Raking It In

For a few years now my left arm had been essentially useless when it came to any significant task. I have some severe case of ‘golfer’s elbow’, a really acute tendonosis that keeps me from lifting anything remotely heavy. I hadn’t looked into because I was already wasting too much time and money treating my various leg woes. I was a righty anyway, so I just depended on my right arm a little more.

Since I’m back to running now, I thought it’d be smart to address the arm and had been making progress. But then I decided to do some raking. After clearing the yard I felt a little swell of pride, but then the next morning my right forearm had a huge swell of…shit. I woke up Monday morning with a pain so intense that I was convinced I had somehow broken my wrist. How was my right forearm swollen if I had never fallen or bumped it?

Luckily I had a PT appointment for my left arm and I had that checked out while the left elbow was getting treated. Nothing seems to be broken, but it appears that I now have an acute case of tenonitis in my right forearm/wrist. How bad is it? Well, I now recite every curse word I know while brushing my teeth. I’m even inventing some new ones.

But now, just as the left arm was getting better, it has been thrust into the role of the ‘good arm’ as the right arm has been rendered temporarily decorative. That’s a troubling development.

To be stricken with left elbow tendonosis and right wrist tendonitis simultaneously is not unheard of, but typically the afflicted consists only of teenage boys who have incredibly fast broadband, a whole lot of privacy and parents who don’t question the depletion of the tissue inventory.

It hit me a few hours later at work: I have two bad arms now. Both were pulled in tight, almost instinctively as some sort of protective measure. In one hand was the pen I was feebly trying to write with; I must’ve looked like some sort of T Rex Bob Dole.

Although I don’t quite need my arms to run, it does make maintenance stuff like foam rolling a bit more tricky (nay, impossible). So you’ll probably see me at races competing more now, but just don’t ask me for any autographs or high fives. T Rex Bob Dole don’t do that.