Phoenix: Live Love Laugh

Hello world! 🌎
I’m officially 16 days post-op from my left shoulder replacement surgery — and trust me, it’s been a journey.

Let’s start with the good news:
The surgery went better than I expected — with no complications from sickle cell.
(Now THAT is a first!)
I was so relieved when I woke up without any surprises.

At my doctor’s request (and my own cautious instincts), I stayed in the hospital for two nights—just to be safe.
Honestly, everything was going smoothly…
Until that nerve block wore off.
And then reality hit like a wrecking ball. 💥

Lessons Learned

I’m not a fan of narcotic pain medications, so I decided to stop taking them about five days post-op.
Big mistake.
Pain came roaring back, and it felt like Day One all over again.

Physical Therapy started the day after surgery — which at first was manageable thanks to the lingering effects of the nerve block.
But yesterday was my second PT session… and finally, finally, I’m beginning to see small progress.
A little more movement.
A little more light at the end of this long recovery tunnel.

Now, don’t get me wrong—
I’m still in pain.
I still can’t fully move my left arm yet.
But I’ve been here before—my right shoulder replacement took about three months to heal—and I know this one will take about the same.

Moving Forward

I won’t be writing super long blog posts for now, but I’ll aim to share a weekly recovery update for anyone following along on this journey.

In the meantime, I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July and is enjoying their summer adventures—wherever your travels may take you. 🌟

Thank you for continuing to cheer me on!
Every small victory is a step closer to full healing. 🙏🏽💛