The best news I will share is the surgery was not painful. I slept through it like a little baby once they slapped the gas mask over my face and asked me to take five deep breaths. I don't remember a thing after that...
When I woke up in recovery my arm was in a sling and my shoulder had a bulky wrap covering it. I opted for the nerve block on my shoulder before surgery. My doctor said it numbs the arm and helps ease any pain you might feel after surgery. I felt no pain. I also couldn't feel my arm. That was okay with me. I told my doctor I had zero pain tolerance when asked. I actually am around a 1 out of 10 on the pain scale but I didn't want to brag.
I gained a liter while in surgery. The surgeon plumps up your shoulder and arm with a liter of fluid. Nobody told me that was going to happen before surgery or else I would have opted for a contour spray tan to distract from the giant ham hock hanging in a sling that was once my arm. That fluid is the most uncomfortable part of recovery during the first day or two after surgery. My skin was stretched to a "whole notha level" and burned from the pressure. That is the only way I can describe how it felt. It's not a deal breaker or unbearable, just bothersome and irritating. Kinda like some relatives in my family...
My surgery was at noon on a Friday and by 7:3o that night I was sitting on the patio in my backyard enjoying the beautiful summer breeze and hanging out with family. The good ones, not the bothersome, irritating relatives. They were told I was in a coma, indefinitely...
Pain pills were dispensed by my doctor but I didn't really need them. I take half a pain pill an hour before physical therapy. It really helps and makes it a pleasant experience. I highly recommend it. I didn't take a pill for the first appointment and it was unpleasant to say the least.
I have been sleeping in a recliner. It is easier and feels better for my shoulder. If you sleep in a bed surround your shoulder and arm with a pillow underneath. It takes the pressure off your shoulder. I like the recliner because I am confined to a small space and like the cocoon feeling. I may never go back to a real bed again. It also helps prevent bags under your eyes as an added bonus of sleeping in a semi-seated position. Yahoo!
I'm a girl, so this next bit of advice may be of no help to the guys out there. I bought (tube/ smocked) strapless maxi dresses for post surgery attire. They have been ideal and I can't recommend them enough if you are having this surgery during the summer or live in a warm climate. You can step right into them and pull them up instead of struggling to get them over your head or get an arm in a sleeve. The maxi length covers your legs so you don't have to worry about unshaved legs. I am right handed and my surgery was on my right shoulder so I am not able to do much about shaving my legs and the dresses cover that little secret.
I also bought a long handled buff puff body scrubber for use in the shower. It is a handy thing to have when you only have one arm that works. A velcro closure body towel is another helpful tool for drying off. I also bought a dental floss device with a handle that looks like a toothbrush at Target to floss my teeth. You can floss your teeth using one hand.
That is all I can think of right now. Good luck with your surgery and I wish you a speedy and pain free recovery.
My doctor covered my incisions with steri-strips and said to keep them on for 6 weeks to prevent scaring and aid in healing. It is working.
30 comments:
You have a great writing style..That was hysterical - I am going in on the 3rd for surgery.. And the dress tips were a great idea! I am nervous and a total wimp so glad to have some optimistic readings... And the whole relative thing.. I feel ya! Thanks for the laughs- you really should write.. You have a great voice.
Thank you for sharing your tips. I didn't know about the fluid. My husband is having this and he's trying to figure out now how to shower and take care of shall we say other bathroom duties!
Good luck to the husband. Taking a shower is fine. I did the arm rotation and circle exercises the doctor gave me in the shower. It was the only time I wasn't wearing the arm sling so I could do it then.
Thank you so much for writing this! My husband will be having the surgery in August. He has Parkinson's, too, so we're trying to figure out how to deal with his balance issues and your tips on showering and what to wear are helpful. I'm going to modify his terry cloth bathrobe with Velcro to minimize his need to towel off. Lori, how's your recovery going now? You're another month along.
