Author Topic: Right Shoulder Surgery: One Year Later  (Read 6595 times)

Night Wing

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Right Shoulder Surgery: One Year Later
« on: April 01, 2018, 06:08:34 AM »
Looks like this forum could you use a little love topic wise.

Just over a little over a year ago on Mar 29th (Wednesday), 2017; I had my right shoulder operated on to remove a very large bone spur which cut 90% through my rotator cuff in my AC joint. The operation was out patient and it only took 45 minutes from start to finish.

If anyone has to have a shoulder operation of this type, if they offer you a nerve block, take it! If they don't offer you a nerve block, request it. When I got home later that morning; my right shoulder, right arm, right hand and fingers were "numb". I had trouble gripping anything since I kept dropping things with my right hand.

The nerve block is supposed to last 24 hours. In my case, it started to wear off after 21 hours. I could feel my pain level in the right shoulder increasing. Two hours later, I took two hydrocodone tablets. Four hours later after that, I took two more hydrocodone tablets. My prescription from my orthopedic surgeon was for 90 tablets. In the end, I only took 16 of those tablets.

The first four days is the absolute worst for this type of operation. My first night after my procedure, I had to sleep with a sling on and that was the only time I slept with a sling. If my rotator would have been entirely cut through, I would have had to wear a fixed sling which would have immobilized my shoulder for "2 months" so I dodged a bullet.

Two days later after my procedure (Friday Mar 31st), I went to physical therapy. I had a very good physical therapist and she and I got along real well. The first thing we discussed, what was my goal? I told her my goal was to get back on my sup board. She told me, since my surgeon had told her, it would take one year for my shoulder to heal since I was double stitched inside the shoulder. And there was no way to speed up time. In order to be totally pain free without any complications, after my one month of physical therapy with her, I would have to do the same exercises at my home for the next 11 months and I have.

She also reminded me that I had 12 sessions with her and those session were to be one hour long sessions, but if I wanted to come early, I could get an extra 30 minutes on my own without her since she was helping someone else out who had a knee replacement. My sessions were 3 times a week for 4 weeks (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays).

The only restriction I had was to stay off of, at that time, my Hammer since they didn't  want me to take the chance of me somehow falling on my shoulder on my board if I took my board for a flat water paddle. Ditto for sup surfing because if a wave came crashing down on my shoulder, since the shoulder was "fragile", it would damage those stitches internally. This was the hardest part to accept.

But I must admit, I did cheat "one time". While I was off the water, during the summer of 2017, I was searching for streaming webcams for Lake Conroe. I was lucky and found one at the Palms Marina on a Saturday afternoon.

http://www.lakeconroewebcams.com/palms-marina-webcam/

I went early Sunday morning with my wife to check this spot out. This was when I met two women who were coming back from an early flat water paddling session on the lake. One of the women was paddling her Starboard 11'2" x 30" Blend. Naturally, I enquired about her board. To make matters short, she asked me if I would like to demo her board. Since I was in wearing a t-short, shorts, socks and shoes, I took her up on her offer. I paddled around the marina's covered slips for about 20 minutes.

Since I was going to get a longer sup than my 8'11" Hammer and I was looking at a custom 10'6" Hammer, this short demo ride is what made me switch from a custom 10'6" x 30" Hammer to consider a custom 11'1" x 30" One World and which I now have in my garage.

Getting back on track. My surgeon told me most people who have this type of procedure, they only do about 4-6 months of their shoulder exercises at home and then they stop. They stop because their pain levels go way down and there is more of a discomfort in their shoulder. They think doing the shoulder exercise is not needed anymore since time will do the rest of the healing without doing any more shoulder exercises.

When they do this, the nagging discomfort in their shoulder does not go away because the tendons inside their shoulder still need to be stretched out. If the tendons aren't stretched out properly, the tendons take a set and they'll always have from that time forward, a nagging discomfort in the repaired shoulder.

In conclusion, if anyone has a procedure to repair a partially torn (which I had) or a totally torn through rotator, if your surgeon wants you to do your shoulder exercises for a whatever length of time, do all of the time and don't slack off. Your repaired shoulder will thank you in the end.



