Shoulder blues Ridiculous update!

[canadianbacon]

Mine didn’t hurt most of the time either, just certain motions, like say putting the pasta strainer back in the panty that almost made me pass out. If you aren’t at the point where you would chew your arm off to get relief from the pain you may want to talk to your doc about the possibility of waiting a few months or a year. It could be that there is more going on inside the shoulder that will get worse with time and you really should have it done sooner, but it never hurts to ask.

Honestly if I had to do it over again I would in a heart beat. Yes is was a bloody long recovery and two months of being pretty useless in the taking care of myself department but I didn’t realize how much it was hurting until they fixed it. I was just used to compensating for it and adapting to it so it didn’t really register in the same way an acute injury would because it developed over time.

Big hugs Laurie, shoulders suck!

[Laurierace]

I was really having a screw it moment this morning thinking I would just leave it the way it was at least for now. Then I was getting my bathing suit on for my aqua sculpt and tone class and it bit me so hard I literally dropped to my knees. It passed in a minute but it was a pretty ridiculously painful moment.

[ElementFarm]

I had biceps tenodesis an labrum repair in April 2014.

I’ve broken lots of bones and thought my pain tolerance was pretty good and that I’d be back to “normal” life quickly. I was wrong.
It hurt way more than I expected, and I was not prepared for all the things I simply couldn’t do, for weeks.
First, go on amazon and buy a ‘wedge’ pillow. you can use it in your regular bed and sleep comfortably. Lying flat will be excrutiating for quite some time, and pillows/couch isnt’ really ideal.

Also the ‘ice machine’ thing is great. Mine was a cooler with ice and water in it, and a pump that pushed the cold water up and circulated it through tubes in a neoprene pad. No pressure, almost no weight and that thing was a lifesaver.

If you don’t already own a lot of loose button-down shirts, get some now. Putting on even big T shirts was a challenge. You’ll need help with even things like putting on a bra, so baggy pants and slip on shoes will make life easier.
I wasn’t even able to do my own hair (other than brush it) for several weeks – it takes two hands to put in a ponytail or bun.

get/make frozen meals stocked up ahead of time–things that require no preparation. You really wont be able to use that arm much at all, for many many weeks.

Do the PT. it sucks, but I was diligent and my Range of Motion (ROM) improved much faster than the docs expected.

It’s been 2 years and I still have minor-to-moderate shoulder pain. I get steroid injections a few times a year, and that keeps it tolerable. My ROM and strength are good, but the more I use it, the more it hurts. I just started a new PT program, and am hopeful that will provide at least some improvements.

After all the bones I’ve broken, and a few minor surgeries, the shoulder surgery is without a doubt, the toughest, most painful recovery I’ve experienced. I’m not trying to scare you – just be prepared, let yourself be taken care of by family/friends, and don’t be ashamed to take all the wonderful pain pills they’ll give you.
On the positive side, I was able to get on and flat a quiet horse in about 3 months.

[beaujolais]

There are no pictures in the link at all, Zu Zu. Thank goodness they can do things like that, though.

Laurie: Do you get those moments when, if you move a certain way, you end up doing a little sort of scream out loud as it feels like you’ve been stabbed with a knife and the pain kind of buckles you at the knees? Mine wasn’t bad all the time either but those moments were increasing in frequency. I figured it would just degrade more, I have enough other issues that can’t be fixed, so why not fix one of them at least? I’m glad I did.

You might want to ask your Doc if he/she thinks it will continue to get worse.

[Laurierace]

That’s exactly what happened this morning. Someone snuck up and stabbed me in the shoulder and I fell to my knees. That is the worst is has ever been.

[beaujolais]

So, sorry!! I say, go forth. I’d still take the shoulder surgery over the herniated discs any day. The surgery is kinda bad but it passes.

Little story - The surgeon had me go to his office the day after surgery to be checked. Of course, the vomiting I was dealing with didn’t help. He asked how I was and I looked at him, truly like this, :eek: - barely able to get words out. He said, “OK, well not too good, I guess. It will be better next week.”

Take note, before the appointment, while I was sitting in the waiting room, I was listening to the other patients who were almost all there for shoulder repairs as that is his specialty. I briefly spoke to a few as I had to hear that the awful really does let up. They said they were in my shoes a week or two ago but it gets so much better.

No way would I want my old shoulder back! Those knife attacks had to go. From what I was told, the shoulder would only degrade more and become harder and more painful to fix.

There is a saying I like to remind myself of sometimes, “The only way out is through.”

[Laurierace]

That is good to hear, I can suck it up for a week I guess. When you went for the check up and made it clear you weren’t doing well could he do anything aside from commiserate? Like a morphine shot or something worthwhile like that?

[beaujolais]

Mind you, it will still be kinda bad after a week but I think you’ll be able to manage. Especially, since considering, you are kinda well versed in pain and have medical knowledge. Percocets are kinda nice - :winkgrin:. I like how they put you to sleep a bit so you can get away from things.

Insist on being pre-medicated for nausea and a take home anti-nausea script. That will surely make recovery easier.

“made it clear you weren’t doing well could he do anything aside from commiserate?”

I didn’t even ask nor did he offer. I know they don’t really like to give out anything too good as they have boards and groups always watching them and want to get them in trouble for giving patients the good medications they actually need sometimes. I did ask for a script for the nausea/vomiting and got that. He might have been amenable to a bigger pain med but I was thinking about fixing the nausea more.

