Rotator cuff surgery today, I go in about an hour... nervous

[FirstLight]

Tore the whole scapularis tendon and the bicep tendons are fraying...

The Dr is the best in town and come really highly reccomended. He does 150 of these surgeries a year, so he knows hiis stuff.

I'm more scared of going under than the surgery. Recovery is gonna be a bitch too cuz it's my right arm... I'm glad my roommate is up for the task of being my nursemaid for a while.
At least they give you the good pain stuff, yeesh

Trying not to freak out. Guess they will give me a relaxer before knocking me out. I've never had surgery like this before and I'm kinda scared.

Any healing juju, prayers, reiki, angels etc send them my way to Tahoe!

See you guys when I am coherent again!

[2 Meow Momma]

1. Much luck! nt

[catbyte]

2. Good luck!

I've had surgery on my right elbow. I'm right-handed too, so it was inconvenient, but I'm so glad I did it. Likewise, I was nervous, too, but everything went perfectly, and I've never had any trouble with it since. Sending you good thoughts!

[intheozone]

3. Take the shot to deaden the shoulder,

hubby did on first shoulder surgery but didn't few years later on surgery on other shoulder. He was in so much pain after 2d surgery he felt like he was giving birth! No kidding, he couldn't take the pain, they had to give him the shot after he woke from surgery which meant he had to stay there and be in pain waiting for shot to kick in. Best advice, take the shot before you go into surgery.

[FirstLight]

4. they said they were gonna do that shot... so yea

I dont even wanna THINK about the pain

[mopinko]

5. good luck, and stay on top of the pain.

had it 8 yrs ago, and was very lucky. only needed minimal pt. minimal pain.

these days they use propafol (?) which is much safer than general.

[FreepFryer]

6. "Recovery is gonna be a bitch too" - don't program that from the outset

It’ll also be an opportunity for u to focus on yourself, your healing, and maximize your results w early Physical therapy.

[FirstLight]

11. i know... Im just already frustrated that I wont be able to use my dominant arm

BUT I do have a few writing projects (talk to text) and a book I downloaded on kindle etc...

I keep thinking about being all healed up and stronger so I can go kayaking next summer!

[electric_blue68]

22. That'd be great. Too scared to kayak. I love row boating!

[we can do it]

30. It will be a bitch, but you have to work through it to get through therapy.

Been there done that.

[Emile]

7. Good luck!

[FreepFryer]

8. And try to get the icewater circulating compression bladder. Greatly eases Postop pain. nt

[FirstLight]

12. I invested in a few new icepacks too! ;) nt

[Miguelito Loveless]

9. When they tell you to lify nothing heavier than a plate

after surgery, they are not kidding.

Listen to your physical therapists and the results post surgery will be pretty good.

[brer cat]

10. Best wishes to you, FirstLight.

I had a reverse total shoulder replacement a year ago and my experience was better than expected. I am very grateful I had it, and that they were willing to do it on such an old lady (I'm 75).

[FirstLight]

13. wow! that's a big deal

glad you recovered well!

[csziggy]

14. Had my left shoulder done in 94, right in 2008

You don't want to know the details of my left shoulder injury and surgery. The MRI didn't show all the damage . The surgery expected it to be minor, ninety minutes in the OR, laparoscopic, a month in a sling, some PT, and that would be it. It was MUCH more complicated. I had outpatient surgery and it should have been done in the hospital.

Prepare to have your arm immobilized for a while. Sleeping sitting up helps a lot with the pain - a power recliner with a corded control, or lots of pillows behind you in bed. Have someone make flexible cold packs - 3 parts water to one part rubbing alcohol, double bag in ziplocks, freeze lying flat, they will stay flexible and you can wrap one around your shoulder with a towel between it and your skin. For my various surgeries, cold packs did better at controlling the pain than any of the opioids they prescribed without the side effects..

You will need help showering - I was not allowed to lift my elbow so my husband had to wash under that arm while holding it up. He also had to flex it a few times a day, lifting the elbow so it wouldn't freeze up. I'm so right handed I could wipe my ass with my left hand - a bidet or a shower with a hand held wand is great for cleaning off.