« Last Edit: April 01, 2018, 06:35:37 AM by Night Wing »
Blue Planet Duke: 10'5" x 32" x 4.5" @ 190 Liters (2 Dukes)
Sup Sports Hammer: 8'11" x 31" x 4" @ 140 Liters
SUP Sports One World: 11'1" x 30" x 4.5" @ 173 Liters
CJ Nelson Parallax: 9'3" x 23 1/2" x 3 3/16" @ 78.8 Liters (prone surfing longboard; Thunderbolt Technologies build in Red construction)

burchas

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Re: Right Shoulder Surgery: One Year Later
« Reply #1 on: April 01, 2018, 10:18:54 AM »
Good info! Thanks for sharing.

So, are you all healed up now? Are we going to see a tanker surfing video of you anytime soon? ;)
in progress...

surfcowboy

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Re: Right Shoulder Surgery: One Year Later
« Reply #2 on: April 01, 2018, 08:38:04 PM »
Yo man, great to hear you are doing well. Exercise and stretching are the key. I've upped mine in recent months and feel way better.

I've been out for a month due to crappy weather and it's actually been good for me. I always joke about this time of year that it's the only time I really get things done. So I hope you made the most of the time off as well.

Enjoy the summer and yeah, let's see some tanker surfing from you. That 11' is perfect for that.

Night Wing

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Re: Right Shoulder Surgery: One Year Later
« Reply #3 on: April 01, 2018, 09:28:11 PM »
Good info! Thanks for sharing.

So, are you all healed up now? Are we going to see a tanker surfing video of you anytime soon? ;)

I'm all healed up now. My first two flat water sessions went very well and for my mindset, it felt great to be back on the water after 17 months in self imposed dry dock. Like being re-acquainted with an old friend.

I want to try a little tanker surfing. It would have to be with an incoming ship in the Galveston Ship Channel. I can park at the base of the North Jetty on the Bolivar Peninsula, paddle out from there and wait for an incoming ship and if I'm lucky, sup surf the bow wave back to my launching point.

The video won't be forth coming though. I don't have any type of equipment to make a video.
Blue Planet Duke: 10'5" x 32" x 4.5" @ 190 Liters (2 Dukes)
Sup Sports Hammer: 8'11" x 31" x 4" @ 140 Liters
SUP Sports One World: 11'1" x 30" x 4.5" @ 173 Liters
CJ Nelson Parallax: 9'3" x 23 1/2" x 3 3/16" @ 78.8 Liters (prone surfing longboard; Thunderbolt Technologies build in Red construction)

gone_foiling

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Re: Right Shoulder Surgery: One Year Later
« Reply #4 on: April 02, 2018, 04:58:48 AM »
Glad you are doing well. Shoulders are the worst to heal. Had my right one bothering me for the last 6 months.
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My shenanigans on insta @gone_foiling

Night Wing

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Re: Right Shoulder Surgery: One Year Later
« Reply #5 on: April 02, 2018, 11:06:54 AM »
My orthopedic surgeon who repaired my right shoulder in 2017, back in the year 2002, he also repaired my left shoulder too. Back in 2002, I just had a large bone spur in the left shoulder, but not large enough to cut into my rotator.

After my left shoulder was repaired, my surgeon told me back then if I ever had any problems with my right shoulder, to come see him. And since I haven't had any problems with my left shoulder these past (at that time) 15 years, this is why I went to see him again.

On a side note, I'm a side sleeper in bed at night. My surgeon told me side sleepers have a tendency to have bone spurs in both their left and right shoulders. The only thing which let me know something was wrong in my right shoulder joint, it developed a burning sensation which came and went.

After awhile, the burning sensation came but never went. This is when I suspected I had a bone spur and I never thought the bone spur was so large that it was cutting into my rotator.
Blue Planet Duke: 10'5" x 32" x 4.5" @ 190 Liters (2 Dukes)
Sup Sports Hammer: 8'11" x 31" x 4" @ 140 Liters
SUP Sports One World: 11'1" x 30" x 4.5" @ 173 Liters
CJ Nelson Parallax: 9'3" x 23 1/2" x 3 3/16" @ 78.8 Liters (prone surfing longboard; Thunderbolt Technologies build in Red construction)

RideTheGlide

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Re: Right Shoulder Surgery: One Year Later
« Reply #6 on: December 03, 2018, 06:01:59 AM »
A little age on this topic, but just wanted to throw in a little info on my history and upcoming surgery.

