Rotator cuff surgery.... (hair, doctor, exercise, recovery)

[AQHA]

Originally Posted by Kristynwy

Just wanted to say sorry about your accident and I hope you have a smooth recovery from surgery.

Thank you. Im doing great. Much easier than I had figured.

[AQHA]

Originally Posted by SDLaRue

I had surgery 9-08 and I wish you all the best. The hardest part for me has been the loss of my independence. I, too, love to ride my horses and at middle age had just started competing for the first time in my life and had it all taken away.
The best peice of advice I can give you is to be very proactive in your post surgery care as you are doing now. I WISH I had gotten on-line to find information as provided here. I am almost 3 months post surgery and am in more pain now than prior to surgery. I had several small tears that were repaired, the bursa removed and subacromial decompression. I did not start PT until almost 4 weeks post surgery. Because of this I am on-line today looking for possible answers as to why I am not further along. I am beginning to feel that frozen shoulder has set in and I have a long recovery ahead.
My post surgery pain was really not that bad. I only took the hydrocodone because my husband basically force fed it to me. I had more ROM in the few weeks after surgery than I do now. So, please consult with a PT asap. Currently, I am taking ibuprofen and darvocets prior to PT (3x/week) along with daily exercises 3-5 times per day. Oh yes and ice and heat are my best friends. What I am also searching for is to know how much I should push myself during PT. I have dealt with 3 different licensed PT's and find they each have a different answer. Any advice here would be well appreciated. Do I only do the stretch until I feel uncomfortable or do I push through the pain and go with the "no pain no gain" theory. I really do want my life back. I am beginning to feel as if something was dropped into my shoulder during surgery.

Im very sorry to hear that. Bummer! I go to get the stitches out tomorrow so I will know more then but so far this surgery has been one of my easiest ones. I hope mine turns out. Good luck with yours.

[rheadabovewater]

Hi, reading your posts because I'm trying to figure out how long I'll be out of work when I have the surgery. I'm an executive assistant so I need to be able to type....does anyone have an idea how long the usual time is from work?

Thanks in advance

[AQHA]

I was typing at 4 days. I think you are to be in the sling for 6 weeks though-- I took mine off at 4 days I hated it. I am at about two weeks now and mine feels great. No lifting or anything but there is no pain at all.

[Notar]

I still have problems with my surgery I had on sept 29 2008, I am now having some nerve problems, tylenol number three has been my best bet so far for pain along with soma

[michael11747]

i have permanent nerve damage in my shoulder from surgery. after i raise my arm for whatever reason, my shoulder twitches pretty violently until i put it back down. good luck.

[jimj]

Originally Posted by michael11747

i have permanent nerve damage in my shoulder from surgery. after i raise my arm for whatever reason, my shoulder twitches pretty violently until i put it back down. good luck.

It seems I too ended up with some severe nerve issues from labrum surgery a few months ago. Everytime I reach out for something it feels as though someone stabbed me with an icepick. Never would have considered surgery if I knew then what I know now.

[michael11747]

Originally Posted by jimj

It seems I too ended up with some severe nerve issues from labrum surgery a few months ago. Everytime I reach out for something it feels as though someone stabbed me with an icepick. Never would have considered surgery if I knew then what I know now.

those pains went away for me pretty quick. i had about 4 months where i couldn't really raise my arm above shoulder height. now the pains are gone, but i still can't really raise my arm for an extended period of time without having it shake uncontrollably.

i am still active, and weight training has helped a bit, but every now and then, it will just give out. out of nowhere. i have the same problem with my leg which i broke a few times, and finally had to get a steel plate and pins in. imagine hiking along the chinese wall cliff in bob marshall and your leg just deciding to fail to support you with no warning...

it may be just me, but my injuries all seem to go this way.

[AQHA]

Originally Posted by jimj

It seems I too ended up with some severe nerve issues from labrum surgery a few months ago. Everytime I reach out for something it feels as though someone stabbed me with an icepick. Never would have considered surgery if I knew then what I know now.

jimj I think yours will go away, if its only been that long you are still healing. Some soft tissue surgeries/injuries take up to a year. give it a little more time.

[jimj]

Originally Posted by AQHA

jimj I think yours will go away, if its only been that long you are still healing. Some soft tissue surgeries/injuries take up to a year. give it a little more time.

I appreciate the good words! It's been 7 or 8 months now and this pain came on after about the 3rd month. The PT person thinks there's something wrong so she sent me back to the doc who agreed since I've got great ROM so he gave me another MRI. He wants to go back in and see what's up but I have to wait until next June before my heart doc will allow it. I went from 0 pain to frozen shoulder to pretty good ROM but sharp pain. Hopefully y'all are right and it will cure itself!