Jann in TX Posted March 17, 2019 Share Posted March 17, 2019 I'm having shoulder surgery (non dominant side) on Wednesday. Last September (6 months ago!) I fell getting ONTO a moving treadmill.... I got off of it just fine!-- but when getting back on my toe hit the tread and down I went. My arm was extended and I was holding a weight (kind you put your hand through). My arm tangled around an arm post on the treadmill. I felt the TEAR! It was 5:45 am and I'm not a morning person-- it so wasn't worth getting up early that day! I had tendon damage near my wrist and I 'blew' my bicep-- I knew that part right away. At the Dr the next day they asked if my shoulder was hurting-- I could not tell-- lower arm and bicep were flaring too much. Dr ordered MRI of shoulder just to make sure-- since I'm overweight and over 50 apparently shoulder injuries are common during falls... MRI showed 90% tear in rotator cuff (super.) I did not start feeling that pain for about a week-- then I wished I could go back to not feeling it! Tendon was frayed so I needed Physical Therapy before there was the option of surgery. I've spent nearly 6 months in PT-- and now I can hold up to 5 pounds for almost a minute... still in pain every day-- so time for surgery has arrived! I've had one previous tendon surgery on this arm and that hurt!!! for weeks... I'm supposed to be prepared for this to feel worse than the injury for MONTHS to come... Dr thinks I tore one of the bicep anchors- and will look at that along with the other sections of the rotator cuff before stabilizing the supraspinatus tendon where the hole/tear is. Did I mention that I do not respond to most pain meds-- fun times ahead... At least I LOVE my PT center. Most clients are over 80--- and just the sweetest people. I like every one of the trainers and my PT guy is awesome! Dr says I'll easily be there regularly through Christmas! Any tips or tricks to surviving this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbcdeDooDah Posted March 17, 2019 Share Posted March 17, 2019 Ask your doc to prescribe an ice machine. It runs ice water through a pad shaped to your shoulder. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaBelle Posted March 17, 2019 Share Posted March 17, 2019 (edited) I had shoulder surgery a couple of years ago. I've had severe arthritis since I was 25 (now 60) and the joint had just rotted away. Shoulder kept coming out of joint and required ER visit to fix and then weeks of recovery so I had surgery. I think our little local ER is thankful, dh said it takes four men to hold me down when they yank it back in and apparently my potty mouth isn't shy under anesthesia. I can't take pain meds at all but I didn't think the pain was bad. I do have a high threshold, but still, nothing stronger than OTC stuff and the pain was bearable. Parked my butt on the sofa and watched lots of Netflix. Be prepared to sleep in a recliner, that was the biggest help for me. Edited March 17, 2019 by MaBelle 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted March 17, 2019 Share Posted March 17, 2019 (edited) My husband had torn rotator cuff surgery and slept in a recliner for weeks. This was very important. He was in a great deal of pain if he tried to lie on a bed. He needed to be inclined. I’m really not sure how he’d have slept if he didn’t have the recliner. There were a few funny/not-funny moments where the cats found him sleeping in the recliner to be a great source of curiousity, and they’d start to play with his blankets in the middle of the night. But even with the cats bugging him, the recliner was the best choice. He slept on that recliner for many weeks. The sling he wore was big and made his arm completely immovable. He could not twist his wrist, so he could not type. He could not use a mouse. The arm/hand could not be used for anything useful. Be prepared for typing one-handed. He could not put any clothes on over the sling—there was no way to put the arm into the arm hole of the shirt, because it was in the sling and was velcroed around him. And the shirt wasn’t big enough to go around his entire body, what with that huge sling taking up room.. We didn’t know this leaving the hospital, and had to wrap a jacket sort of around him, but his belly was still exposed as he left the hospital. It was embarrassing. I ran out and got him button down and tshirts from the thrift store, and then we cut the side seam on them—from the bottom hem all the way to the end of the underarm of the sleeve (short sleeve shirts). He could put his good arm through the arm hole, but on the side with the sling, we’d drape the cloth around him, and then tuck the cut seams under the sling and then we used tape to keep the seam of the shirt together. (Electrical tape or something) It took a ton of fiddling to get the sling on and off. He was constantly adjusting the velcro, so be prepared and be patient to be fiddling with it a lot. He was also much more tired that he thought he’d be. Working on the computer, even one handed, would wear him out. He completely could not go back to work. He thought he’d be able to work from home and type one handed and get things done, but it just didn’t work out that way. And he’s a conscientious guy who was driven to work, but it was too physically exhausting somehow. it’s been a couple of years and it’s all over. But at the time, we both felt ill-prepared for how it would be. We didn’t realize how helpless he would be. Expect to take it easier than you might