Growing Pains

It’s 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 10, 2021, and I’m recovering from my first session of physical therapy. I went to the appointment expecting to learn a few exercises to help strengthen my torn rotator cuff, but what I got instead was a sadistic therapist who stretched and twisted my arm to such extremes that, by the end it, I realized PT actually stood for pain and torture.

I injured my shoulder back in February while skiing. I hadn’t been on a pair of skis since my college days 15 years prior, and it showed early on with a few hard falls. I eventually found my ski legs and tried to enjoy the rest of the day on the slopes despite the discomfort from what I assumed was a sprained shoulder.

The pain increased in the days that followed. I tried to tough it out but the pain never went away, even after multiple massages, electric stimulation, laser therapy and acupuncture. An MRI later revealed a couple of partial tears. Thankfully, my orthopedist said the injury shouldn't require surgery—just physical therapy, which ultimately led me to my encounter with the sadistic doctor this afternoon.

For an injury like mine, the goal of physical therapy is to strengthen the muscles surrounding the shoulder to compensate for the areas that aren’t as strong. I’m familiar with the concept. It’s a strategy I’ve employed while writing my book due to the fact that I'm stronger at dialogue and plot development than character description and world-building.

Strengthening the latter two disciplines has required hours of strategic reading and avian research to improve my functionality in these areas. Lately, I’ve been reworking several chapters I wrote years ago. Similar to my shoulder, I’ve realized these particular chapters lack the strength to support the full weight of the story.

The good news is that these growing pains are a natural part of the writing process, no different than the physical struggle of rehabbing my shoulder. Despite the discomfort, my injury hasn’t inhibited me from writing, which was my biggest concern when I first learned about the tendon tears. I plan to take some time off this summer while I continue the rehab process and prepare for my wedding in August.

My original goal was to venture north to Niagara Falls and follow the Great Lakes along the Canadian border. Unfortunately, the border remains closed to non-essential travel, so I’ve decided to reroute my itinerary to the far northeast instead. My new plan is to head to the Adirondacks of New York and hike the highest point in the state, Mount Marcy, before heading to Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

It will be a tough challenge and a dramatic change of elevation from my recent travels up the Atlantic coast, where I soaked up the southern charm of Savannah, GA, and Charleston, S.C., and roamed the Outer Banks of North Carolina and Assateague National Seashore in Maryland. I also toured the nation’s capital, ventured into to the Big Apple and hopped aboard a vintage steam train for a ride through the Connecticut River Valley.

Hopefully, I'll be chugging along again soon.

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