I saw a shoulder dissection tonight, and it was AWESOME!

[Reverend_Smitty]

About 17 people from my major drove over to Pennsylvania hospital tonight. We got all dressed up in scrubs and went into an OR. We gathered around a table with a few doctors and they proceeded to dissect a human shoulder for us. It was kind of strange because it wasn't attached to a person. It was just the upper humerus, scapula and clavicle and all the "meat". We were there for like 2 hours, I got to hold retractors and palpate different structures. Its quite amazing to see just how much "stuff" your shoulder is comprised of.

[Sannum]

1. I knew I shouldn't have clicked....

I have a tummy ache and anything like this makes me cringe. I am glad you had an um...good night:P.

[Not_Giving_Up]

2. So, can you tell me why my shoulder blade area

makes a crunching noise when I move it? (Since you've seen the parts up close and personal!)

[Mojambo]

4. Both of my shoulders do that

I can literally make music by winding both my arms around.

It's great at parties.

[Reverend_Smitty]

5. could be a number of things...

maybe a bit of shoulder impingement, SLAP leision...I donno, I would have to examine you and get a proper history to make a guess about that

[Not_Giving_Up]

8. Well, here's a brief history

I have a lumbar scroliosis, my entire spine lists to the right, I have degenerating disks between my shoulder blades...and I'm only 32.

[Reverend_Smitty]

10. oh my...

only 32 with degenerating disks...I fear that you might have to undergo surgery in the future.

[Not_Giving_Up]

12. I fear that as well

I was once told to see an orthopedic surgeon, but I won't go. They won't be cutting on my back until I can't move at all.

I have noticed that my range of motion and overall stamina for sitting have both dropped dramatically lately though. Spooky!!!!

[Reverend_Smitty]

14. You have to be careful with the loss of ROM

letting it go too long often results in permanent deficits...the use it or lose it principle. It's not fun to re-mobilize a frozen shoulder or any other joint!

[Not_Giving_Up]

15. It's not continuous...

One part of my back or another will lock up nasty for a day or two, then the muscle relaxers finally do their job. What scares me is that a 24 pack of cokes seems REALLY heavy to me lately (previously no big deal).


Oh, and I guess I should have mentioned that I was diagnosd with all of these lovely problems in 1999...when I was 27. I did the chiropractor thing for a while, but quit because it just didn't seem to work anymore. I do see a massage therapist when I can afford to be laid up for days while I recover from it.

[Reverend_Smitty]

16. The strength deficit is very strange...

and again, I couldn't really say what your problem is, but it sounds like you might have some neurological issues. A muscle wouldn't atrophy that quickly. Have you experienced any numbness/tingling or "drop arm" problems recently?

[Not_Giving_Up]

21. Define "drop arm"...that's a new one on me

No numbness or tingling...just pain.

[Reverend_Smitty]

22. I guess it could be best explained as...

a "dead" feeling or a heavy arm. It feels weak and if you were to raise it out to your side someone wouldn't have much trouble pusing it down. It is a potential neurological sign...but again it must fit into the whole picture.

[Not_Giving_Up]

23. I don't think so

There are days when my entire body feels like that though. I truly wish I had decent health insurance. I just got insurance through my job last month, and I'm learning that it sucks more and more every time I try to use it.

[Reverend_Smitty]

24. I have craptacular insurance too...

the co-pays and prescription plan blows. My dad had an orthopedic problem recently and they made him go to the general physician before he could get a referral. The doc knew less about the injury than I did. Not really his fault, he doesn't deal with that kind of thing. Which is why my dad needed the specialist in the first place. HMO's suck!

[Not_Giving_Up]

25. First of all, I discovered (at the pharmacy) that I had a $100 drug

deductible. This was after my first trip to the doctor, where I got loaded up with prescriptions that I badly needed...Asthma inhaler, muscle relaxers, and Singulair. I definitely did not expect to pay $108 for three meds.

Then, thanks to my son, I got bronchitis. They wouldn't cover Allegra-D, the vicodin cough syrup was $50, and my anitibiotics were $30. The doc told me to take Actifed instead of the Allegra, but I had to shell out for the other two.

[Reverend_Smitty]

26. Thankfully I've been relatively healthy lately...

but my jaw nearly hit the floor this summer when I found out that I had to pay 48 dollars for an allergy medication (Flonaze) needless to say my allergies weren't bad enough to warrant a re-fill!

[Not_Giving_Up]

27. I used Flonase for years....

Haven't had any in quite some time, and really don't notice a difference. My allergies and sinuses suck no matter what.

[Reverend_Smitty]

28. yeah mine too...

I just carry tissues where ever I go...It's cheaper that way...lol

[Not_Giving_Up]

31. Last night was really rough on me...wheezed all damn night

Inhaler be damed, my airways did not want to play. I finally crashed out of pure exhaustion, and was ok this morning. I'd get a nebulizer so I could do breathing treatments at home, but the insurance considers my asthma pre-existing because I had to trips to the ER for breathing treatments months ago...anything you've been treated for in the last six months is not covered for a year. So far, they haven't bucked at the inhaler (like I care, it's not that much without insurance), and I paid full price for the Singulair anyway, since I hadn't met my deductible ($84 by the way). It kills me...I owe the ER $2500 from two trips...they can pretty much kiss my ass.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

19. Tendons clicking against each other...

normal

[flamingyouth]

3. I actually would love to see that

I'm going to go to massage school and love studying anatomy. :hi:

[Reverend_Smitty]

6. If you ever get the chance to see something like this...

don't pass it up. Since I've been in college I've had the opportunity to see different dissections and surgeries. It's one thing to study that stuff in a text book but quite another experience to be there in person. Just make sure you have a strong stomach. Funny thing about tonight...during the demonstration all I could think about was eating some dinner, I was starving, in fact a few people went to Pat's for some cheesesteaks after the dissection. I couldn't go because it was Ash Wednesday

[flamingyouth]

7. Do you do cadaver anatomy in your studies?

We have an opportunity to do that, and I think I'd like to attend (they don't force you, for obvious reasons).

[Reverend_Smitty]

9. We don't have a cadaver anatomy class in undergrad...

however we do have opportunities like this every now and then, plus we have to have a certain number of surgical observations. When I go to grad school (depending on my area of study) if I have the chance to take a gross anatomy course...I'd be all over that!

[LeftCoast]

11. I had to take a gross anatomy class to get into nursing school

Hard as hell to get into, and frankly the class kinda freaked me out at first. We had a full cadavar that we disected from start to finish over the course of the semester. The class was hard as hell with memorizing all the bones, muscles and insertions and origins but I really learned a lot.

What are you going to school for?

[Reverend_Smitty]

13. Athletic Training...

I'm still on the fence about becoming an MD. I've always wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon but it's so much work! Nights like this always re-kindle that inner fire though

[LeftCoast]

18. You know, they really really need medical professionals right now

Doctors and nurses and techs. You name it. If you wanted to be a doctor, I bet you could do it. I decided because this was my second career, that going the nursing route made more sense for where I wanted to go and how fast I could get there. If I were in my 20s I might have gone for the MD route. BTW, you should think nursing btw. I still have two years left to graduate and am already being headhunted.

[Reverend_Smitty]

20. Yeah nursing is a really in demand field these days...

I still have a year till I graduate so I presume I will be doing a lot of thinking about my future over the summer

[LeftCoast]

29. Well, if you decide to go RN

I'll fill you in on how to get into a program. There are some tricks to know. :)

[Reverend_Smitty]

30. Thanks I'll keep that in mind!

n/t

[BikeWriter]

17. ACK!