swimmermom3 Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 Two days ago Sailor Dude was out in the power boat while coaching sailing. He did some kind of stop where you pull up on the motor - I think- and popped his shoulder out of the socket. He said he popped it back in. Last night that shoulder was aching like crazy and he can't lift his arm up very high. I could cry with frustration. We have worked so hard to get those shoulders healthy after he "retired" from club swimming. He can still manage varsity swimming for the high school, but we doubt the shoulders could hold up to the intensity he used to train at. We are treating it with ice and ibuprofen. Does he need to see the doctor? The physical therapist? DS really enjoys sailing, but I think swimming will always remain his first love. This would just be the pits if popping that shoulder out means no more high school swimming. Anyone out there have their kid do the same thing to their shoulder? Advice? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 I think I would have this one evaluated by a doctor. (And I don't do doctors.) Most likely he is just going to be sore and need a lot of time to recover, but he may have torn something. I would guess he will probably be out this season at the least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjbucks1 Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 I am a physical therapist (and my children are also swimmers), and I would definately see a doctor. The fact that he heard a pop and can not lift his arm above his head may mean he has torn a rotator cuff muscle, or another pathology. That would be a worse case scenerio, but I would want it evaluated by a doctor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted August 28, 2014 Author Share Posted August 28, 2014 Thank you both for your input as I am very worried about that rotator cuff. I will call the doctor's first thing this morning. Michelle, with four swimmers in the family, we think the world of physical therapists. :D Lolly, is all of your crew still swimming? The 19 yos still are, correct? I would give you both likes but I ran out of them on the moderation thread, but thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 Quite oddly, after this summer, I only have one in the water. Ds stopped after summer due to lower back issues. So, I only have one dd19 still in the water. The other dd19 is coaching now. She still gets in a lot though!That chlorine seems to be an addictive substance. On the plus side for your ds, if he does require surgery, it might allow him to really swim again?!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjbucks1 Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 I hope all turns out well for your son, Lisa! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corraleno Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 No advice, but :grouphug: for Sailor Dude! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Yell Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 Agreeing- see a doctor! BabyBaby had her arm pulled 'wrong' in a grappling class (part of her martial arts class) and it hurt for a few minutes, and she continued in class. She has a VERY high pain tolerance- so much so, that I realized that after class for FOUR MONTHS she had said "Yeah, my shoulder hurt a little in class and I can't do as many push-ups, but it's OK now." Sooooo off to the orthopedist and it took 4+ months of physical therapy to heal. (torn Super-Spinadis (SP???) muscle.) It has taken her a year to get back to where she was before the injury- [artly because of the injury itself, but more because we didn;t treat it early enough. :cursing: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MysteryJen Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 So sorry to hear about Sailor Dude's shoulder. He definitely should go in. I know some mountain bikers who dislocated their shoulders. didn't go in, and had a much longer healing time than they should have. :grouphug: to both of you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicheleinMN Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 Not a swim mom, but ds is having shoulder surgery this fall after about 3 years of complaining and seeing doctors. They finally did an MRI and sure enough he has a posterior labral tear. So...yes, see the doctor and push for the MRI if you think he needs one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowbeltmom Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 Lisa, so sorry to hear about your son. Like others have mentioned, I would definitely get an MRI. {hugs} Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted August 31, 2014 Share Posted August 31, 2014 Coming to this thread only now. I'm sorry to hear of your son's injury, Lisa. How is he doing now? Better, I hope. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyco Posted August 31, 2014 Share Posted August 31, 2014 Adding my sympathy...that is no fun. Definitely see a doctor...my son just had a shoulder injury, same type where it popped out and back in, but my ds didn't have a ton of pain. Still, he's getting an MRI, PT, had a sling, etc. The doctor said given my ds's age and gender, it's much more likely to happen again especially with contact sports. *sigh* The PT told us he needs to work on upper body strength because he is actually too limber and doesn't have the musculature to support it. And the doctor said that if it does happen again, surgery becomes a consideration. This, after only two weeks of football. I hope your son heals completely and quickly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted December 11, 2014 Author Share Posted December 11, 2014 Update: Tomorrow ds has shoulder surgery. He is having the arthroscopic Bankart procedure. He will be in a sling for a month and then of course follow with physical therapy. This morning I am working on my spreadsheet in order to keep track of icing, all the meds, wound care etc. :tongue_smilie: There is so much to screw up. Ack! We are really hoping