Rotator cuff

tree-farmer · February 22, 2020, 10:14:26 AM

Out of the sling 8). Came with caution about not lifting more than 3 lb, and more pt. Gets tired easy and range of motion is still limited. Far less pain than before surgery, I'll take it.

Thanks for all the feedback and comments while I been dealing with this.

Raider Bill, what did your new surgon have to say?

Magicman · February 22, 2020, 11:35:46 AM

Thanks for your update tree-farmer, and Happy Birthday.

RB's surgery was scheduled for the 13th, but no word from him yet. I had mine yesterday. Pain meds today. I haven't forgiven Dr. Sawbones yet!!

tree-farmer · February 23, 2020, 08:39:08 AM

You have my complete empathy MM. First few days are the worst. Keep us posted on your progress, spring time and better day are coming.

Raider Bill · February 24, 2020, 07:46:09 AM

Quote from: tree-farmer on February 22, 2020, 10:14:26 AM
Out of the sling 8). Came with caution about not lifting more than 3 lb, and more pt. Gets tired easy and range of motion is still limited. Far less pain than before surgery, I'll take it.

Thanks for all the feedback and comments while I been dealing with this.

Raider Bill, what did your new surgon have to say?

He stapled some muscles to the bone, stitched tendon to the muscle, scraped out bone spurs and arthritis, did a LOF and new plugs.
Get the stitches out this week. I'm over this sling already.
I've found that although I can take a great nap in my recliner sleeping all night in one is about impossible.
Quit the pain meds last Friday which would have been a week post op. I have no idea how people can get hooked on them. For me the side effects just wouldn't be worth it.

bwstout · February 24, 2020, 07:48:12 AM

Happy you are doing well.

Don P · February 24, 2020, 08:04:32 AM

Quote from: Raider Bill on February 24, 2020, 07:46:09 AM
Quote from: tree-farmer on February 22, 2020, 10:14:26 AM
Out of the sling 8). Came with caution about not lifting more than 3 lb, and more pt. Gets tired easy and range of motion is still limited. Far less pain than before surgery, I'll take it.

Thanks for all the feedback and comments while I been dealing with this.

Raider Bill, what did your new surgon have to say?
He stapled some muscles to the bone, stitched tendon to the muscle, scraped out bone spurs and arthritis, did a LOF and new plugs.
Get the stitches out this week. I'm over this sling already.
I've found that although I can take a great nap in my recliner sleeping all night in one is about impossible.
Quit the pain meds last Friday which would have been a week post op. I have no idea how people can get hooked on them. For me the side effects just wouldn't be worth it.

I hear you on that, the last time I made it through one pill and said enuff of that. Glad to hear you are on the mend.

Magicman · February 24, 2020, 08:38:57 AM

It's good to hear from you Bill and I agree about the pain meds. I am now 34 hours without anything other than Advil. Trying to prevent any more congestion/roadblocks at the "train depot".

Yesterday I had vertigo/dizziness/inner ear, or whatever that had me goofy. I took a Benadryl every 6 hours and today I seem OK.

I go back to the Dr. on March 2nd, so until then I just sit and wait. :

Raider Bill · February 27, 2020, 01:08:57 PM

Got the stitches out today. Told the Doc my shoulder was feeling great and that I didn't think I needed the sling anymore. He said you got 6 more weeks in it so get used to it. If I pull out a staple or stitch before the muscles and tendon heal he'll have to go back in and he'd make sure I would be in more pain that the first time. Rehab in 2 weeks.
Lining up the knee replacement for mid April if all goes well with the rehab.

Magicman · February 27, 2020, 02:18:35 PM

Thanks Bill. I was hoping to hear an update from you, but I'm sure that it was not what either of us wanted to hear.

I had a bicep tendon reattached so I may be in for more than I think. My follow up and stitch removal is Monday.

Raider Bill · February 27, 2020, 02:40:31 PM

Quote from: Magicman on February 27, 2020, 02:18:35 PM
I had a bicep tendon reattached so I may be in for more than I think. My follow up and stitch removal is Monday.

That was my tendon too.

All my pain is pretty much gone which is why I figured I was cured. Course I'm not working it either.

bwstout · February 27, 2020, 03:44:47 PM

PT hurts I am on week 5 for PT dread it this afternoon tomorrow will be a hard day. :'(

Don P · February 27, 2020, 06:03:08 PM

My last surgery was mainly the bicep tendon, that was the easiest one. It isn't bad and recovery is pretty quick. He knows me pretty well by now so he didn't prescribe pt. The bone shave is gonna smart for awhile and whatever he did up in the shoulder is where it takes more recovery/pt.

stanwelch · February 27, 2020, 09:04:48 PM

Welcome to the rotator cuff club.

