It has been 10 weeks since I banged my elbow on the doorframe and found a few days later that I had bursitis. Since then, as I’ve complained ceaselessly, I’ve had pain, limited mobility and an ugly looking lump on the end of my elbow (that apparently only I notice since absolutely not a single person has ever mentioned it).
I went to urgent care after two weeks with no improvement. The doctor confirmed it was bursitis and not infected. The treatment recommended was rest, ice, NSAIDs, wrapping and time.
More aggressive treatment would require a visit to an orthopedic surgeon to consider draining and/or surgery. I decided to wait to see if it resolved in its own since that is the preferred treatment.
For months, there seemed to be little visible improvement. The pain lessened and my range of motion got better, but the lump remained the same size.
Well, I’m happy to report that in the past week, there’s been a noticeable reduction in swelling. It’s now reduced by more than 50% in size.
So who cares other me?
Nobody.
The lesson for I learned from this injury has nothing to do with elbow bursitis, diagnosis or treatment.
I learned, once again, that some things just take time. I can read and research endlessly on the Internet. I can visit a doctor. I can do RICE and follow the recommended protocols.
But in the end, the swelling is going down because my injury is slowly healing over time.
I want to make things happen. After all, I’m Stevie Action (one of my favorite nicknames from my friends).
When that action is to wait for an indefinite period of time to see what happens, it makes me crazy.
I’m certain this lesson will continue to be reinforced for me by many things in life where my only course of action is wait and give it time.