Day 21 of Hospitalization ー　Looking Closely at My Body — From External Rotation to My Neck September 17, 2026 (Thursday)　Reiwa8

Today marks the 21st day since I was admitted to Dogo Onsen Hospital for rehabilitation following surgery for my upper arm fracture.

At first, I could hardly raise my injured arm. The fracture was fixed with a titanium plate and seven titanium screws. Now, however, my shoulder elevation has improved to somewhere between 100 and 140 degrees. I feel that this is remarkable progress after only 21 days.

Internal rotation has also gradually improved. When I check it in the bath, keeping my shoulder down rather than raising my arm, my left hand can finally reach around the area beside my right elbow. It is still a little painful, but I can see the progress.

However, the biggest challenge for me now is external rotation.

When I keep my elbow against my body and try to rotate my forearm outward, it suddenly stops at a certain point. It is not simply pain. It feels as though something locks in place and will not let me go any farther.

The occupational therapists and other rehabilitation staff work with me every day to loosen the muscles around my shoulder. They have also taught me about muscles such as the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis, which attach around the head of the humerus.

I am not good at understanding things in three dimensions, so even when I look at anatomical diagrams, it is difficult for me to understand where each muscle begins and ends, especially because the muscles overlap one another.

Still, I keep looking at the diagrams again and again.

"Maybe this is where I am weak."

"Maybe this is where I am stiff."

"Is it really my shoulder joint that is moving, or is my shoulder blade compensating for it?"

I have gradually started to think about these things while observing my own body.

The doctors here have told me that if I had been able to start rehabilitation earlier, my shoulder might not have become this stiff.

For about a month after the surgery, I was what I have jokingly called a "rehabilitation refugee," going from one place to another without being connected to the rehabilitation I needed.

During that time, my shoulder became stiff.

Even so, after coming here, the dull pain that had continued for a long time disappeared within less than a week. Since then, the range of motion has gradually increased as well.

I have been told that I may have about another 60 days of hospitalization.

How much will my shoulder recover during those 60 days?

I feel both hopeful and anxious.

I wonder whether I will be able to swim again someday.

Both freestyle and backstroke require the arms to rotate. Butterfly stroke, which I had practiced the most, will probably be the most difficult of all. Breaststroke presents a different challenge because of my knee.

So rather than trying to return immediately to everything I used to do, I would like to start gently, perhaps with water walking, aqua aerobics, or simply moving my body in the water.

I may also be able to dance in a studio by making small adjustments and compensating for whatever movement I still lack.

But swimming is different.

I cannot really "cheat" in swimming.

If my arm cannot truly rotate, I cannot swim properly.

That is why, for now, I do not want to rush. I want to see how much my body can actually recover.

And yesterday, I noticed something else.

I had been paying so much attention to my shoulder that I had not noticed how much I was leaning forward while using my iPad and iPhone.

When I went out yesterday, I suddenly realized that I should try extending my neck backward.

I could bend my neck forward without much difficulty.

But when I tried to look upward, I felt another kind of "lock" at the back of my neck.

My lower back is not much of a problem.

I thought, "I have been protecting my shoulder, and now my neck is complaining."

When one part of the body is protected or restricted, another part may end up taking on extra work.

Once again, I realized how closely connected the whole body is.

Since yesterday, one of the rehabilitation therapists has also started working with me on my neck. I have begun exercises to loosen the muscles at the back of my neck.

I am learning about shoulder muscles.

I am learning about the joint capsule.

And now I am learning about my neck as well.

There is a lot to remember.

And because I am not good at visualizing things three-dimensionally, anatomical diagrams are not easy for me to understand.

But that is all right.

I will look at them again and again and try to understand them through my own body.

"This part moves."

"This part does not move."

"This part hurts."

"This is where I feel the lock."

Observing my own body in this way may itself be part of my rehabilitation.

Day 21.

I am still somewhere in the middle of the journey.

But I have made it this far.

Over the next 60 days or so, with the help of my rehabilitation team, I want to keep learning about my own body and work toward recovering as much movement as possible.

I will not lose hope.

For now, rather than asking whether I will ever be able to rotate my shoulder, move my neck freely, or return to swimming, I want to see how far I can go.

#Day21ofHospitalization
#UpperArmFracture
#ShoulderRehabilitation
#ExternalRotation
#InternalRotation
#ShoulderJoint
#RotatorCuff
#ShoulderStiffness
#JointCapsule
#NeckRehabilitation
#UnderstandingMyBody
#RehabilitationJourney
#DogoOnsenHospital
#Swimming
#WaterWalking
#AquaAerobics
#RehabilitationDiary
#September172026