
Day 4 of #ADayinMyLife Jan. 5th
Welcome to day 4 of the blogging challenge! I had a wonderful morning, now that the sunshine is back! I also slept well last night. I enjoyed the walk with my dog this morning. Of course, he enjoyed it too.

I had a good morning overall, with the good sleep and a new strategy to deal with pain. Check out this text to my significant other this morning, regarding his helpful Christmas present:

I’ll certainly share more about him on another day!
At school, my day went well. I shared yesterday that I’m trying to teach students the difference between inductive and deductive reasoning, a challenge with 6th graders. With gamified learning, I’m confident at least a few of them got it!
Today was exercise day for me after school. I mostly use bands and some light weights for my arms and shoulders. My frozen shoulder has gotten much better with physical therapy, but I still get pain at varying times. Staying active helps. I attend Planet Fitness for cardio, but will use my Gazelle ( non-electric elliptical type thing) if I need to stay close to home, as I did this evening.
If you’re wondering about frozen shoulder, here’s a breakdown of what I know:
-a shoulder injury or rotator cuff tear can make you more likely to get it, and a tear doesn’t necessarily require surgery. I have a tear, but it’s 40%, which doesn’t necessitate surgery
-someone with diabetes is more likely to get frozen shoulder. I’m not diabetic, but my cholesterol did jack way up over the summer, so maybe it was a warning sign.
-it sounds to me like those with arthritis are more likely to get it, which indicates that those of us beyond 40 are probably more likely
-it can take from 6 to 12 months to resolve even if you’ve done everything right. That’s a tear-jerker for me, because the first time I got it was 2 years ago and it got better within 4 months. This time, I am sitting at six and a half months so far, and though I still do the physical therapy exercises and have good movement, I still get pain.
-diet can make a difference, such as cutting down on sugary foods and or alcohol, so I’m also trying to lower the carb intake. Easier said than done!
-cortisteroid shots do help, and I have had a few. Patience also helps. I really don’t want surgery.
That’s most of what I can tell you about it. I’ll just keep working at staying mobile! I plan to also read a little more tonight. Here is what I’m reading, a Rave Reviews Book Club book, and it’s not exactly what you might think it would be like:

It includes metaphysical, historical, and spiritual aspects and somewhat sci-fi ideas. I find it fascinating and imaginative. I promise to give more details and a full review on another day!
Well, it’s time to relax and decompress. The weekend is almost here!