Good luck! And do your physical therapy - it really makes a difference!

[FirstLight]

16. lol...the bidet was a bust...

I tried to install it and the seal inside the take was deteriorated and now the toilet is leaking...lol

All other advice is definitely appreciated. I can't wait for PT and getting stronger. Luckily for me I live in Tahoe with a lot of sports injuries and they recently built a whole orthopedic building with therapy pool etc and the dr's are skilled in this sort of thing

[csziggy]

17. Yeah, I've never installed a bidet - the wand in the shower works better.

I'm lucky, too. I live in a pretty small city with a big university sports team. The orthopedic clinic I go to specializes in fixing their injuries.

That's why the doctor was surprised with my left shoulder. Here's a middle aged fat woman who didn't seem to be in much pain, MRI didn't show much, so he didn't expect the damage he found - much worse than any of the athletes he'd treated. Having a horse rear up and snatch your shoulder is much worse than any football or baseball injury apparently. Plus I had an old injury that detached the ligament to the muscle over the shoulder blade - so old the muscle was atrophied.

Good to hear you will be treated by some of the best - it does make a huge difference.

[electric_blue68]

24. Wow... So like kicked incredibly hard by your horse?

[csziggy]

27. No, he reared and snatched the shoulder

I felt/heard popping sounds when he did it, then couldn't lift my elbow afterwards. Stupid me, I didn't go to a doctor right away - I was at a horse show out of town and didn't want to go to the hospital there. Then I waited three months before going to my regular doctor. He sent me to the orthopedic clinic. They sent me for PT since I had no insurance. One session, the physical therapist sent me back to the surgeon.

I was sent on to get an MRI, which as I said didn't show much damage. Meanwhile, I was still running my horse farm, handling horses every day, moving hay and feed, etc. That's why the surgeon didn't expect what he found. Now that FirstLight is probably in surgery, I will tell you. Out of the tendons and ligaments that make up the rotator cuff, three were not seriously damaged. three were completely detached, one so long the muscle it attached to was atrophied, the cartilage inside the joint was shredded.

The surgeon came out of the OR at ninety minutes, the time he'd expected to be finished, and sat down next to my husband. They had just finished cataloging the damage. He said, "It looks like a bomb went off in there." He cancelled all his other operations for the day, went back in and started working on me.

I went in thinking I'd have a few little holes in my shoulder, they cut me from one side of my armpit to the other. They had to dislocate the shoulder, clean out the joint, then re-attach everything that had been torn. My arm was immobilized for three months. I did three months of PT. It has been at 98-99% function since then.

I injured it Halloween 1993, went to the doctor Jan. 30 1994, saw the surgeon Feb 1994, had surgery Jun 20, 1994. It was almost exactly a year after the injury before I had full function back with that shoulder. The thing is, the week before the surgery I helped unload a trailer full of hay. My job was to stand on the trailer, move the bales under the hatch to the loft, hook the chain to them and signal to my husband and a helper to haul the bales up. 100+ bales of hay.

My biggest disappointment was the surgeon told me to stop wrestling my foals. It was a nine month old colt that did the damage. I had been handling and halter training my babies for over twenty years at that point. The surgeon warned me that if it happened again, he couldn't put my shoulder back together. I still messed with my foals for another twenty years, but didn't take the same chances, especially after I blew out both knees (now replaced) and messed up the other shoulder (not nearly as bad). Now I am retired from it. The last foal I produced is seven. I miss my babies.

[Bayard]

28. Yowza!

I thought I had a lot of old horse injuries! You have my respect.

I thought I had finally torn my rotator cuff when I went to the orthopedic surgeon last wk. Turned out to just be same old damage from a broken scapula many years ago. My mare fell on top of me in a wash stall, and I slammed into the concrete wall. Broken horizontally, and messed up my back. I rode in a back brace for months.

I've also had my arm and wrist broken in multiple places from crashing into a tree. My sternum broken twice. Nerve damage in my neck. I've ridden with a cast on my leg.

When I lived in Cincinnati, my orthoped there used to tell me--you bring me the most interesting injuries! He was the surgeon for the Bengals.

