unpleasant, but it could be worse

some of you may recall that about a year and a half ago I suffered a torn rotator cuff and labrum in my right shoulder and that following surgeries due to infection I nearly lost the arm. Over the past 15 months I'd managed to regain most motion, about 30% strength, but have been able to do 80% of what I'd like to be able to do. I've considered my arm and shoulder functional. I can't pick up a sheet of plywood, or transmission or swim flystyle (or butterfly for that matter) but as long as I don't have to bring my elbow behind my side and then arm up over my head, or lift another over 25lb or so with my right arm, I'm pretty ok. (although the 30 pounds I've put on and increase in bloodpressure from not being able to work out in the same manner that I used to isn't something I'm happy about).

A few weeks ago I hyper extended my right shoulder in keeping balance on ice. I didn't fall, no contact was made with anything in an attempt to break a fall, just wild circular arm flailing. This morning an MRI confirmed a torn labrum in my right shoulder. Time for more surgery, more recovery, more PT. I can deal with it, I have before. It's not fun, it's painful, it's time consuming, it's not cheap. But worst of all, even though it's crazy, knowing how close I was to losing my now just serviceable arm, I'm fearful. Avoiding surgery but losing more use of the arm is an option, but I would rather get the surgery and hope to improve it's function and to continue to do so, knowing the risk. There's honestly no higher risk for infection than there would be for any patient, so it's a paranoia since I've had a major infection.

It's not heart disease, it's not cancer, it's an injury, not an illness or sickness. It could be worse, much worse. But damn this sucks. I feel like a busted broken down ran when parked beater who's owner won' even clean the leaves off the base of the windshield when posting photos for my sale on Craigslist.

Awww, sorry man. It's hard to stay upbeat when your body won't keep up.

Do you smoke?

non-smoker, no recreational drugs (in fact they have to keep on me about taking anti-imflamatories as I try to go without even OTC non-narcotic pain killers)

Sounds like the first surgery was a pretty piss poor effort. Have you gotten any professional opinions about actual improvement this time around?

I kinda like using my arms and the thought of being so limited wouldn't sit well if I suspected a decent orthopedist could get both wings flapping correctly.

I'm onto a new group for this round. The initial recovery was hampered by the infection and PT having been delayed due to it and the shoulder being immobilized for an extended period (also due to the infection). The new group previously did both my knees (ACLs and MCLs) which have full, strength, function, flexibility and range of motion. They seem pretty confident in being able to improve strength and function, it's just been long enough with it not working that I almost can't imagine it actually functioning close to normal, and I absolutely can't imagine it not being in pain. 98.8% of the time over the past year and a half I've had at minimum moderate shoulder pain. I honestly, at this point, can't imagine would it would be like to feel nothing.

captdownshift wrote: non-smoker, no recreational drugs (in fact they have to keep on me about taking anti-imflamatories as I try to go without even OTC non-narcotic pain killers)

You probably know this, but anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen aren't just pain-killers. Inflammation can do additional damage, so in some cases (and I dunno if this is one of them or not) it can actually help stuff heal faster, not just make it not hurt.

yeah, I'm going to have to be better about taking anti-inflammatories. I try to avoid taking them as this will be my 21st time under the knife (I wish I was joking) so I cringe in thinking about my kidneys and liver.

What about a replacement shoulder?

My last shoulder surgery a few years ago they told me I'd likely be looking at a replacement one in a few years. Here we are a few years later, and right on schedule it's starting to break down again. Even fan dancing is getting rough.

If a replacement one would fix the problem, perhaps going bionic isn't such a bad idea?

a replacement hasn't been brought up as an option yet. I'm not sure what the longevity of the replacement joints are, at 35 years old I'd be hoping that it'd be built to last longer then a decade or 2.

Wait. You're 35!!?? Dude, if you were a car I'm pretty sure the lemon laws would have taken you off the road by now.

Sorry, just having fun. Honestly though, the moderate dose of ibuprofen that is recommended isn't going to beat up your internal organs. Good luck going forward though, it sounds like it's been a rough ride so far.

Ahh that sucks! Is there a possibility that with this upcoming surgery they could fix/correct what happened after the last one?

I also have to be reminded to take ibuprofen after injuries.

