Tendonitis

Tendonitis is the verdict. I have a "pretty bad case" according to the doctor, which lucky for me will probably be a reoccurring problem for a long time to come. For now, I get the pleasure of icing my shoulder for 20 minutes 3-4 times per day and wearing an anti-inflammatory patch for 12 hours at a time. I am allowed to do exactly nothing with it for the next month. At the end of the month, if it is still jacked up I am supposed to go back to the doc and pay for a bunch of expensive pictures.

It's not all bad news though. As I am explaning my shoulder falling apart following my 3+ hour wrestling match with the tiller, I see a sparkle in my doctor's eye. After she finished the history, testing, diagnosis and explaination of the treatment plan, she asked with excitement, "So, what did you plant?"

I explained all the things in the ground now and the things to come, and discovered that my doctor and her husband are huge gardener/farmers. By the end of the appointment, I had a bunch of free shoulder patch samples, a prescription, and my doctor's home phone number. She said her husband would sell me some of his awesome greenhouse raised tomato plants for only two bucks a piece. Booya! Discounted tomato plants for the low cost of a $200 or more doctor appointment (crappy insurance! no co-pay...100% until deductible is met).