Arthrograms

Arthrograms hurt like hell. They really do. They strap you to a flouroscope table and start imaging your arm. First they injected several shots of lidocaine. I can't imagine how it would have felt had they not provided that initial numbing. Then they thread a thin tube into your shoulder. I had a tablespoon of "contrast" injected into my shoulder and my shoulder felt, and still feels like, it was about to exlode.

I was then stuck in an MRI machine, without my glasses which, as anyone who know me realizes, is tantamount to torture. The MRI wasn't bad. You just lie as still as possible, with headphones on listening to the music they've provided. You have to wear headphones because the machine is very loud inside. They had some Frank Sinatra which was okay. I would have preferred to listen to my I-Pod with its audio books, but they couldn't hook it up to their stereo system.

It was just the injection of the contrast that made it so horrible. It felt like someone was sticking a sharpened soda stray deep into my shoulder and trying to remove a plug. I am crying now just thinking about it. I hope that I actually needed it. I would hate to have endured that pain to be told that my rotator cuff was fine.

It's all over now. I didn't need my husband to be there. Once again I stood on my own and I am a stronger and more independent person for it.