Tonight there is fireworks and the sound of explosions to the east. Tonight there is also the return of the arm pain last felt in January of this year.

First noticed earlier today on my way to the post office, I shrugged it off. It was a twinge, a presence, a whisper of pain. Something that I was sure would vanish on its own.

But tonight it comes on worse than before. Not as bad as January. But enough to give me pause.

There is no evident reason. No difficult physical exertion has been attempted. Most of the day, actually all of it, has been spent drafting legal motions.

The day has been hot and humid. The exact opposite of the conditions which might promote the onset of arthritic pain.

Around 1400 hrs today, the pain was a mere twinge on the left. A warning shot. Something to force a recall of January events. But tonight it moves toward a full blown attack. The pain is now steady. It encompasses the left shoulder area and extends below the armpit on the left side. It crosses toward the centre of the pectorals on that side. Arm movement brings on the pain. The pain appears to originate from within the muscle mass not from within the joints, or from within the bone.

I do not wish to take any form of painkiller. On the night of the accident, I went looking for aspirin to address my growing headache. I was too confused to locate aspirin, or any other medication, and consider myself fortunate. Aspirin is an anti-coagulant. It makes the blood flow. If my understanding of brain injury is correct, then in the immediate aftermath of the accident, I was experiencing a cascade of neurotransmitters. These chemicals are essential to the function of the brain but they are also neurotoxins. As they flood the cavities within the brain they cause other brain cells to rupture and release their own toxic load.

The rotational acceleration of my head likely resulted in the physical rupture of brain cells. These micro tears would have resulted in hematoma, a degree of blood staining within the brain.

Taking the wrong analgesic would have had the effect of increasing any blood flow. So I am glad I was too unfocused to locate medication and glad I decided to depart work early and return home and sleep.

Update Aug 20th, 2015

The arm pain has disappeared as mysteriously as it arrived.

Update Aug 22nd, 2015

Felt the pain again yesterday but in much moderated form. Today it again appears to be in remission.

Update Sept 11th, 2015

Pain experienced again in September. First felt at the start of a period of hot weather. Was becoming extreme on the 9th and 10th. Appears to be moderating today as the weather becomes cooler.