Adhesive Capsulitis (frozen shoulder)

I am going to deviate from my normal posts to talk a little bit about my frozen shoulder.  It most often affects women aged 40-60.  This is my second time and it is much, much worse than the first.  It started about three months ago with intense pain upon moving my left arm to the left and back.  The pain was only when I made those moves.  Then it gradually got worse.  More pain and increasing limitations on my movements.  After two doctor visits, 6 weeks of anti-inflammatory meds, and finally a visit to an orthopedic doctor, I was diagnosed with frozen shoulder and given a shot of cortisone. The pain wakes me up in the night, I couldn't pull a shirt over my head and had trouble taking off coats. And finally my stomach decided to revolt against the anti-inflammatory meds. In the image below, the left is the normal shoulder joint and the right is the inflamed one because of adhesive capsulitis.

Just in case any of you experience this, there is hope.  It normally proceeds in three stages.  The acute pain stage, the frozen stage (where the pain diminishes) and the thawing stage.  I am hoping that I am nearing the end of the pain stage.  I also just started physical therapy which should help to loosen it and work it out. There is no known cause except sometimes people get it after they've had an injury and have had to keep their arm immobile (not my situation). People with diabetes are more likely to get it (again, not my situation) and there is some thought that it is linked with autoimmune diseases (possibly my case).

I am trying to keep walking to help me stay reasonably fit, and of course that helps with the mental side of the pain.  And count my blessings. Today as I walked listening to some good gospel music, I was reminded of all I have to be thankful for - good walking legs, a comfortable home, a husband, ...the list goes on and on.

On a seasonal note......I have finally starting to decorate for Christmas.  Unfortunately, a couple of strands of lights on our pre-lit tree are not working.  We put it up and I've decorated it with only snowflakes (which I love, love, love).  That may be all I do. I like simple anyway.