While I was in physical therapy, the therapist said they’re always learning new things and so instead of just working my left shoulder, which is the injured shoulder, I used both for some of the exercises. It’s like retraining my left arm as my right arm encouraged it, and that helped me to see where I should be with my left shoulder and clued me in that if my right shoulder can do it, so can my left.

He also said that in the case of no pain, no gain, that it is true for physical therapy–I find some stretches are WAY too painful to do. Forget 10 pain. Let’s reach for the sky. He was trying to press a certain way and nooooooo. The same thing with reaching behind my back. I can’t do it. (Sound negative? Let me reword. I can do it, as I keep working at it. I WILL get there.) I’ve been working on it though, trying to get my hand farther up my back. I can do it once and then I’m in agony for several seconds. I can’t hold it, but I’m getting a little higher than I was earlier. So I do that two or three times a day. And I am making progress. But slowly. And that’s okay, because I’m moving forward. I’m determined to do this.

When I was on one machine I’ve used twice now, the last time when I got to about 3 mins of the exercise, the periodic shooting pain stopped instead of continuing for the 10 minutes. It’s not mind over matter to think the pain isn’t there, but to keep working through it until the pain subsides. Who would ever have thought? I think this is working.

Yet, I know from running in the military that I would be able to max the PT test run of two miles, only by using mind over matter. I was never a runner. Yet I could do it. I felt like I was dying when I started out and then I was enjoying it nearer the end. Feeling a runner’s high. Really. Amazingly. It goes to prove that I can really do it if I tell myself that I can and I will. Just keep going. Also, I had to go at my own pace. I was always with a group of men and they took off at a sprint like they were on a race. I’m shorter, I have my own rhythm, I had to do it at my own pace. Once I realized that I couldn’t keep up with the pack, I had no problem with making it.

With my shoulder, I’m even finding I’m able to fall asleep for some hours, when before the pain in my shoulder kept me awake nearly all night long. I still have trouble falling asleep for some time and waking in the middle of the morning and not being able to get back to sleep. But just having some sleep and knowing it’s getting better is helping.

It’s like with anything, really. You can do it.

Instead of you might not be able to.

Fourteen years ago when I went in for laser surgery after tearing my rotator cuff, I remember a man sitting in the waiting area telling me that his doctors told him that after he’d injured his shoulder, he would never have full mobility, but he wasn’t buying it. He KNEW he could get the full use of his arm back because:

1. Plan: He devised his own physical therapy equipment to work on his shoulder until he’d strengthened the muscles.
2. Goals: He set small, achievable goals for himself.
3. Determination: He didn’t listen to the doctors, but mind over matter, he was determined to prove them wrong.
4. Stick-With-It-Ness: He kept at it until he had the full use of his arm back.

Think: I can. I will. It might take time, but I will overcome. I did too, fourteen years ago.

Just like with deadlines, trying to finish a book, trying to do anything. The pressure is there–I chop it down into small tasks/goals. When I do the easy stuff, I have small successes, and I can tell myself (see the brain working?) that I’m further along. I might not be where I need to be (like right now I’m trying to do the marketing materials for Red Wolf Christmas, the book is done!!–but I was so tired last night, that I didn’t get very far on it. BUT–I did finish 2 of the 4 parts I had to write up. And half of the 3rd part. Granted, the last two are the longest and hardest, BUT I’m getting closer to having it done) –and it will be done.

I was watching kids’ rhymes with my granddaughter yesterday and one of them was about the Itsy Bitsy Spider and it’s a tale of trying to accomplish something, climbing up the waterspout, being washed out by the rain, the sun comes out, the spider is on his journey back up the waterspout again. For the first time ever, I realized what it was trying to teach kids. (Hey, if it took me that long, maybe it’s not working on the kids either). Anyway, it’s all about perseverance. It’s a challenge to succeed.

So when I’m at therapy today, I’ll remind myself of that while I’m working through the torture. And this too shall pass. As long as I use a healthy dose of mind over matter.

I’m determined to get the marketing materials done today and turned in! That’s my last deadline book, I’ll have many more edits, but I have a ton of projects I want to get to before I’m writing a new contract of deadline books. Another cougar novel, a Halloween cougar novella, re-reading 3 books that I got the rights back to, reformat them and get them ready to re-publish. Can I do it all by the end of the year? Time is running out. And I want to write another fae story, another white bear story, another Highland historical romance! I need more time in the day, more days in month…

Hope your day is going great!!!

Terry

“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”
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