A Parrot on my Shoulder

Remember my earlier post about dreaming? Well, here is another one, only this one at least does not involve people I love and miss.

This morning, after going to bed too late and waking too early, I came downstairs and cuddled on the couch with my hubby and fell asleep in the process. While sleeping, I had a strange and convoluted dream about social workers, adoption and a HUGE parrot that they made me carry around on my shoulder. It had falcon talons on it and they were digging into my left shoulder and neck and since I'm not a bird fan in the first place, I was upset in the dream. Kept begging someone to PLEASE take it off my shoulder. Everytime I reached for it, it just dug in deeper.

Now, after waking up and mulling over the dream, I am still stymied on why I was adopting a child and why, in the dream, Joseph had added a brick wall to the garage and it was in the wrong place . . . but I know why the parrot was there. When I went to the doctor last week, she told me that I most likely had thoracic outlet syndrome (which is exactly what I had figured out earlier from researching on the web!). It is a pinching of the nerves between your clavicle and first rib. It is due to (1) car accidents throughout life [check!] and (2) repetitive motions like typing on a keyboard for hours every day [big check!]. It causes arm, shoulder and neck pain, your arms fall asleep all the time, they get major weak especially if you try to use them overhead, you can't carry stuff on the shoulder very long without pain--heck, it has gotten to the point I can't carry my purse and even writing for a long period of time wears out my arm. Yea, it sucks. I have an appointment next week for a physical therapy evaluation. [Now we can compare notes, Susan!]

I don't think the condition is serious but it is exhausting. I sit up every morning moaning and wincing and feeling like I have parrots with talons on each shoulder. Yes, I take meds for it, but you know, those aren't good for you either . . . I'm counting my blessings though that it isn't my heart as I was worried it was when it began hurting so much.

So whine, whine, whine. I'm worried because this week I am going to Seattle twice (3-4 hours round trip). On Monday we are driving there to get a Versa trailer that Joseph has been yearning for more than a year. Whenever he found one (they aren't made any more, so it isn't easy), it was either $600 and up and/or on the other side of the country. He finally found one for less and just in Seattle so we're driving up to get it. Then, on Thursday, we are taking Amtrak with the homeschoolers to Seattle for the day. It's a fun ride--Amtrak is a great way to travel. We will leave at 8 a.m. and return at 10 p.m. and I have to admit, I am so worried that I will completely wear out about 3 hours in between the pain and fatigue and the anemia . . . I've told Nicole that she and Jon, who has taken the day off to go with us, should forge ahead on their own so I don't hold them up. But you know, it's hard on the ego to know that I'm forcing everyone to slow down or limit what they would do. SIGH. I am also aware that the last time we made this trip was in April 2007 when my mom came out. She had a great time going to Seattle and I will miss her at every turn.

Gee! Aren't you glad you stopped by to read my post now? Cheerful, aren't I?

Sorry. Maybe I need to go back to bed and hopefully, instead of some mean parrot, I will dream about calorie/carb free chocolate . . . . . served by muscular shirtless men. Yea, right.