Yes, I do know how to drive. But, I can only drive cars with an automatic transmission. Which presents a problem because PB’s car has a manual transmission. And gets the better gas mileage, so is better for long trips.

Oh, and we’re planning on a trip to NJ soon to see Bud and his wife’s (I really need a nickname for her. Seriously.) new house with the new kitchen.

So, it’s been decided that I need to learn to drive a stick. (Really, it is a skill I should have. I mean, I have that whole dream of driving around Ireland one day. And most rental cars in Europe are manual.) Lessons started on Sunday. Well, OK, technically I’ve had lessons before. But, the last one was at some point last fall. (And not from PB.)
Anyway, school parking lot near his house. Driving in circles. (Well, more like rectangles.) I have gotten the 1st gear to 2nd gear shift down. Getting into first gear? Yea, no. I get it maybe 1/3 of the time. And that is a generous estimate.*

I get frustrated when I can’t do things right. So, this is a very frustrating experience for me. And therefore we may have taken a break so that we could discuss how the transmission works. At least I understand what I’m doing now, even if I can’t actually do it.

I’m worried about Reverse.

*We did go for gelato after the lesson.

On Thursday I went to see an orthopedist (fittingly named Dr. Cutter) about my shoulder. You know, the one I keep dislocating. (OK, sure, it's only been twice, this time. It will keep happening.)

Anyway, Dr. Cutter looked at my X-rays from my last doctor. Then he ordered 2 different views. He showed me those, explained about cartilage, and then talked about how the back of my humerus is damaged. Well, the back of the shoulder joint part. It's flat. It apparently should not be.

Anyway, he told me he was sending me for an MRI so that we could get a better look at the soft tissue. And then afterward, I'd come back to his office and we'd talk about options. I said, "What are the possible options?" Answer? "Surgery."

Not what I wanted to hear.

The MRI is scheduled for Wednesday. Not really looking forward to it, but it will be nice to have some answers.

So yes, definitely surgery. And that's about as much information as I got from today's MRI/Doctor's appointment. Ok, well, I did get diagnoses. I have an ALPSA* lesion and a Hill-Sachs lesion. Essentially, I have stretched out the joint capsule, torn some cartilage, and flattened out the head of my humerus bone.

Or, in layman's terms:

Randy: If you were a horse, they'd put you down. (Here, TRgirl helpfully interjected that they would have already done that.)

Bud: You done effed** up your shoulder.

I have to go see the surgeon next week. Hopefully then I'll know actual things such as when, how much time I'll need off work, what the recovery period will be (internet says six months. I am hoping that the internet is wrong.), if I'll have to do this again in another 15 years, etc.

In other news, the day started out with the following question: "Why did we go to summer camp?"

*You know, your general anterior labral periosteal sleeve avulsion.
**edited for language

This morning I woke up and asked PB if it was raining. He confirmed this. After checking the weather, he informed me that it was going to storm all day.

WG: I didn’t even pack a jacket.
PB: (Thinks.) I have two light rain jackets.

Now I can survive the rain.

We went to the surgeon yesterday, and it was confirmed that surgery is the best option. (It was also confirmed that PB has no compunction about clicking through my MRI pictures on the Doctor’s computer. Although, he’s more likely to be able to fix than I am should something go wrong.)

When the PA came in (I saw the doctor later) he said, “So you’re interested in surgery?” Hmm. Not so much “interested in surgery” as “interested in keeping my arm in its socket.”

I have torn my glenoid labrum, also known as a Bankart Lesion. I also have a Hill-Sachs Lesion, but it’s small and treatment is not indicated.

So, I will be having surgery May 4. The procedure is called a Bankart repair (googling this will lead to YouTube videos of the surgery. I do not care to see them.) I’ll be having clips put in the bone and then sutures will attach the cartilidge to the bone. Sounds fun, no?

The surgery is arthroscopic and thus I shouldn’t be out of work for more than a few days and will be able to return to “normal activity” fairly quickly. Full rehab will take about four months. Good times.

I do get out of helping PB move, though.

Sunday PB and I went on a Segway tour of Richmond. It was his birthday present. (Sidenote: I am now 2 for 2 on birthday presents this year and fear I have managed to set high expectations with both Randy and PB.)

I was nervous about riding the Segway. Apparently I even looked anxious. We went out to take the lesson given before the tour and the guide told me that women learn the Segway faster than men do. I did pick it up rather quickly, but so did PB. It is as easy as it looks! (Generally, that is a claim I don’t believe.) Well, maybe not for the family on the tour with us. The son and the mom both fell; the daughter got lightheaded and had to sit for a while. Our two-hour tour took nearly 3 hours. But, we did see everything we were supposed to. It was pretty awesome, actually.

This weekend we have a wedding on Saturday. Sunday is we’ll do some apartment hunting and getting loose ends tied up for my surgery.

Still to be figured out: How to keep Orion from sleeping on my shoulder when I fall asleep on the couch, which I foresee happening.