Great story! I just had rotator cuff surgery on June 28th. Because I have been experiencing neck pain, possibly a pinched nerve, my surgeon did not recommend a nerve block. I have always been a person with high pain tolerance, but the second I began coming out of anesthesia, I felt the worst pain ever! I delivered three kids naturally, twins & my youngest that was 9 lbs and the pain did not compare to the shoulder surgery!!
My surgeon came into the prep room before the surgery to mark my left shoulder & talk about the procedure. He said for the first few days I would be on a strict regimen of pain medicine as this was considered the most painful surgeries. He said pain management was important, ranging from keeping blood pressure normal to the successful healing, I have never been one to take narcotic pain medicine, Motrin is about the strongest medicine I take. But, I had no objections to the narcotics after the surgery.
After the 3rd day, I was able to take the bandage off and shower. To my shocking surprise I had six holes!! He told my husband he had lots of pictures to show me. On July 3rd, around 7pm, my surgeon called to check on me, said he was going out of town for the holiday weekend. Told him I did not like how the Percocet made me feel. He said give me your pharmacy info and I will call in something different. He totally rocks!
I don't have a recliner but really wish I had one. Sleeping has been a real challenge. I had my stitches taken out yesterday and am quite impressed with how smooth the holes look.
Good luck to anyone getting the surgery. I am confident I will be happy after getting thru therapy!
Hello friend,
Your blog is nice for Shoulder Surgery. It’s a awesome posting. Its very useful for others.
Dr. Pasquale Longordo and Shoulder Surgery
Hello friend,
Your blog is nice for Shoulder Surgery. It’s a awesome posting. Its very useful for others.
Dr. Pasquale Longordo and Shoulder Surgery
Having mine do e in September. Great tips. Unfortunately it will be too cold for sun dress. I live alone so kinda worried. Again thanks
Thanks so much. I a having mine done in September. I live alone so kinda scares. Too cold for sundresses.
Having mine do e in September. Great tips. Unfortunately it will be too cold for sun dress. I live alone so kinda worried. Again thanks
Thanks for writing this! I had my right shoulder done last Oct. when the weather was colder. Here are my tips:
1.Get pump shampoo, conditioner and body wash for the shower.
2. I bought several pair of black elastic waist athletic pants - C9 from Target looked nice and went with everything.
3. I bought a stretchy pull up bra with no closures so I could step in and pull it up.
4. I bought several tank tops and put a Velcro closure on the right strap so I could step into that as well.
5. The best thing I did was buy a zip up sweatshirt, opened up the right side seam all the way up and then down the arm. Then I sewed the arm seam to the side seams, eliminating the sleeve but giving lots of room for the sling and the pillow for the first week. It was great! I was modest but comfortable and it cost less than $20.
Sleep in a recliner as you may turn on your side in bed and raise your arm and tear the tendon loose. You will need help with a bra. Showering was not a big problem as your good arm can reach most parts of your body. Pouring shampoo into your bad hand won't work as you can't reach the top of your head. Need to hang the towel over your shoulder to dry your back. Tight jeans are to hard to pull up with one hand. My cousin lost one arm in Iraq and showed me how to pull the crotch of my panties to one side when on the toilet. Can actually handle all three female needs down there and then crotch slides back into position as I stand back up. Am still using this trick five months after surgery as it saves me 20 or 30 seconds not having to pull down and then pulling back up every time I use the toilet. I'm 80 percent and have been told I will be 100 in 8 to 12 months.
I was just told I need surgery on left shoulder. He will be removing a calcium deposit, some spurs and some of my own bone to release pressure off my tendon that is causing neck and jaw pain. This scares the heck out of me.
I am a Manicurist and have been for 34 years. I am still working. Can anyone tell me about how long I might be off. Being self-employed is very difficult and hard financially if unable to work.
