Needles into my shoulder

Yesterday, I got a needle into my shoulder.
This, is not that unusual ... it happens more than I would like it to.
My acromioclavicular joint is not in good shape. I've had surgery once to fix it. It helped ... a little. It made the injections work, whereas before the surgeries, the injections were useless.
(for those still trying to read acromioclavicular .... I googled AC joint ..and copied it ... no way could I remember how to spell that, and I have no idea how to pronounce it. However, when I say AC joint, people think ACL joint and assume I'm talking about my knee ...)

So, yesterday, I got my injection ... this last summer, my orthopedist gave me the injection and a heavy sigh and said ... this isn't going to work for much longer. He let me know that another operation was in my future.

ARGH!

I was supposed to go back in October and discuss it ...however ... he had to cancel ..and Don got ill again ... and then ...well ...then life happened. As my shoulder got more and more painful ...and the pain started, again, to interfere with life ... sleeping, driving, sitting watching TV, petting the cat, brushing my hair (and it's my left hand, I'm right handed!) I realized ... I HAD to have a shot!!

So, last friday I made a desperate call to my ortho's office. Shockingly, they got me into the physician's assistant. She gave me the shot ... it hurt like the dickens ...I could FEEL that she had the needle right in the middle of the inflammation ...

however ... Dr. H's shots hurt worse ... I think she let the cold stuff she sprayed on me set longer ...or shorter ...or something. The needle going in didn't hurt as bad.

But ... I'm sitting here ... and my arm ... is killing me. The tendonitis from my shoulder is usually relieved by the shot ... and this .. isn't even touching it! EEKS.

So, I'm sitting here pondering ... will it go away in the next few days (oh please God!!) ... or ... did I just go too long between shots?
or is there just too much damage?
or is this a new problem?
or is this LUPUS? (duh)

or .. what is going on ...

There is no more pain control measures to take ... prednisone, celebrex and darvocet ... well, I *could* call and ask for higher narcotics ...but then, what to do when surgeries come along (and they always do) and I've maxed out my narcotics use?

So I sit here and I move my shoulder in odd positions ...and I wonder ... what next.

If it's not better by Monday, I call the ortho ... and say "help"

I do know ... I can't have surgery until Don starts driving.
I can't have surgery until my teeth are fixed.

I have no dental insurance ..and there is no help in dental care for adults in Oklahoma. (IF you have no insurance whatsoever, you can get some help ..however, if you have medicare ...that is considered insurance ...the fact that medicare covers NO dental work whatsover ...meaning, you have no dental insurance ... means nothing. If you have medicare, you cannot get the help offered to the un insured.
The really odd thing ..if you get an impacted tooth, medicare won't even cover the antibiotics ... how's that for how do ya do?)

Don has not improved since about ... September ... he's stagnated in his progress ... right now, I do not think he will be driving again. I'm trying to wrap my brain around the fact that this .. is probably our new level of normal. *I* am the sole driver for our household. *I* am the primary caregiver for my husband ... and *I* am the one responsible for making sure that all our shopping gets done, all our bills get paid and we all get from point A to point B ...he is really, in spite of all that I've hoped and prayed for ...not progressing ..and while I'm incredibly grateful for where he is ... I need to adjust to where he is not going.

So ...I need surgery but can't have it while I'm the only driver.
I need surgery ..but can't have it with my teeth like this.
I'm going to be the only driver for the foreseeable future
and ... there is no help for my dental needs ...

and in the meantime ... I twist my shoulder ... wondering what to do.