Absorbable sutures are still there. Thanks for the advice on the meds. I’ve been doing OK on just ex strength Tylenol but still have the “bigger guns” on the windowsill!
I got the “hey, you’ve got until August before you’ll be riding” talk on Friday from my PT. UGH. Truly, I believe her. I still hurt terribly at times, when I make a sudden movement with my arm. My horse tried to run me over barreling out of his stall Saturday, and it hurt so bad to jump out of his way! I guess I’m on the “6 month plan” of PT, too… My surgeon and PTs keep telling me how badly I broke my arm, but I just want to get on with my life and get back to riding!! It seems to be taking so long to get well.
Calvin, I can’t even imagine how frustrated you must feel at this point. I think since I haven’t gotten started yet I’m still in LA LA land as far as how long this will eventually be. Actually I’ve been able to suck up my disapointment as far as riding goes for now. My show horse has been leased and the 4 YO is going to get worked here at home by a girl. I’m managing with the baby, although changing is a bit of a trick! My biggest concern is for my business, it’s taken me 5 years of very hard work to make equine massage a viable full time career for me and summer is obviously THE busiest time of year. My clients have been more than understanding but 6 months is a long time to wait!
Something else I suggest for anyone going through rehab (sorry if I mentioned this already!)- a moist heat heating pad. The regular dry ones just don’t penetrate the heat deep enough into the tissues, and having moist heat made a huge difference.
They aren’t cheap, but they are totally worth it IMO!! I got the “standard” size, and it’s basically big enough to go all the way down my back (or wrap around my shoulder, or encase my elbow…:)). This is where I got mine, but I think there is another company that makes them as well.
http://www.robertsmedical.com/
I would use that before doing any stretching at home, and I think it made a big difference in my rehabs. It still comes in handy.
Nice, thanks!!!
You had your first PT session yesterday, right? How’d it go?
PT went better than I expected. She was quite pleased with my ROM at this point. She did make a VERY big point that I must not be my own worst enemy by overdoing, but did give me some isometrics to do at home. Seeing her again tomorrow and three times next week.
Keep up with the PT - it’s painful, but it’s your friend in the end. I had a plate & 8 screws put in my left shoulder after fracturing the humerus a few cm below the head. The last thing to come back in my ROM was the motion of moving your lower arm out to your side… but it did come back.
I’m happy to say I have full ROM. I’m 2.5 years post surgery & don’t really think about it when riding - but I’ve got a knarley 6" scar across my shoulder to remind me.
I did all the “homework” the PT gave me throughout my recovery religiously. Also I bought one of their “cold pack/ice pack” things. Icing it after therapy really helped. Good Luck
PT stinks but it’s going well! My ROM is exactly where the surgeon wanted it to be at this point. I have my first post surgical with him next Tuesday, that will be 5 weeks out amazingly. The best part will be hopefully getting rid of the “very” attractive splint.
That is great, Twotone! I am still plateaued, but I’m getting a cortisone? injection next Monday, I think, to deaden the shoulder so we can push it past this pain zone.
I rode last Friday (shh…don’t tell anyone!) and it felt good except for I have no strength and my boy likes to pull. I still haven’t been given clearance to strengthen my arm, just stretch and ROM. I guess I’m a really bad case (the fracture) and it takes forever to loosen up.
I hope it works for you. My PT was talking about this today, that even though it hurts now it’s better than having to break down adhesions later that REALLY hurt.
I broke my collar bone into nine pieces. Three surgeries, five screws, two bone graphs, and one 6" plate later everything is OK. The original surgery had me on the sidelines for seven months. I broke it again a year later. The next two less time, as for rehab year and one half. Get a GOOD physical therapist NOW and remember ICE is your friend. The ice really helps to reduce the soreness after therapy.
GOOD LUCK
By the way, I rode for 11 years since my crunch. I broke all the ribs on my right side the same day - uncomfortable summer that year.
Glad to hear recovery is going well. Keep it up! 
I remember how happy I was to get rid of my armpit to knuckle splint after my elbow surgery. Mr. pharmgirl said I was like a totally different person! My surgeon let me get rid of it sooner than expected, so that might have added to the excitement. Either way, I was still like a kid on Christmas :D.
