FIRST ANNIVERSARY – WHAT I LEARNED October 1, 2025

It has been one year yesterday since I dislocated my right shoulder, probably the foremost injury of my adult life. I’d like to relive that experience and also think about how my life has changed since then and what it taught me.

I have told this story before; long story short, I was treated in a timely and efficient way by the local hospital, came home, and had about 8 appointments at the rehab room in the hospital, and subsequently another 4 appointments at a small place in Kyoto recommended by a friend. My dislocated shoulder healed nicely, but the muscle which connects the arm to the shoulder on top was quite painful and movement was restricted. I still remember the elation I felt when I was able to turn over in bed and sleep on my right side – this simple movement took several months to achieve. Eventually I quit rehab altogether, feeling that normal movement involved in housework was enough of a rehab exercise.

So, how did my life change, and how am I handling this? What did I learn?

I am left-handed, and was glad that my “handed-ness” would be unaffected – I could still write and paint, that was a blessing. And my right arm healed steadily, and there were no complications, that’s another thing to be grateful for. I was unprepared, however, for the realization that many household tasks require two hands. Hanging out laundry was a torment – it requires two hands raised to head height to manipulate the clothespins, and it was a long time before I could do this with minimal pain. Carrying heavy things, with the right hand, was no longer possible. I became very clumsy about using the right hand to pour liquids, fold towels and sheets, put away dishes in the cupboard, etc.

What I have started doing, which would probably not have happened had I not had this injury, is using the right hand consciously. Especially for mindless tasks like weeding and picking up stones, I try to use both hands equally. This is to ameliorate the weakness of my right arm as well as to “spell” the left hand, which does so much. I don’t know if it helps but I do feel stronger in my right arm and hand than before starting this.

The clumsiness and weakness, although improving, doesn’t seem about to go away any time soon. I have learned to undo all the things I thought of to make my life more efficient in our large house, such as carrying several things at once – I have learned to do one task at a time, which is less efficient but at least it requires me to walk more, which is probably for the good. I now consider, when doing a task, whether I can do several things at once, or must break them up, and how to do that. For example, today I went to the supermarket and to get water from our local mountain spring. I had to carry the groceries and also two rather heavy plastic things of water into the house from the car, a distance of about 30 meters. Could I possibly carry one water in the left hand, and the lighter bag of groceries with the right? I decided to try it, and made it into the house (and up a couple of steps) without mishap. This kind of small victory happens daily. That is heartening, and I try not to think about the time, only a couple of years ago, when I could do these things unthinkingly, without the elaborate planning. At least it makes me use my head!

Another area where I have seen improvement is in the physical movements of dressing and undressing. However, I often misjudge clothes, putting them on backward or inside out, and once recently I made it all the way to the store before realizing that my top was inside out and my pants were backwards. (I put things right in the store toilet.) This may seem absurd, but also I have to keep asking myself where the clothing was made – Japanese tags are often not situated reassuringly in the back, but often on the front or side. If there is no tag, as there sometimes is not, I must rely on other clues, such as position of shoulder seams, etc., and then get the clothes on in the “right” way, though I care about this kind of thing (at least at home) a good deal less than I used to. Anyway I can now unassisted put on and take off every article I wear, and even get in the bath by myself – for a while I was relying on my husband for these things.

Another part of my life that is affected, I think, by this injury is balance. My mother was a fall risk, and I think I am one too, though I haven’t had that officially confirmed by any doctor. Still, I often lose my balance when stepping up and taking off shoes, and stepping down and putting on shoes, at the numerous entrances in my house. One must stand on one foot (on tiptoe as often as not) in order to handle the shoes without committing the enormous Japanese gaff of actually standing on the ground in bare or stockinged feet, or of wearing shoes “in the house”, is quite challenging and often I am not equal to it. I have to grasp doorways and posts so I won’t go ass over tip, as they say in Australia. My days of riding my e-bike are, I fear, over for good – I am just too scared of falling. But maybe not! I am exercising now to improve my core strength and balance, and maybe I can come a bit closer to where I was before.

Finally, I must ask myself, are these things signs of old age, or will they come back to the 100% mark at some point? I am afraid that 100% is now out of my reach – I have become much slower and more careful in my movements this past year, and need more rest than before. When I hear of people my age having an injury or operation, I no longer say “Get well soon!” but “Get as well as you can as quickly as you can.” That’s the reality now for me too. I intend to try living with that instead of hoping for the impossible.

Everyone has physical challenges to meet, and I’m grateful mine were no more difficult than this (this time). “Old age is not for sissies!” That’s an expression I intend to take to heart, along with my favorite “This too shall pass”, as I advance into the unknown.