Thanks, Debra
Thank you for posting all this. I go in for surgery in 10 days, the works, I fell on the stairs and caught myself with the overhead banister while holding my 5 month old. I managed not to fall, but I messed my shoulder up, torn rotator cuff and bicep, and while they're at it they're gonna remove some clavicle and another bone I can't remember the name of, and bone spurs. I will have help from family with my kids, but I have been tryng to figure out how to make things as easy as possible for me to do. It is my dominant arm/hand, and I want to do as much for myself as I can, thank you for these tips, and thank you for warning about the fluid, that's the first I had heard of it.
I was just diagnosed with bone spur..tear to supristanous (sp?) tendon..fluid on shoulder..have to wait 2 weeks to consult with a surgeon that specializes in arthroscopic surgery..would this be the best way to fix it? I have been reading so many horror stories about the pain post op and quite frankly I am terrified! I have been dealing with pain and loss of rom over a year..did a month of physical therapy with some progress but then the pain returned..help!
I just had my rotator cuff repaired, going on my third week. How soon should I return to work?
I think your doctor will have the answer for when you should return to work. I hope you are doing well and recovering nicely.
Thanks for the tips. My rotator cuff surgery is scheduled for Jan 5,2014. I'm a girly-girl & in preparation I'm getting my hair cut, and I have purchased a couple of wool-cashmere wraps(over the head/no sleeves) to wear as sweaters, especially when I am comforatable enough to venture out. I'm practicing activities using one-arm-only to relieve anxiety concerning post-surgical-self-care. I can do alot with my left hand/arm and there are a number of things I can't do. But I am prepared to add that element of unknown pain level. I will let everyone know how it goes!
I just had RC surgery one week ago on left shoulder two tendons completly torn loose as well as a torn bicep tendon/muscle. it has been 9 days I have no pain, am sleeping in bed, no bruising and don't expect any scars. My issue is the lack of pain - I take 2 ibuprofen and 3 percocet per day. Anybody experience lack of pain?
I have a high-grade partial tear and will be seeing the surgeon next week. Have been waiting six weeks already, but this doctor is supposed to be great and worth the wait. I've looked at all the youtube videos and could probably perform the surgery myself (lol). You gave some helpful hints. I've already bought some tube top dresses. I live alone and that scares me a bit. Just wanting this to be over.
Anonymous,
I hope your surgery goes well. My best advice is to follow your doctor's orders. You and your doctor know what is best for your individual circumstance. There is no right or wrong way to recover, just your way. I wish you the best and hope you have a good recovery. I can truly say I am very glad I had the surgery. I hope you are too.
Thank you for your blog and all the comments. There are some great tips. I have supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis and bicep tendon tear repairs scheduled for the 10th and I must say I am getting a little stressed about it. This will be my 6th shoulder surgery. I have had a decompression done on both sides, open supraspinatus and infraspinatus repairs on both sides and a second repair on the left after I injured it before it healed properly. This surgery is on my right arm and I remember how hard it was to basically function after my last right shoulder repair. It is spring here in NC and I have a koi pond,3 dogs and bird feeders to fill as well as plants I need to water. I put the fish food in a pitcher I can open easily. The dog food will go in a plastic container and the bird food in a pitcher as well. I bought a couple sun dresses and spaghetti strap camisoles. I have a recliner. I recall the shoulder block as being very unpleasant. Would all of you recommend this?
Kim
Hello Kimberly,
I did have the shoulder block and was glad I did. I don't remember it really because it was all a blur at that point. I wonder if you could ask for something to help with your stress before the shoulder block if you decide it is right for you. I have done that before when I had previous surgeries. The doctor gave me something to help relax me and it was much more manageable. It's understandable to be stressed over this procedure or any for that matter. It's never fun to have surgery. To be nervous is to be human. I'm never more human than right before the event! :-) I'm also not a medical professional so anything I suggest is only from my own experience and can be different for everyone.
I do find that if I worry about a procedure it will happen anyway, so now I tell myself that worrying won't make it any better and try and just go with it. I tell myself it's going to happen and is necessary so I think of it as a temporary situation for a hopefully better long term solution. If I know I have to do it, then it somehow makes it easier.
