Hi, James!  Recently you wrote in a message to Ardith Hinton:

AH>  I'm still here too.  We were busy for awhile, and then
AH>  I developed a rotator cuff (shoulder muscle) injury
AH>  which makes typing difficult.  I gather it's somewhat
AH>  akin to your bursitis.  I'm now on the mend, anyway,
AH>  and hoping to complete various replies to you &
AH>  others within the near future.  :-)

JB>  No... I doubt it. My bursitis is self inflicted. 


          In retrospect, I had been pushing my physical limits for some
time... but until the pain settled in I didn't consciously add everything up. 
Seems to me you know when you're overdoing it.  I'll know better in future
(maybe).  :-)



JB>  Seriously, this isn't the first time it has given you
JB>  trouble, right?


          You're thinking of the other shoulder... [wry grin].



JB>  Just to give you more exercise, I'll keep asking questions
JB>  for you to answer.  It's muscle tears or inflammation
JB>  of connective tissue?


          According to our chiropractor, it's inflammation.  He has a
technique for draining the lymph glands which seems to have helped a lot.  He
is also the person who initially compared it to bursitis... which, BTW, both
my father & my father-in-law had many years ago.  I gather any repetitive
motion involving the shoulder (such as hammering nails or digging up the
vegetable garden in spring) can lead to this sort of problem, especially with
people who are middle-aged or older & whose endurance isn't quite what it used
to be.  I imagine you may have been building yet another fence when your
shoulder said "Enough, already!"  ;-)



JB>  Did you forget your PT suggestions, or did life
JB>  find you in a position to lift while twisting.


          Yes.  I had been negligent WRT the exercises I generally do during
TV commercial breaks.  (To me they're boring, as are the majority of
commercials.) Although these exercises involve both shoulders, we seldom watch
much TV in the warmer & drier months.  Then summer's end found me in
circumstances akin to the latter.  It's a long story, but I am beginning to
see the humour in it....  :-)



JB>  (I know I'm showing my ignorance but by the name,
JB>  I suppose it is the muscle group that allows you
JB>  to swing your arm up and down?)


          Yes, or lift it high enough to brush your own teeth without some
kind of support for the shoulder.  I kept my elbows close to my body &
supported the injured side with the opposite hand at first.  And contrary to
proper etiquette
... i.e. as generally prescribed for "strong & able" young folks at summer camp
... I made use of any available surface for support when I had to raise my
hand to my mouth at mealtimes.  I'm practising to be a feisty old lady some
day.  If others would rather I starve than put my elbows on the table, I've
got news for them!  For those who aren't so hung up on convention I'd be more
than delighted to explain how I've modified my computer desk & chair at no
extra cost....  :-)



JB>  At any rate, *do* take care, and don't worry about nuts
JB>  like me while you take care of more pressing matters. I
JB>  *think* I can forgive you for your reticence. [-|{


          Aww, shucks!  Thanks....  :-)

          I start to worry about you when I haven't heard a peep out of
Calgary in two months because Kevin's system is down.  Apart from that... I
realize I'm a weirdo.  All my favourite people are weirdos.  How could it be
otherwise when we're dealing with weird stuff hardly anybody else
understands?  If it takes me awhile to answer sometimes, it may also be I'm
blown away that you do....  :-))




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
 * Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)