Healing pains

I switched from Tylenol 3 to Extra Strength Tylenol yesterday, and that's working pretty well.  The most pain is actually coming from the muscles in my armpit area, and from an allergic reaction to the Steri Strips that includes a bona-fide blister.  The incision itself isn't causing me much grief at all.  I like feeling a little bit of pain because I figure that that's my body telling me to not move this way or that way.  As a result I pretty much clutch my left arm against my body 24/7, working in a few exercises periodically.  Also, I when I feel pain I imagine my cells working their butts off to heal the wound.  Maybe I'll heal faster if I think about the healing.  Maybe I'll heal extra fast like Wolverine in the X-men movies.  Yea, that's it.  I'm like Wolverine.

Today I looked at my wound and didn't get nauseous.  It's extremely well done, although I expect that it will be awhile before it isn't weird.  It's basically a long arc from mid-chest up to near the armpit.  I am already anticipating thinking of it as my own special rainbow, and it will be easier to see it as "mine" after the scabs have gone.  I think the skin is being stretched quite a bit to accomplish this rainbow, which might be contributing to my discomfort.  I have to remind myself to take deep breaths.

In other news, my brother has taken "sympathy pains" to the next level.  The poor guy skied into a tree this past weekend, breaking his clavicle and tearing something in his shoulder.  Interestingly, the shoulder in question is his left shoulder, just as my left shoulder has been affected by my surgery.  It is indeed a bit Twilight Zone-y.  That aside, I feel terrible that I can't fly out to WA to take care of him.  Maybe if you have a few extra positive thoughts you could send them his way in the hope that he will avoid potential surgery.  Watch out for those trees, Ry.