this is the answer. High school swimming is in full swing and ds is bummed to be missing it. He wanted to have four years of varsity swimming on his transcripts and his coach counts on him, but I think the timing is for the best. For one thing, this means with the Christmas break, I only have to type his homework for two weeks instead of four! Thanks again for all of your support and those of you that have kept checking in. Sailor Dude is out taking the mini van for a last ride before his wings are clipped for a month. I wonder what erudite things he will say on pain meds? :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicheleinMN Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 Ds had shoulder surgery last Thursday. The doctor found and repaired 2 tears. The MRI had only found one. Ds is in a sling for 6 weeks and starts PT today. He took Oxycodone for the first few days and is taking mostly ibuprofen now. (I set my alarm and got up every 4-6 hours for the first few nights to make sure he took his pain meds on schedule.) He also kept ice on it a lot for the first few days. email me if you want to chat: (remove the spaces) mmtrostle @ gmail. com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowbeltmom Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 Update: Tomorrow ds has shoulder surgery. He is having the arthroscopic Bankart procedure. He will be in a sling for a month and then of course follow with physical therapy. This morning I am working on my spreadsheet in order to keep track of icing, all the meds, wound care etc. :tongue_smilie: There is so much to screw up. Ack! :grouphug: It is tough having an injured athlete. Make sure your son is given anti-nausea medication if he is given heavy-duty pain killers. He may also be more comfortable sleeping in a recliner the first few weeks. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowbeltmom Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 Ds had shoulder surgery last Thursday. The doctor found and repaired 2 tears. The MRI had only found one. Ds is in a sling for 6 weeks and starts PT today. He took Oxycodone for the first few days and is taking mostly ibuprofen now. (I set my alarm and got up every 4-6 hours for the first few nights to make sure he took his pain meds on schedule.) He also kept ice on it a lot for the first few days. :grouphug: Good luck to your son, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted December 11, 2014 Author Share Posted December 11, 2014 Ds had shoulder surgery last Thursday. The doctor found and repaired 2 tears. The MRI had only found one. Ds is in a sling for 6 weeks and starts PT today. He took Oxycodone for the first few days and is taking mostly ibuprofen now. (I set my alarm and got up every 4-6 hours for the first few nights to make sure he took his pain meds on schedule.) He also kept ice on it a lot for the first few days. email me if you want to chat: (remove the spaces) mmtrostle @ gmail. com Oh goodness! Best wishes to your guy for a speedy, straight-forward recovery. Did the pain meds do a good job for those first couple of days? We are supposed to ice 30 minutes of every hour for at least the first two days. How did you keep the ice on the shoulder? Thanks for being so willing to chat. I am sure I will be emailing you. :grouphug: It is tough having an injured athlete. Make sure your son is given anti-nausea medication if he is given heavy-duty pain killers. He may also be more comfortable sleeping in a recliner the first few weeks. Good luck. Thanks so much. They told us about the recliner and warned him that sleep would be difficult. No recliner here, but his papa san chair with pillows should work, I think as long as he can get in and out without pain. We have a prescription for what is basically morphine, then something for breakthrough pain, an anti-nausea med, stool softener to counteract the first two, and baby aspirin for blood clots. I think he will have nifty white vascular socks and he has to do some foot pump exercises. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 How did you keep the ice on the shoulder? Put the ice in a bag and use huge amounts of saran wrap to hold it in place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 Update: Tomorrow ds has shoulder surgery. He is having the arthroscopic Bankart procedure. He will be in a sling for a month and then of course follow with physical therapy. This morning I am working on my spreadsheet in order to keep track of icing, all the meds, wound care etc. :tongue_smilie: There is so much to screw up. Ack! We are really hoping this is the answer. High school swimming is in full swing and ds is bummed to be missing it. He wanted to have four years of varsity swimming on his transcripts and his coach counts on him, but I think the timing is for the best. For one thing, this means with the Christmas break, I only have to type his homework for two weeks instead of four! Thanks again for all of your support and those of you that have kept checking in. Sailor Dude is out taking the mini van for a last ride before his wings are clipped for a month. I wonder what erudite things he will say on pain meds? :D Yes, it must be the time of year for that. One of mine is having wrist surgery next week. We had been talking about March or so, but I got nervous and called the doctor we had been seeing because the symptoms were getting much worse. His assistant called back right away and said that the surgery needs to be done NOW. So we'll be doing that after the tests and parties next week. We had to cancel out of the holiday recital, and the piano competition season is in question. I'm still in shock, but what are you going to do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 On the ice, I have found bags of frozen peas work better. No chance of leaky water. Colder, and last longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowbeltmom Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 On the ice, I have found bags of frozen peas work better. No chance of leaky water. Colder, and last longer. CVS sells a product called "peas" that are reusable and work great. Sorry to read that there are so many WTMers dealing with surgery. My oldest had Tommy John surgery this past spring after wasting four months trying rehab based on an inconclusive MRI. Turns out the partial tear indicated by the MRI was actually a complete tear. After over a year, he is finally back to 100% and just got the "all clear" from his surgeon last week to resume his prior intensity. Best wishes to everyone who is dealing with an injury now. It is tough when our kids can't do an activity that they love. