shoulder. It hurts when I type, especially, but also when I write, draw, etc. Almost constant discomfort.

+ I get these weird pins and needles under my shoulder blades. (Note to self: REMEMBER TO TELL PHYSIOTHERAPIST ABOUT THIS NEXT TIME.)

Today was my second meeting with the physiotherapist. She gave me more exercises. I am still to do the old ones. The new ones are as follows:

1: Stand up straight against a wall. Make sure your arms are down to your sides, and not slightly in front of you. (My arms automatically pop a little bit forward, I have to avoid that.) Press the back of your head against the wall, using your neck muscles, NOT the rest of your body. Make sure your head is positioned right: If necessary, make a slight double chin.

2: Stand on all fours. Now stretch your upper arms, pushing your back upwards. Don’t just curve your back, PUSH with your arms - push your whole torso up.

Furthermore, she told me to start swimming three times a week. This process is gonna be expensive! I’m going to start swimming as soon as possible - luckily, there’s a swimming bath not far away from the boarding school. I think I’m gonna start out with two times a week, though. I don’t wanna push myself too much.

I also cannot crack my shoulders, hands or anything else any more. I used to crack my hand all the time, it’d pop and crackle every time I stretched my fingers.. But no more of that! It kinda hurts not doing it, but the pain goes away after a little while of ignoring it. : )

I am wearing supportive tape on the arm right now, it’s supposed to stay there for three days.. and then I should feel relieved. I dunno, we’ll see if it makes a difference.

IMPORTANT: I have to be aware of how I position my head.

Computer breaks: Every 20 minutes, I should get up and jump around a little.. to music or something. Anything.

She told me I might be able to see slight improvement in a month if I’m lucky! :)

My next meeting is in two weeks.