making flippy floppy

I woke up this morning in the grey pre-dawn to discover that my right arm had gone completely dead. It wasn't just numb: I couldn't feel it at all; I had absolutely no muscle control over it; it just flopped limply by my side as though it was an artificial limb made of rags.

I suppose I must have slept in a funny position that cut-off the blood circulation to my arm, but my sleep-addled mind was not able to grasp this concept. I sat on the edge of the bed for a few minutes, picking up my arm with my left hand, lifting it and dropping it, watching it fall back to my side and feeling a growing sense of confusion and fear that my dominant arm was utterly paralysed.

After a little while, I was able to gather myself together enough to use my left hand to massage some life back into my shoulder and down my arm, and after a few minutes, normal service was resumed.

For a confusing five minutes though, let me tell you, I was a little scared.