even think. Your DH will have to pick up some of your load for you. Like, you probably won’t be able to even buckle your seatbelt in the car. (And you won’t be able to drive for weeks). But it’s just temporary. You guys will get through it. If you know that it’ll be harder than the doctors say, you’ll be fine. If we’d have known it would be hard, we’d have been ready and able to handle it. We just felt a disoriented and unprepared when we realized how helpless DH was and we felt that the doctors minimized recovery so we had to get ourselves up to speed very fast. The doctor thought the tear wasn’t bad and said my dh would be fine in a week and a half. But he was in the sling for 6 weeks and on very light duty at work for 6 weeks. And it really took him a full year before it felt normal again. So, we went from “you’ll be up and about in 10 days,” to him being down to some degree for three months. And do exactly what the doctor tells you to do. If they say don’t work, then DON’T WORK. If they say don’t lift x weight, then DON’T LIFT X WEIGHT. My husband started feeling better pretty soon, but the doctor said that that would happen—the shoulder would feel better, but it’s not. You will retear it if you don’t baby it for at least a year. My husband followed the doctor’s orders to the letter and he’s ok now. His coworker didn’t—his coworker lifted too much weight, came back to work too early, and is right back getting the surgery again. With all that said: everyone is different so be prepared for anything. Oh, and most doctors are hesitant to prescribe opioids anymore. But if they do, try to take as few as you can. Not for the shoulder, but for another issue with my husband they gave him a lot of opioids, and we didn’t know any better and had him popping those things all the time, thinking we were doing the right thing to care for him. He ended up going through months of physical withdrawl when he stopped taking them (restless leg, feeling like bugs crawling on his skin, etc.) He avoids them now. He went in for something the other day for his back and said right up front; No opioids! Showering: difficult. He couldn’t wash his hair one-handed and then ended up overworking his “good” arm trying to wash and shower himself, along with all the other things he was doing one-armed. Somewhere it was suggested that he put press and seal saran wrap around the wound for the first few showers at least. You might want some dry shampoo to get through the first few days. You won’t be able to twist yourself easily around a sink to have your hair washed in the sink and you might not be allowed to shower for a couple of days, I don’t remember the timeline exactly. Edited March 17, 2019 by Garga 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbcdeDooDah Posted March 17, 2019 Share Posted March 17, 2019 The recliner is very important. Also, we bought shirts on Etsy designed for after surgery. They had velcro up the affected side. Made it nice to have something more polished looking instead of our homemade ones. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tampamommy Posted March 17, 2019 Share Posted March 17, 2019 Be very faithful and consistent with doing your PT. For the folks I know who have had shoulder surgery, this was the key to regaining strength and mobility. Be patient. It is a long slow process but you will get there! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted March 17, 2019 Share Posted March 17, 2019 Both shoulders (not at the same time). To echo some others: Sleep in the recliner - sitting up reduces swelling ice machine. Oh I loved my ice machine. And do the PT if you want your range of motion back you have to work for it Floor grabber - or have a smal child handy all the time - to pick up things off the floor for you. Bending over can HURT!! Slip on shoes and other clothing that is easy to do. Bras may be an issue for a while if they press down on your shoulder. I moved to layered tank tops during this time. Good Luck!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Innisfree Posted March 18, 2019 Share Posted March 18, 2019 We didn't have a recliner when dh had his rotator cuff surgery, so he tried to sleep propped up in bed and on the sofa. He says the recliner is important enough that you should buy one if you don't already have one. (Ahead of his surgery he didn't expect to need it that badly. He did.) If you have problems with pain meds working, talk to the doctor so you can sort that out ahead of time. Do the PT religiously. It helps enormously. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jann in TX Posted March 18, 2019 Author Share Posted March 18, 2019 Thank you for all of your comments and suggestions. I have one sleeping shirt with a Velcro shoulder that I put in-- I'll look on Etsy/Amazon for a few more. I'm going with tube bras when I need to go out in public...(I can step into them) I have a few meals made-- youngest dd 17 gets to learn to cook (well she does know a little bit already). My oldest dd gave me a floor grabber for Christmas-- I need to hunt down that box! We have TONS of recliners-- but DH surprised me with an adjustable bed!! We ordered an ice-machine. I've been faithful to PT since the injury in September-- so I've got the routine down (I'm actually sad I cant go today!). I'm hopeful that I'll be able to teach next week-- but I have a plan B just in case. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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