I hope you do well with this surgery and don't need others. My best advice is do what is best for your situation. You and your doctor know what will be best.
Good luck with your surgery and it sounds like you are prepared to take care of your plants and pets!
Thanks for sharing your experience with us! You're right: the surgery itself isn't too painful. The recovery process does take a while and can be a bit frustrating if you're an athlete, but it's worth it in the long run. Thanks for sharing your tips with us! http://www.orthoclinic.com.au/shoulder-surgery
Thanks to share your views with us. I really appreciate this thing.
Shoulder pain also provides the Orthopedic pillow for the rotator cuff.
I am not quite 2 weeks post surgery and wish I had found this blog earlier....so refreshing compared to many sites I found before surgery. I had to laugh at the arm fluid comments as I also had stared in horror at the "bag of water" hanging off my forearm!
I highly recommend knowing the BEST pain med for you as my nerve block wore off in less than 12 hours and of the many surgeries I've had, this was the worst. I found Vicodin to be useless and got Percocet the next morning. Good news is that's been the worst of the whole experience. I was back in the gym on bike and step machines 5 days later since I am less than a year post knee surgery and didn't want to lose the gains I've made on that recovery.
Depending on the type of ice machine (I had the Game Ready) if you can use small frozen water bottles instead of crushed ice it makes changing the ice so much easier. I had a small basket that I carried the melted bottles to the freezer to switch out and was able to handle changing it every few hours while I was home alone.
Ladies, I ditto the stretchy pull up maxi dresses, yoga style workout pants and any stretchy bra (without hooks) that you can step into and pull up. That has greatly increased the clothes I can wear out in public. I also had the long handle shower scrub & it felt so good on my back when I finally showered. And yes, pump style shampoo, soap, lotion containers are a must. If you normally wear contacts, you will most likely have to depend on your glasses for a while. I decided to get a new fun pair and I cut my long time bob hairstyle (definitely a 2 handed job) into a pixie...a makeover & make life easier all at once.
My Dr. uses the Breg Straight Shoulder Immobilizer instead of the usual sling/pillow device and I highly recommend it if he/she is flexible on that. Nothing is awesome when you are immobilized, but I think this allows for more use of your surgery side hand and is certainly less cumbersome especially for dressing. I can easily put it on myself by leaning against a counter to anchor it while pulling the other side around to velcro together.
All in all, it has been way better than expected. If you have time before surgery practice, practice, practice the one handed life as you will have less surprises during recovery. Mine was dominant side surgery and it really helped to do things in advance...I can even do my make-up! Good luck to anyone going through this journey & try to keep a positive attitude....it's not permanent!
Thank you all who have posted. I live alone. and am very nervous about the whole post recovery stuff. I am slated to go in on June 16. I am in pretty good shape and hope it won't take to darn long to be back on my feet. The other crazy thing is I drive a stick ... fun fun.
I keep you posted .
Rubio,
I hope it all goes well for you. It may be helpful to have someone come and help you get through the first few days. Follow your doctor's orders and your recovery should be fine. I wish you well.
Romi
I am not sure if this has been posted before, and I am not sure how long many of your recovery process' might take, but one thing I know worried me was the dressing up after the surgery. I live along and did not want to bother my family too much. You shouldn’t have to cut up your clothes just to fit inside them. I do not remember where I heard about them, but I bought a Top from reboundwear.com when i was having my shoulder surgery and it was super helpful and the great thing is i still wear it after my surgery because it looks like a regular cool shirt. I also really liked your writing style, I did not know that sleeping in a slightly elevated position could help baggy eyes go away. I should do that from now on...
Thanks for all the tips. Although sundresses are not for men, believe me, on hot summer days I have wondered how comfortable it would be to wear one. After having shoulder surgery, I was introduced to a company by a friend on facebook. they make post surgical clothing that looks cool and is easy to put on. even with a cast. The clothes they made are meant to look athletic, which is awesome. If any one else cant use dresses, this might be a great option for you.
You should check them out. This is their site.
reboundwear.com
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