I never raised babies, but I can relate to unloading a truck full of hay. We carry bales by hand into the barn. At least they're 50 pounders here. In Calif, they were 100.

Do you still ride? At 64, I don't bounce well anymore. But my husband bought me a new gelding last year.

Good luck, FirstLight! I can attest to physical therapy being very important so you don't lose mobility. I also saw a kinesiology trained chiropractor for several months after the shoulder/back thing. I thought it was voodoo at first, but it really helped bring me back.

[csziggy]

29. No, I stopped riding about the time I blew out my knees 20 years ago

Since the left shoulder injury my balance hadn't been good. In 1999 my old back injury acted up and my back seized up. Then in 2001 I tore and folded the meniscus in the left knee, had it cleaned up but was in a brace for two months as it healed. 2002 I had a hysterectomy, 2007, the right knee went. 2008 the right shoulder had to be worked on - no injury, just worn completely out. 2012 both knees replaced - I'd been bone on bone since they'd worked on them and I couldn't take the pain anymore. 2012 and 2013, carpal tunnel surgery and ulnar nerve relocation both arms. 2017 aortic valve replacement, then left kidney removed (cancer found on the way to the valve replacement). 2019 back surgery - because of a fall in 1981 when I fractured my L5 and didn't know it for forty years.

With all those surgeries, I was just not able to get back into riding. Now I'm almost 70 and don't even handle my horses anymore. A very nice family moved their horses here in 2008 and they take care of my farm and horses. I still have four retired broodmares - the oldest is 25, youngest 16. They will join their ancestors who are buried here someday.

Take care!

[Bayard]

31. You too!

You have certainly earned your retirement.

[electric_blue68]

37. (lost my phone charger yesterday) That is So Intense...

(had get a new one and recharge phone)

My goodness, that was some injury, and surgery!

You were lucky that you had such upper body strength that you were able (w some challenges) to continue working until you had the surgery.

My mom while living in a nursing home was complaining of arm pain. Checked her out, couldn't tell what was wrong.
Eventually they found out her shoulder was dislocated - but bc she had one good ligament left she was doing mostly ok enough they didn't suspect a
dislocation earlier on.

I don't understand the "snatch your shoulder" term. Did he yank your shoulder violently forward and upward since you were holding a reign as he reared?

They've such gangly, lovely beings. So sorry you couldn't work them any more.

Is there another horse farm not too far away that maybe you can visit as a "foal whisper" like being on the other side of the enclosure talking gently to the foal, patting it on the head etc as it gets ready for it's training?
Just a thought, since you miss them so much.


(now I must catch up on First Light's situation)

[csziggy]

38. I was putting him the stall after his class at a show

He'd dug a pit at the door, so we both hopped over the pit, then I turned around to close the door before taking the lead off. While I wasn't looking he reared straight up and that is when he snatched my shoulder. He didn't mean to hurt me, he was just full of energy and excited by jumping over his tiger pit, LOL. He hated being in a stall and at home he spent most of his time in a pasture. At the show he'd been in a stall for two nights, only getting out to stand in a halter class, so he was ready to bounce off the walls. At ten months he was already pretty tall, so he had lots of height on me when he reared.

I still live on my farm and get to see my four retired broodmares every day, plus the horses that belong to the family that take care of my farm and my horses. Their daughter has the last foal I ever produced - he's now seven years old. Although full Quarter Horse, he doesn't look it. He's 16'3" (that is hands, which translates to 67" at the shoulder, large for a saddle horse) and has very good bone (he's heavily built for a QH). The daughter is showing him three day eventing, stadium jumping, cross country jumping and dressage. Since he is one of the best horses I ever produced, I'm happy to be able to follow his progress. He is the grandson of the colt that injured me.

[woodsprite]

15. I've been through that surgery and recovery. Sending all good thoughts, prayers, and light your way.

Just remember to take your time with healing and don't do anything that will set you back.