Well, I’m having the classic vet vs. farrier issue between my surgeon and my PT. My regular therapist was away when I went on Monday and let’s just say her replacement was ALOT less aggressive. So, today when I went my usual PT felt that my arm had stiffened right back up and my ROM was poor. Bummer! I’m compensating instead of using the joint and I’m lifting my scapula to move the arm around. She mentioned that I’m afraid to work the joint because I’m worried to compromise the repair and that the surgeon was being very conservative in his expectations for my ROM. My therapist is very well known in my area and extremely well thought of as far as her expertise so I tend to agree with her. I felt SO wimpy, she was killing me today! I hadn’t gotten around to ordering the moist heat pad but I’ll be calling them today and maybe I can loosen things up before going next week.
I had the same issue re: scapula moving (still probably do a little, in fact). The PT did a lot to try to loosen it up from my back, but it was tough.
Funny you mention it’s vet vs. farrier. But, if you are pretty healed from the surgery, shoulders are ok to be very aggressive with (I’ve had many docs and PTs alike tell me this). Sometimes things can go backwards a bit- mine did. Rehab is a marathon, not a sprint 
(esp. when it comes to shoulders!) I got muscle spasms really bad part way through my rehab (would drop me to the ground). Got to the point that I sometimes had to resort to the sling for a bit just to rest it. Definitely try to order that moist heat pad- it really helped me a lot with all of that!!
Good luck!
Y’all are scaring me to death, because I am supposed to have shoulder surgery next fall and time is flying.:eek:
A friend had similar shoulder surgery in BOTH shoulders, two years apart.
They will clean some big spurs, fix a bicep attachment one spur is cutting in half and a rotator cuff tear repair.
She is telling me only the first 2 weeks I won’t be able to do anything, but after that, it is clear sailing.
Now, I don’t know who to believe.:no:
More important question, how soon can you ride again?:yes:
[QUOTE=Bluey;4953329]
Y’all are scaring me to death, because I am supposed to have shoulder surgery next fall and time is flying.:eek:
A friend had similar shoulder surgery in BOTH shoulders, two years apart.
They will clean some big spurs, fix a bicep attachment one spur is cutting in half and a rotator cuff tear repair.
She is telling me only the first 2 weeks I won’t be able to do anything, but after that, it is clear sailing.
Now, I don’t know who to believe.:no:
More important question, how soon can you ride again?:yes:[/QUOTE]
When I had my rotator cuff surgery I was not allowed to ride until my PT gave me the all clear after about six or eight months (I can’t remember which). My goal was to be able to hook my bra without any pain…lol. With all that you are having done, it may be longer. Just do what your PT tells you and don’t overdo it in an attempt to recover faster, or you will make it worse.
[QUOTE=slbose61;4953451]
When I had my rotator cuff surgery I was not allowed to ride until my PT gave me the all clear after about six or eight months (I can’t remember which). My goal was to be able to hook my bra without any pain…lol. With all that you are having done, it may be longer. Just do what your PT tells you and don’t overdo it in an attempt to recover faster, or you will make it worse.[/QUOTE]
Ouch!
Well I guess I’m joining the club :sadsmile:
Not nearly as bad sounding as some of the repairs on here but I’ve had a run of 18 months of horse related goofy accidents.
This last one was my husband turned out the dominant mare first and when I turned her buddy out she came at the gate teeth bared causing the mare I was leading into the field to jump into me. I thought I had broken my arm for 3 days as I couldn’t move it away from my side at all. Did Ice and rest for 4 days and went to the chiro/accupuncturist who lined my neck back up and got rid of some of the soreness and taped up my shoulder as for a rotator cuff injury.
6 weeks later I gave in and went to the ortho had x rays which showed the humeral head stuffed up all the way into the socket but thankfully no fractures.
MRI just came back with a full thickness tear with some retraction and 90% tear in the same tendon and impingement so now will be having Sx end of this month :no:
I guess they suture and anchor the tears and shave some of the acromion of to make sure it doesn’t rub the repair.
6 weeks in a immobilzer sling and then PT , so 4-6 months of misery!
Really sucks as I was just getting over my TBI from October of last yr.
Guess I be trying to sell a few before the end of the month. I guess it’s one way of finally updating my web site :lol:
Hope all of you other shoulder op peeps are doing okay?
