Frozen Shoulder

Many of you know that I have been dealing with a very frustrating left shoulder pain which I believe is a syndrome called Frozen Shoulder. It has been a thorn in me for about 9 months now and I am happy to say that it is about 99% better after seeking treatment from numerous professionals. My biggest nightmare is coming true ... my right shoulder is developing the same symptoms! It sucks! I ran across a blog that defines it quite well so I'm posting here just in case you're interested!
Description

Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) is a disorder characterized by pain and loss of motion or stiffness in the shoulder. It affects about two percent of the general population. It is more common in women between the ages of 40 years to 70 years old. The causes of frozen shoulder are not fully understood. The process involves thickening and contracture of the capsule surrounding the shoulder joint. A doctor can diagnose frozen shoulder based on the history of the patient's symptoms and physical examination. X-rays or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) studies are sometimes used to rule out other causes of shoulder stiffness and pain, such as rotator cuff tear. Risk Factors/Prevention

Frozen shoulder occurs much more commonly in individuals with diabetes, affecting 10 percent to 20 percent of these individuals. Other medical problems associated with increased risk of frozen shoulder include: hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, Parkinsons disease, and cardiac disease or surgery. Frozen shoulder can develop after a shoulder is injured or immobilized for a period of time. That's me..Of course I have hypothyroidism so maybe that's what has caused this misery. Attempts to prevent frozen shoulder include early motion of the shoulder after it has been injured. Pain due to frozen shoulder is usually dull or aching. It can be worsened with attempted motion.

The hallmark of the disorder is restricted motion or stiffness in the shoulder. The affected individual cannot move the shoulder normally. Motion is also limited when someone else attempts to move the shoulder for the patient. Some physicians have described the normal course of a frozen shoulder as having three stages:

* Stage one: In the freezing stage, which may last from six weeks to nine months, the patient develops a slow onset of pain. As the pain worsens, the shoulder loses motion.

* Stage two: The frozen stage is marked by a slow improvement in pain, but the stiffness remains. This stage generally lasts four months to nine months.

* Stage three: The final stage is the thawing, during which shoulder motion slowly returns toward normal. This generally lasts five months to 26 months.

So here is my frustration with people who JUST DON?T GET IT: the recovery from this is very long.

Costa Rica

We just got back from yet another wonderful trip to Costa Rica! It is so beautiful there and so unspoiled by tourists and development although it is starting to change. We stayed at a beautiful but small lodge called Torgtuga del Mar...only 8 rooms and most of the time there was just 3 rooms occupied. It is owned and operated by a great young couple from Germany who fell in love with CR and made their dream come true. It really is a labor of love for them. And yes ... we will be back. Between this new little slice of paradise and Karahe we don't need to stay anywhere else!

Challenging Times for our Family

The past few months have been a bit trying for the Leeper family as my nephew, Kelly has been diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. Kelly is 24 years old and was married to a wonderful young lady (Laura) last July. Shortly after they were married, Kelly was diagnosed. Kelly is no ordinary man. He was born with a severe heart defect at birth that was corrected surgically and he is indeed a miracle. He was given a 3% chance of surviving, but I believe that it is because Kelly has such a strong and positive outlook on life, and mostly because he loves and follows Jesus with all of his heart that he leads a perfectly normal life. In fact if you met Kelly you would never know that there was anything wrong with him. As the years have gone by, we as a family tend to take Kelly for granted...shame on us! Well, we are brought to our knees as we process this cancer diagnosis for him. Kelly has more strength than any of us, and because of him, we all have a positive outlook and are believing God for a full recovery. This is a very treatable type of cancer. Kelly started Chemo this week, and we are all concerned about his heart. The cardiologist has said "what is everyone so worried about? Kelly's heart is strong! He'll be fine!!!" Kelly's prayer and all of our prayers are for full recovery, and also that he won't suffer from any of the side effects that the Dr. says he will have. So, please join us in praying for him and his wife Laura!

A Few cute Photos

Just wanted to show you a couple of cute family photos from recently, then I will post a few from Santa Barbara last October. My DIL and Niece couldn't believe I didn't post them...so here you are!

Famous son and daughter in law

The wedding photographer made it in the magazine "The Knot" and look who is featured! What a beautiful couple! Check out the link called The Knot Magazine to the right

It's about time!

I can't believe how long it has been since I have posted anything on this blog! I decided that it is 2009 and time for changes! That seems to be the operative word ... change. I have no idea what the new year will bring, but I do know one thing for sure. I am moving forward! I am going to make some changes in me! Maybe because I will be turning another big number in 2009? or maybe I just feel God nudging me to move on with my life. So for starters, I am attending a seminar at the end of the month. You may want to take a look at it... Soul Renovation! http://www.soulrenovation.com/the-experience/. I really have no idea what to expect, but I do know that I will come away with something! and that something should be a positive change in me.
I also have discovered holistic medicine which is also a change from everything I know. It started with major pain in my arm and shoulder 6 months ago. Since I didn't want to have surgery as an option I decided to try out some alternative treatments. The whole thing has led me to healthier eating, soul searching and just in general taking better care of myself. I'd love to say that my arm is totally healed, but it is 90% better and I anticipate complete healing! Stay tuned for more updates. ... I promise to be better at keeping this blog going.

Vikki wins!!

We are so proud of Vikki! She won her re-election handily!!
County Supervisor, 3rd District:
Bauer – 594 / 64.92%
Burdette – 321 / 35.08%

Congratulations, Vikki!!!