Once in PT, if you don't think you are gaining enough range of motion, talk to your dr and get him to listen to you. They ended up doing a "manipulation under anesthesia" then tried rehabbing for another 2-3 mo. After that, I still didn't come back the way I and the PT place thought I should and they found they had missed a tear so had to go back in again and repair it. If I had been OK with the 70-75% range of motion I had, and limited strength, they never would have caught it. Now I'm back between 95-98% of range and strength.

Best wishes for a successful surgery and even better recovery!

[electric_blue68]

18. I ripped my RC on my dominant left arm in a stupid my fault accident with a freak fall. Healed well.

I didn't need surgery only later IF I wanted them to shave down the bone scar. So I do have full range except especially way above my head a mild interference.

I'll help walk you through when you start your exercises.
My only future advice from experience'

do your exercises 96% of the time and you'll do great!

I slacked off for a period maybe ?3 - 5 days of no exercises and my shoulder refroze!!! 😮

I think I added 2-3 months on my recovery.
Don't be like me! 😁

You can probably skip 1 session every 4-5 days. but noore than that!
(I had ankle surgery 20 yrs later)

GOOD LUCK!!!

[FirstLight]

19. Oh I dont plan on skipping once they get me started !

I got a bad disk too so when I do get to do PT I'm glad we can focus on strengthening both areas!

Thanks for the advice... leaving soon...

[electric_blue68]

20. Again GOOOOOD Luck👍👍👍

[electric_blue68]

21. Some will scoff but Arnica Montana ?30C homeopathic pellets is EXCELLENT for post

surgery recovery, including heavy dental work!

My sis, mom and myself have used for decades. Really helps with pain.

Usually take before as well.

If it's "a pleceboo" it's powerful! 😁

[FirstLight]

23. oooh! great idea!!!

I'll grab some on the way in....

[electric_blue68]

25. Very happy to be of service! 🙂👍

[electric_blue68]

26. Maybe w General Anethesia you shouldn't take it before but as soon as u can after

[3catwoman3]

32. Anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists take their jobs...

...VERY seriously, and they know more about pharmacology than anyone. They view waking you up as even more important than putting you out.

[flying_wahini]

33. I have had Two on the same shoulder. You will be fine. Keep it still till they tell you

Do the exercises, Go to PT. It takes at least 6 months to feel good and a year to feel great!

[Skittles]

34. you will be fine

but update us anyways!

[smirkymonkey]

35. Best of luck, First Light! I hope all goes well!

The anesthesia and surgery are usually the easiest parts, it's the recovery that is difficult, especially where you are having it. I broke my proximal humerous about 5 years ago and it was excruciating - and I am allergic to opiates, so I couldn't even really take anything but Tylenol for it.

The best thing for the pain though is ice. They didnt have these when i was going through it, or at least I wasn't aware of them, but they now have shoulder ice packs that stay in place, which would have been so helpful, especially when you are trying to sleep. See below and scroll down the page for others like it:

https://www.amazon.com/Shoulder-Compression-Reusable-Injuries-Swelling/dp/B07Y34BB3B/ref=asc_df_B07Y34BB3B/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=459565948985&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=360756649984897280&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1018127&hvtargid=pla-972632376364&psc=1

Also, physical therapy is very important. It's not fun, but it will be so worth it later. Good luck to you!

[smirkymonkey]

36. Best of luck, First Light! I hope all goes well!

The anesthesia and surgery are usually the easiest parts, it's the recovery that is difficult, especially where you are having it. I broke my proximal humerous about 5 years ago and it was excruciating - and I am allergic to opiates, so I couldn't even really take anything but Tylenol for it.

The best thing for the pain though is ice. They didnt have these when i was going through it, or at least I wasn't aware of them, but they now have shoulder ice packs that stay in place, which would have been so helpful, especially when you are trying to sleep. See below and scroll down the page for others like it:

https://www.amazon.com/Shoulder-Compression-Reusable-Injuries-Swelling/dp/B07Y34BB3B/ref=asc_df_B07Y34BB3B/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=459565948985&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=360756649984897280&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1018127&hvtargid=pla-972632376364&psc=1

Also, physical therapy is very important. It's not fun, but it will be so worth it later. Good luck to you!