Pain in my... Shoulder

I have been having problems with my shoulder and wrist (worse than usual that is) for the past few months, so today I finally got in to see the doctor. I was really scared that he would either say I needed another surgery or that he would tell me nothing was wrong...

I can't decide if it is good news or bad news that I got...well, it's bad news, but at least I have answers. The doctor was awesome in showing my the xrays and very clearly explaining everything to me in a way no one has before.

First, there is a bone flake/chip in my wrist. The only way such a flake occurs is a hard impact (like an IED...) Nothing can be done to fix it, but it explains the wrist problems.. Good to know.

Second, the shoulder... Apparently when the other doctor operated a couple years ago he detached two fairly important ligaments. Now that it is done it can't really be fixed. And by doing that he created a very unstable joint. Apparently the technique he used isn't usually done on anyone under 40, because it usually doesn't work and only causes more problems in the long run. So basically the pain is from my shoulder moving around too much in the join creating a bunch of extra wear and tear. My best course of action is some focused strength work to get my shoulder girdle stronger to compensate for the missing ligaments. I can keep lifting/crossfitting (Good news!). But I will fight flair ups the rest of my life and maybe some day a shoulder replacement.

It's one of those things... I'm glad to have the explanation and understand (Knowledge is Power!) But I also hate the notion that this may be a life long cycle... I am going to try to focus on the positive: I survived that IED, and everything I have been through has only made me stronger and more driven in my life. I would not be where I am today if I had not been blown up. And I love my life and the people in it.

Update on the latest events

I've done two events in the last couple months.  Both lots of fun.  

In October I did the "Amazing Grace" Barbells for Boobs fundraiser.  It is a fundraiser for mammograms and breast cancer screening and treatment.  The workout was "Grace" 30 clean and jerks for time.  I went lighter than usually and only did 65# (95# is RX for women, I'm not even close to that yet...)  The last time I did this workout I did 75# in 7:46.  For this event I did 65# in 4:01.  Technically not a PR, but what the heck, I had fun.   This was the first Crossfit type competition that I've done.  It's intense, the crowd was sooo loud and the energy was amazing!

Then this past Saturday I competed in the Team Event at Alternative Athletics (my gym) annual competition called Pukie's Bash.  Our team was a group of misfits, but we had a grand time.  We went all out with team uniforms and just had fun (which is what it was really all about!)  The team workout was basically an obstacle course that we had to haul a bunch of weight through.  I managed to rug burn my shoulders, elbows, and thumb will my killer low crawl technique!

Our team name was What Would Jed Do?  Jed wasn't on our team, but he is a total badass, so we idolize him.

Our Team: Sara, Tyler, Jed, Nate, and me.