[canadianbacon]

[QUOTE=Laurierace;8634807]
That is good to hear, I can suck it up for a week I guess. When you went for the check up and made it clear you weren’t doing well could he do anything aside from commiserate? Like a morphine shot or something worthwhile like that?[/QUOTE]

I had them switch my meds up, I don’t tolerate hydrocodone (vicodin and friends) so they tried tramadol which didn’t work for me. I asked for and got some Tylenol 3s to compliment the massive anti-inflammatory protocol my surgeon prefers. I was on celebrex following the surgery and he gave me the toradol shot the day after surgery at my post op appointment. The biggest help was the ice machine really, and the gentle PT that got the arm moving while I was stuck in the sling. Each surgeon/practice will have different protocol so definitely ask about that at your next appointment to find out what the plan is and what they will do if it’s not working for you…

[Laurierace]

The pillow thing I linked earlier came today, it is not going to work so I will be sending it back. I am going to make hubby drag the part of the gross sectional that reclines up from the basement and put it in the bedroom. I can cover it with sheet or blankets I guess. I am not sitting in the basement by myself for a month!
My PT is giving me one of those cooler icing systems that a patient left there last year so I should be good there.

[iberianfan]

Yes and yes on the recliner. I had total shoulder replacement in January, and slept in the recliner for at least 3 weeks. And ice. Have the ice machine, but have the freezer ones, too. I was by myself, so lugging that thing to the freezer to put in more frozen water bottles was a pain. literally. I have since donated the cooler icing system to our barn! Great for icing legs, etc. Good luck - this is not fun, but is doable. ROM/weakness are my biggest complaints now at 12 weeks out.

[walktrot]

I had a Bankart repair in 1999 to fix a shoulder that had been subluxing for decades. Eventually it dislocated and would not go back in. Although recovering was not much fun, the surgeon stated that I would not ever have it dislocate again, and so far he has been correct, despite having landed on the ground too many times due to my spooky Paint gelding.

I haven’t read this thread in detail (not enough time in the work day, yuh know) but I do agree with much that has been written above. The Bankart surgery involves stitching things back together using tiny titanium anchors. Mine was supposed to be arthroscopic, but when they went in found that the shoulder was much looser and damage to the labrum much worse, so it turned into an open procedure. I did have problems with oxy, so I switched to a different drug for subsequent adventures in surgery.

For your ice machine: it was suggested to me that you make big ice cubes using small Rubbermaid containers. They don’t melt as fast as regular ice. Also agree with the oversized button down shirts, because I sure wasn’t planning on putting a bra on anytime soon. Also made use of oversized sweatshirts with a sleeve cut off around the elbow.

I live alone so I didn’t have much help after mom and dad left. Someone on a discussion board at the time suggested that I check out websites that had some neat little utensils for people with disabilities affecting their dexterity, not something easily done in 1999. I did get an electric can opener that I could operate one handed. A bottle opener for soda that I still use today. One of the OXO jar openers, and a bagel slicer. Mom pounded out a couple of pounds of boneless chicken breasts so they were really thin and froze them. They didn’t need to be cut with a knife.

Someone else had a thread about a dislocating shoulder and they were attempting to keep it in using physical therapy alone. At the time of my surgery I didn’t have a horse and wasn’t riding. I was volunteering at the local equine therapy facility, and as soon as I felt able I led from the “wrong” side, which made me feel useful and helped me get back into some sort of physical condiditon.

My conclusion after all these years was that I am glad I didn’t try to put things off any longer. In fact I had to wait until after April school vacation for my surgery on account of the surgeon having young kids. It seemed like forever, but it went by relatively quickly. Shoulders are one area where I think it makes sense to do the surgery if it will get you the result, rather than trying to make do with physical therapy. I think you are a lot better off doing one round of PT rather than using it to put off the surgery.

[Zu_Zu]

Laurierace … any possibility of ‘borrowing’ a recliner from family or friend…?

[Laurierace]

The recliner part of the sectional will work I just really didn’t want to do that because I do in home dog boarding and it has been relegated to the dog playroom for a while now. It will be ok with a sheet on it.

[Simkie]

[QUOTE=walktrot;8635582]
For your ice machine: it was suggested to me that you make big ice cubes using small Rubbermaid containers. They don’t melt as fast as regular ice. [/QUOTE]

Red solo cups make awesome ice cubes for a game ready

[Laurierace]

I may just run away from home instead! I don’t know if I can do this.

[JanM]

You can do this! You will go through the surgery, be good in recovery, listen to the doctors about what to do, and what not to do. You’ll be good, do PT on schedule, and never have to do this again.

I know you can do this.

[Zu_Zu]

You must !

You will !

If I could with ELGT

YOU CAN !!!

• you will be better afterwards !
  your life needs this ‘repair’ !

Be brave - all the faith in your ‘toughness’ !!!

[canadianbacon]

You CAN do this Laurie! It is worth it once it’s over with, no more stabbing knives with random motions, no more wondering what random thing will set your shoulder off next. Most importantly, you are fixing the damage now instead of letting it progress and requiring an even more complicated repair…

HUGS!

[Laurierace]

Thanks everyone, just in the midst of a pity party. I will get over it. I still can’t believe this. I truly thought it was just tendinitis. I told my PT guy who I have been seeing for various body parts over the past 8 years or so that I was embarrassed to be there with something so stupid. This is a total blindside.