35 going on 70. Seriously. I'm the poster child for playing a sport other then football (gave the game up after 2 years of D1, when the timetable from recovering from a gruesome foot and ankle injury involving a complete reconstruction was an open ended time frame, having played defensive back and knowing that lateral movement would never be right, I hung up my cleats) Only 2 surgeries (both ACL w/MCLs) were football related, having occurred at practice, though several, including the foot and ankle reconstruction with bonus fibula and tibia compound fracture (6 surgeries on that "repair") occurred when training for football outside of practice. I have a knack for reinjuring myself while undergoing PT as well, 2 of my 5 total ACLs, 3 in the left knee, 2 in the right, occurred while at PT.

and yet if I could get my shoulder to feel like my legs and to be as functional, I'd be ecstatic!

Damn, doode. Didn't you think somewhere after the first or second major injury that you should pick a new hobby? I mean, it's like "Doc, it hurts when I do this..." I hate to say it, but after your new shoulder (one way or the other) and you REST and heal up, you need to spend the rest of your life figuring out how not to get hurt. "If I let a 300 lb man slam into me as hard as he can, I might get hurt." "If I walk on the ice, I might get hurt." "If I push myself during rehab, I might get hurt."

Anyway, take good care of yourself and get your card punched at the orthopod. You seem to be on their frequent flier program. Is it still every 10th surgery free?

I used to be quite competitive. I wasn't happy unless I was either stronger, or faster then most everyone I encountered. Then when those advantages subsided, if I could, within the rules of the game, impose enough pain to break my opponents will to compete, I would be successful against them.

Now almost everyone is both stronger and faster then me, and very few people have more physical pain then I do on a daily basis.

Dr. Myerson built his reputation in part on my ankle reconstruction, in being able to walk without a limb, and having been able to complete 3 full length marathons on it was taking care of me enough.

I am thinking that yoga and non-impact activities (outside of motorsports) will likely be the routes taken after this next round.

captdownshift wrote: a replacement hasn't been brought up as an option yet. I'm not sure what the longevity of the replacement joints are, at 35 years old I'd be hoping that it'd be built to last longer then a decade or 2.

My father had his first hip done at age 25.. (this is going back to 1974) and they generally last about 10ish years.. one lasted 16.. one lasted a lot shorter. It all depends on how you care for it, how you use it, and how much strength you build up during PT and keep afterwards. The stronger the muscle. the less work the joint needs to do.

I wish you luck, I have about ruined my right shoulder, but until things get chronic, I am keeping it filled with all original parts

Yoga - good. Fooball - bad.

And I would hope that your motorsports are non-impact. If they are impact, then maybe: Autocross - good. Demolition Derby - bad.

Man, I feel you pain, literally. I ruptured a tendon (or some semblance thereof) in my right shoulder last month after falling. What did you do for PT? I've been going now for five sessions that consist of an ultrasound and massaging. I find out Tuesday whether or not I need surgery.

Good luck with yours.

Best of luck with yours. Push the insurance company for an MRI with contrast dye. My initial ultrasounds and x-rays showed nothing, the MRI showed enough to cause the tech to stop and ask if I drove myself there and if I wanted to call someone to meet me and drive me home.

I don't know if I should be the poster boy for what to be doing, or what to expect in PT as I likely retore mine at PT almost a year ago, and just recently expanded the tear. But it's a decent amount of stretching, then hand bike, the cable extensions without weight, then shaking this wobbly blade (think like a long bow) with my arm extended, some holding and rolling a medicine ball against a wall overhead, some weighted arm extensions (which is what initially caused it to pop again), Rows with resistance straps.

I actually enjoy PT. Yes there's pain, but it's controllable pain, and I'm always in pain. increasing it makes it so that when that added pain subsides the constant pain isn't as noticeable. I'm also a firm believer that the more effort put into PT, pain be damned, that the more complete the final recovery is. I shouldn't be able to walk without a limp, yet I do and can run (though not fast nor the most pretty) and have sucked wind through a few marathons. As long as my therapist is confident that I won't reinjury the initial cause, I'll go all out and ask about adding reps after completing what I'm initially told to do, same for adding weight. That being said if or when they say stop, or not to push I listen. Your physical therapist is your best friend, it'll just be tough love a good amount of the time.

drummerfromdefleopard wrote: I'm also a firm believer that the more effort put into PT, pain be damned, that the more complete the final recovery is. Your physical therapist is your best friend, it'll just be tough love a good amount of the time.

Ya know, in my experience, exercising hard through injury pain just worsens the injury and has never promoted healing or recovery. In fact, like I said above, I've had MDs and PTs and PAs all tell me doing that means I will never recover. Never have had one that congratulated me for hurting myself or making it worse.

PTs come in many flavors, some better than others. If you've got one that thinks pain be damned, maybe you should go shopping for a replacement.

You may well be your own worse enemy when it comes to healing and hurting yourself.