Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
What sort of limitations were present when all was said and done?
I had unsuccessful surgery in early December, and I'm doing some PT stretching, then looking at building some compensatory muscle.
I can still play guitar, but I've lost my left jab- so I'm gonna have to work at being polite to people all the time.
I wonder about future activities such as rowing, horseback riding, motorcycle?
Does this end up feeling like a tremendously disabling condition, so just one of those things you learn to deal with?
The surgeon opined that I'd be dealing with chronic pain, and my personal goal is to learn to emit an ouch, rather than a f... when I move my arm in an errant position.
I had rotator repair done in 1992 and still have problems with it. Pain happens occasionally but worse is the arm is restricted to 50% effectiveness. I cannot lift or reach straight up over my head, shoulder height at best is all I can do.
That sounds close to my current condition with my failed surgery.
The remaining surgical option is an shoulder replacement, but that only seems to offer modest improvement, and a complicated and painful procedure.
Orthopedic medicine doesn't seem to be on the cusp of developing remarkable new repair methods either.
I'll agree with you on that. They can't seem to do anything for degenerative arthritis unless it's in the hip or knee. Other than that you just suffer with it.
Rotator cuff--I had that but I didn't need surgery so my experience may not help you. I had PT and exercises to do at home. It more or less worked but for years I couldn't raise my arm all the way up without yelping in pain.
Then my husband started moving my arm for me. He said it was something about a capsule? Breaking the capsule? My shoulder would crack and it hurt but he kept doing it and after a while (weeks? months?) of this the pain was gone forever. I wish you luck and I wouldn't wish this pain on anyone.
I'm able to go through most days without thinking about it...
Sometimes, if I'm in the wrong position reaching for something, I'll notice it-but no biggie.
Rowing and motorcycling are fine. No opportunity for equestrianism activity, but I wouldn't avoid it.
Our two hundred pound mastiff puppy is able to take a sudden full-power lunge, and I'm fine holding the leash with the arm connected to the bad shoulder.
I didn't have it as bad as you but I had similar symptoms initially. The Rotatorreliever kit helped me and it's one I always recommend trying. If you don't want to pay for it you can make your own. It worked for me despite my doubts.
I'll agree with you on that. They can't seem to do anything for degenerative arthritis unless it's in the hip or knee. Other than that you just suffer with it.
Rotator cuff--I had that but I didn't need surgery so my experience may not help you. I had PT and exercises to do at home. It more or less worked but for years I couldn't raise my arm all the way up without yelping in pain.
Then my husband started moving my arm for me. He said it was something about a capsule? Breaking the capsule? My shoulder would crack and it hurt but he kept doing it and after a while (weeks? months?) of this the pain was gone forever. I wish you luck and I wouldn't wish this pain on anyone.
That is a very uninformed statement. I have degenerative arthritis and had over 40 surgeries, all over my body, and all helped, except one. I've had 4 shoulder replacements, (one didn't work because of the stupid doctor.) I went to the head shoulder surgeon at Johns Hopkins and fixed me up and have had no pain for years now.
There are a lot of bad surgeons out there who blame your problems on you. Wrong. It's them. I would find the best hospital in your area and talk to the head orthopedic surgeon and see what they say. All of my surgeries have except one have been with the head of the orthopedic dept. and have had great results. I'm having another surgery (spinal fusion repair because of a car accident (rear ended) after I had just had a spinal fusion in two weeks and another cervical fusion because of that same accident and I'm looking forward to having them because I really don't like being in pain.
People say all the time, oh don't operations hurt? Well, since I am under sedation during surgery I would say no. Does it hurt after surgery. Yes, but I'm a fan of pain pills which help with the pain. In a few months or more I'm feeling fine again. Would I have all the surgeries again. Hell yes. My other option is living in severe pain for the rest of my life which isn't something I can deal with.
Don't listen to your husband.
Last edited by seethelight; 09-26-2015 at 01:05 PM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
A few months later...