I had my dominant shoulder arthroscopic surgery for complete rotator cuff tear and bicep tendon reattachment 15 months ago. Reading this thread brings back the questions and expectations for recovery I had last year.
I'll give you my experience in an attempt to help.

There are two schools of thought regarding post op range of motion protocols following surgery. First option —range of motion PT starting a couple weeks after surgery - PAINFUL 😣 ( I had two docs I fish with tell me how bad the recovery is).. second option for post op PT is to keep the shoulder immobile for 6-8 weeks before starting PT.

My doc prescribed option 2. I did not use the shoulder for 8 weeks and used the sling day and night (slept in a recliner). After that I went to PT 3x per week doing simple range of motion exercises following PT instructions through 3 phases. NO strength building during this time. This lasted for 8 weeks. I had expected to be at full strength by now and thought I was behind the curve.

At My 4 month follow up with the surgeon, he said I was right on track. He released me to start phase 4 and do what ever I could without pain. I resumed normal activities and SLOWLY increased strength. At 14 months I added machine weight training and was able to rapidly increase muscle to a level I was before tearing the rotator. I am now 15 months post op have full range of motion and can do most everything without pain.

I had very little pain through the whole process. It took a lot longer than I expected for recovery but looking back it wasn't so bad. This may not what you newbies want to hear but I hope it helps. I would be glad to answer any questions. Good luck, follow your PT instructions and be patient

Stan Welch

Magicman · February 27, 2020, 09:23:05 PM

Thank you Stan for telling me everything that I really did not want to hear.

That plus I thought you were my friend. :

Now being honest, I was repeatedly told not to expect the progress with the shoulder that I had with the knee, but I just figured that surely everyone was wrong. ;D Now I knew that everyone was not wrong, but this sitting still and doing nothing crap is for the birds. :-\

BTW, I have not missed a single night sleeping in my bed and only with my normal pillow.

stanwelch · February 27, 2020, 10:10:46 PM

Magic — I am still your friend. Follow your PT instructions Grasshopper and you will do fine. Just remember if it hurts back off. Time flies at our age

stanwelch · February 28, 2020, 07:18:35 AM

Another good tip I got from another "club" member — ICE IS YOUR FRIEND. I was able to get off the oxy and other pain meds quickly by icing after PT sessions and home exercises. When ever pain started to creep in ice helped ALOT.

If you want to research, I found at fowlerkennedy.com "Rotator Cuff Protocals" information helpful to understand where the physical therapist was going. Before surgery I was planning to be back to full strength in a couple months. This helped me to reign in the horses.

petefrom bearswamp · February 28, 2020, 08:45:38 AM

Nearly all of my ortho ops were back in the darker ages, mid to late 90s and early to mid 2000s.
Consequently incisions were to say the least, pretty long.
I now have 2 foot long scars on the rear of my left hip from my total hip in 1999 and revision in 2006.
Same with my rotator cuff repairs, substantial scars.
Hope everyone here has good luck with their surgeries.
I used frozen peas for icing.

chet · February 28, 2020, 08:47:08 AM

Stan, your Rotator Cuff info is dead on with my experience with the surgeries. I'm almost 3 months out after the the most recent one and "slowly" plugging along. It's a true test patience for a very active guy.

Pete, not all Cuff surgeries today get the bandaid size scars. Mine both look like they cut the arm off, then reattached it. :

Raider Bill · February 28, 2020, 08:52:42 AM

I thought I was doing good at the 2 week mark yesterday but woke up this morning and my shoulder is throbbing worse than it has the past week. Must have slept wrong or something.
Back to ice bags today.
My goal is to be able to take a motorcycle ride up to Savannah Ga beginning of April just before I get my new Binford 5000 total knee replacement.

chet · February 28, 2020, 09:01:35 AM

Quote from: Raider Bill on February 28, 2020, 08:52:42 AM
I thought I was doing good at the 2 week mark yesterday but woke up this morning and my shoulder is throbbing worse than it has the past week. Must have slept wrong or something.
Back to ice bags today.
My goal is to be able to take a motorcycle ride up to Savannah Ga beginning of April just before I get my new Binford 5000 total knee replacement.

Not ta be a downer, but a long trip may be a ways off. I found it was probably the "worst" thing for me afterward.