In case you don’t know, I broke my rotator cuff in four places. The wonderful orthopedist insisted I go for physical therapy. I didn’t want to, and I didn’t want to take the pain pills he suggested either. I just don’t believe in them, and I wanted to not be so dependent. I wanted to heal myself.

Well, I was not good at explaining myself, and I don’t even know how I could have. Here was this really wonderful caring tall doctor with years of experience –  who was I to tell him anything? I am sure he saw me as a child who just didn’t want to do something that was good for me to do.

To see the prequel to today’s blog, go to http://www.godwriting.org/godwriting/amazing-revelations-health.htm  When I wrote that, I was very pleased with myself and how I was doing without going to the physical therapist and without pain pills. I had lots of support from people here on the blog, and I was on Cloud 9.

But in the intervening three weeks, I heard horror tales about people who had broken their arms and legs and had not gone for physical therapy, and who did not have the mobility they really should have had, and now they had the choice of surgery or not having mobility.

Dear Readers,  when I wrote the earlier blog, it was like I was Superman, and now I was back to being plain Clark Kent.

Well, yesterday I had my appointment with Dr. Ivins, the nice orthopedist. I was sure he was going to let me have it because I had not gone to the physical therapist. I didn’t know what subdued thing I was going to say to him then. Was I going to cave in? I wasn’t sure I was improving at the rate I had been before. By this time, I wasn’t even sure I was still improving.

But look at how the visit went!

After a few niceties, Dr. Ivins said: “Show me what you can do.”

I put my arm up straight! I moved it to the side. I was practically dancing.

Dr. Ivins’ face lit up! He said, “That’s good, that’s good. That’s really good.”

Then he told me to move my arm a few other ways, and I did, and again his eyes lit up and he looked at me with a new regard!

Listen to this! He said I am doing way better than just about everyone who has the same injury I did! He was particularly impressed that I had made such progress at this early date because most people do not do so well after six months!  He excused me from physical therapy!  He still did recommend two Ibuprophen an hour before I exercise.

The one thing he would like me to correct is my tendency to lift my shoulder as I lift my arm instead of leaving the shoulder where it is.  He wants me to exercise in front of a mirror and keep the shoulder in place and my arm to go up without the whole shoulder rising. I can do that.

Either Dr. Ivins has a remarkable memory or he writes every thing down because he asked me: “When are you going to Phoenix?” I told him I fly out March 4 and return on the 12th.  He said it was great I was going to Phoenix — everything with my arm will be even better in Phoenix because of the warm weather!

Also, I had given him a Heaven book and CD. He held up the book and asked me if that was about my workshop. I said it’s some of the writing I get. He asked if people who come to the workshop are professional writers. I said no. They are people who want to come closer to God.

I don’t know what he may be thinking of all this, but he does seem to be thinking, so this makes me happy too.

Here I was all ready for Dr. Ivins to scold me for not going for physical therapy. Instead he gave me accolades, and now I am back on Cloud 9! With God, we can do anything.