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjbucks1 Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 Praying all goes well for your son, Lisa! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted December 13, 2014 Author Share Posted December 13, 2014 Thank you all for the advice and good wishes. It was a long day yesterday, but the surgery went well. The surgeon said that once they got inside they could see that it was really unstable, but only the front of the capsule (I think I have that right) was torn away and not the back. Sailor Dude's surgery wasn't until 2:30pm, but he didn't go in until 3:30pm. It took about an hour and then there was the recovery time. By then he was starving so they gave him juice and graham crackers, which didn't work out so well. :tongue_smilie: Poor kid. Then of course, his parents are sitting around staring at him to see what he would be like on narcotics. He was very serious and very polite, saying "thank you" a dozen times to staff and us. When the nausea started to subside, dh commented that ds's color seemed to be coming back. Sailor Dude nodded his head seriously while staring at the ceiling and said, "Yes, I am a colorful character." For those of you that have kids with upcoming surgeries, ds came home with a nifty thing called a "Stay -Dry" Pack. The waterproof flexible bag is covered in fabric a bit like the inside of a disposable diaper, so it's soft. You fill it part of the way with ice and it stays cold way longer than gel packs. Ds's has strings on it, so you could tie it in place. We still like the peas better because they are the easiest to mold around a awkward area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 I'm glad to hear that Sailor Dude's surgery went well. Sending positive thoughts for a speedy and complete recovery. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicheleinMN Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 Lisa, Just checking in to see how your son is doing! My son sees his doctor on Wednesday morning, so we'll see what the doctor has to say then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted December 16, 2014 Author Share Posted December 16, 2014 Ds had shoulder surgery last Thursday. The doctor found and repaired 2 tears. The MRI had only found one. Ds is in a sling for 6 weeks and starts PT today. He took Oxycodone for the first few days and is taking mostly ibuprofen now. (I set my alarm and got up every 4-6 hours for the first few nights to make sure he took his pain meds on schedule.) He also kept ice on it a lot for the first few days. email me if you want to chat: (remove the spaces) mmtrostle @ gmail. com How is your son doing? We thought 4 weeks in a sling was a pain, but 6 weeks? Ugh, poor guy. I am worried about the pain and the pain meds. Ds has morphine for around the clock coverage and hydrocodone for break-through pain as well as the anti-nausea med. For the first 72 hours, he needed the morphine and at least one hydrocodone. The morphine covers for 12 hours and we would give him the hydrocodone to cover the gap between the morphine doses. I have been able to scale back the hydrocodone, but when I let the morphine drop this morning, he was miserable. He had to go to the orthodontist and was gritting his teeth all the way home in the car. There have been a couple of surgeries in the family and we have always been able to back off the big stuff by day 4 at the latest and our experiences look more like what you have written above. Should I be worried? This kid has a fairly high pain threshold, but I don't think he's ready to go to ibuprofen. It's really messing with school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowbeltmom Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 How is your son doing? We thought 4 weeks in a sling was a pain, but 6 weeks? Ugh, poor guy. I am worried about the pain and the pain meds. Ds has morphine for around the clock coverage and hydrocodone for break-through pain as well as the anti-nausea med. For the first 72 hours, he needed the morphine and at least one hydrocodone. The morphine covers for 12 hours and we would give him the hydrocodone to cover the gap between the morphine doses. I have been able to scale back the hydrocodone, but when I let the morphine drop this morning, he was miserable. He had to go to the orthodontist and was gritting his teeth all the way home in the car. There have been a couple of surgeries in the family and we have always been able to back off the big stuff by day 4 at the latest and our experiences look more like what you have written above. Should I be worried? This kid has a fairly high pain threshold, but I don't think he's ready to go to ibuprofen. It's really messing with school. I would not be worried at this point at all. Fwiw, my son was on the same meds for a week before he was able to go down to the over the counter meds. My son didn't get any school done at all that first week, and it took him a few weeks to ramp up to his normal level after that. (Plus he wasn't permitted to write or use the keyboard for a few weeks...luckily his PA Homeschool AP Lang. teacher was extremely understanding.) Just make sure your son continues to take the anit-nausea meds. I made the mistake of forgetting to give one of those when I should have and my son was miserable and I felt horrible. :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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