Laurierace, you just can’t seem to catch a break. Hoping the surgery goes well, the healing goes quickly, and the recovery is awesome.
Rebecca
Well shit, you are going to be the Bionic Woman by the time all this is done. You will leap tall buildings with a single bound and never wear out!
Good luck. The tooth thing would have undone me completely.
Yeah hopefully this tooth thing is cherry on top of this sh$t sundae and this will be behind me. There was a pin that went into my sinus that they had to remove with the tooth so I am on antibiotics but still feel like I may be brewing a sinus infection.
I am now up to three times that the shoulder pain has dropped me to my knees however. Yesterday I was doing some gardening; mostly supervising my husband’s placement of my plants and I slipped in the mud. I instinctively stuck my arms out to help regain my balance and bam, I am on the ground. This is nuts!
Those of you who have had shoulder surgery I have a question. We always go to Belmont when there is a triple crown on the line. Assuming Nyquist wins in two weeks here in Baltimore, any chance I can handle a day at Belmont 8 days after my surgery?
I am coming to this discussion a bit late but here to lend support… I put off rotator cuff repair because my daughter was due to have her baby and I knew that the lift restrictions would not let me hold the baby when she had her… good thing I delayed as she had emergency c section and things were a bit complicated.
That said, the delay cost me dearly. I had a complete tear and an old incomplete tear and some other issues… My surgeon is at Duke and only does shoulder repairs. When I came out of the anesthesia, he told me that by delaying I almost ended up with a complete replacement. But I wouldn’t have changed my decision.
However, I will say that he gave us a ton of information, we did everything he recommended and as tough as the surgery and immediate recovery period was being prepared helped a lot. (PT is a whole 'nother ball game) A friend loaned me her recliner for the duration… it was invaluable. This surgeon sends you home with a catheter in your neck that is implanted in the surgical area during surgery. It’s attached to a little pump in a fanny pack that continually bathes the internal repairs for about 3 days… it was a godsend - essentially it gives you an area block for 72 hours… t. I was instructed to pull the catheter out when the pump stopped working… It was a thin wire and came out well although I’m squeamish about that stuff. Didn’t use a whole lot of pain meds as I’m sensitive to them too. But ice machine was great.
The recommendations for clothing you have already received are great. I wasn’t able to wear a bra for about a week but after that I did the old - fasten in the front and shift to back maneuver with very old soft running bras.
DO the PT which is very tough… my two PT’s are horsepeople so that was helpful…
Best of luck!!
72 hours of nerve block sounds great. I am a little worried about how much less mobile my shoulder is becoming but I can’t move the surgery up any more unless we cancel our trip to Switzerland. Hopefully it isn’t too late for a good recovery. Thanks for your suggestions.
Laurierace - to clarify - I delayed surgery for 6 months AFTER the baby was born… so a month or so isn’t that much of a delay! Enjoy your trip…
See if you can’t get a sling for your trip. If nothing else, it will keep people from bumping into you.
I think the Belmont 8 days after surgery might be a bit much, personally. But you may well be a tougher cookie than me!
The pain relief catheter thingy was wonderful when I had mine done.
You may be able to handle the day at the Belmont but IT :eek: will be the following three days you may not be ‘happy’ with ! 
If you go to the Belmont, please take two people with you, to act as human shields.
I’m thinking two people about the size of Clydesdales. Do you know any Baltimore Ravens linebackers? I’m thinking that side, and very protective.
We will play the Belmont thing by ear assuming he wins here in Baltimore. Thankfully we were there last year so it wouldn’t sting quite as much to miss out on history being made.
A RC / shoulder patient does not want to be - should not be BUMPED •
I hear you. I don’t feel like doing much of anything now and this was just after a tooth extraction. Sucks getting old.
‘This’ is a humbling experience - one finds the discomfort coupled with the feeling of ‘having no control’ very depressing …attention to ones emotional needs should be given the utmost dedication - IMHO .
We all survive but ‘this’ is not an event to be taken lightly. It’s Not easy.
I am not taking it lightly by any stretch but it is hard to get a grip on exactly how long and how much I will be affected by it. I never was very good at waiting.
For your after surgery spoiling (and you deserve it), you should get frozen items you can open easily-I’m thinking Nutty Buddy bars, Creamsicles, and similar items.
Bearer of bad news … two words
LONG & MUCH
** all are different in how they react and cope with ‘it’
Jingles !
Every single morning before I am truly awake I stretch my arms a little bit causing the shoulder to stab me fully awake. Definitely not a great way to start the day. It is a good reminder of why I am going to go through with the surgery though.
If you go to Belmont, seriously, wrap yourself in bubble wrap with a cage around yourself. You will not want to be bumped. I got a hug from my niece about 2 weeks after my shoulder surgery, and was feeling great, but that hug nearly put me back in the hospital for pain meds. I couldn’t imagine what being bumped all day would be like…
You guys likely scared me off from attending the Belmont, I appreciate all the insight. I still feel pretty crappy from this tooth which is nothing by comparison.
I doubt your doctor would allow the ‘Belmont Bump’ !
He will require some strict protocol to be followed.
In addition, your sense of self-preservation =
"DON’T TOUCH MY ARM ! STAY THE ‘f’ AWAY FROM ME "
will kick in pretty damn quickly ~ no need to ask me how I know :winkgrin:
Laurierace …I found one of the most frustrating things with RC surgery was the ( according to me ) slow offering of what to expect … protocol…made me worry because I’m a pre-planner.
- with RC/ shoulder = more variables than hip surgery - they don’t know how long … each person is so different in their rehad/ recovery …PT people will tell you that too .
*You’ll be fine …I wish I had not tried to second guess so much and just stopped my life / put on hold …let it go ! whatever and allowed my body to just concentrate on healing on its own timeline.
My doctor said no crowds ! Don’t even go to the grocery except off hours, when few people would be there and take a ‘bodyguard’ !