Three and a half years ago I had my right shoulder done; 2 tears - one 60%, one 80% - several small bone spurs, built up scar tissue and some loose matter. He sewed up the tears, ground the spurs/scars and cleaned up the loose bits. He also shaved the end of the acromium so I would be less prone to impingement. He also took some pictures of arthritis (looks like chalk marks on the end of the bones). Full recovery took about 8 months.

I have surgery scheduled for my left shoulder mid January, 3 weeks after my 60th birthday. MRI shows a 65% tear in rotator cuff, smaller tear in labrum, lots of bone spurs and arthritis. He expects to find scar tissue (I let injuries heal when I was young and stupid) and is likely to shave the acromium on this one also. I am in better shape now than I was prior to the surgery on the right shoulder. Doc tells me I should be able to do some light recreational paddling late April or May and recreational touring in June. I am not a surfer; I tried to be a couple of months ago (yeah, a little freaky about this birthday and trying to prove to myself I am still young)' that was one of the things that put the nagging little pain over the top. I have been putting up with this a while. It's mostly a "push" pain and I can paddle without much trouble. The right shoulder was a "pull" pain that was much more intense.

My experience and prognosis doesn't seem to be unusual:
https://www.verywellhealth.com/rehab-after-rotator-cuff-surgery-2549905
Quote
Full recovery after rotator cuff surgery often takes 4 to 6 months and in some cases longer. The critical factors that determine the length of the recovery are the size of the rotator cuff tear, the ability to adequately repair the tendons, and the commitment to rehabilitation.

I feel for the OP; as it says in some cases it is longer. But I wanted to point out to others that it isn't always that bad. I would encourage you not to put it off (like I have had a bad habit of doing) out of fear of a very long interruption. If you are fortunate enough to have a case that isn't that severe, you can do it in the winter and not lose that much time.
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Wetstuff

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Re: Right Shoulder Surgery: One Year Later
« Reply #7 on: December 03, 2018, 07:48:03 AM »
Good to hear you're thru the tunnel, Winger.   It seems a pattern: 'never completing the exercise recommendations'.  I had a woman working for me with a knee replacement.  She talked about a bunch of people who carped-n-bitched that 'it did no go well' ...but they also did not follow thru.  It's lucky that you have something that is not 'therapy' that is actually therapy. Paddle on....


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toolate

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Re: Right Shoulder Surgery: One Year Later
« Reply #8 on: December 03, 2018, 08:25:23 AM »
Also, keep an open mind about the need for surgery, since we now have data comparing sham surgery to real surgery...
sometimes really good consistent PT is what is called for.

Night Wing

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Re: Right Shoulder Surgery: One Year Later
« Reply #9 on: December 03, 2018, 09:29:13 AM »
Good to hear you're thru the tunnel, Winger.   It seems a pattern: 'never completing the exercise recommendations'.  I had a woman working for me with a knee replacement.  She talked about a bunch of people who carped-n-bitched that 'it did no go well' ...but they also did not follow thru.  It's lucky that you have something that is not 'therapy' that is actually therapy. Paddle on

My right shoulder healed perfectly. It took a long time because the rotator in the right shoulder was torn 90% through when I was on my orthorpedic surgeon's operating table. He took care of the bone spur and repaired the torn rotator.

My rotator was double stitched, but my orthopedic surgeon told it would take about a year to heal as long as I did my part by doing those shoulder exercises which I did at PT for one month, three times a week in one hour sessions; for eleven months at my home which I diligently did.

Most people think those exercises they do at PT, they don't really need to do them at their residence. This is why some people who have surgically repaired rotators, they complain the surgeon did a poor job of repairing the rotator because they have soreness in their repaired shoulder, when in fact, they got complacent (or lazy) and didn't do the required exercises for the amount of time they were instructed to do by their surgeon at their residence.

I listened to my orthopedic surgeon and this is why I don't have any problems mobility wise or pain wise in either of my left and right shoulder joints. I've been with my orthopedic surgeon for 17 tears and if he retires and I need to have orthopedic surgery again in the future, my orthopedic surgeon has already given me the name of a "younger" orthopedic surgeon who he highly recommends since the two of them have worked together in an operating room, a few times in the past. So I'm covered orthopedic wise for any future events I might accidentally come upon.  ;)


Blue Planet Duke: 10'5" x 32" x 4.5" @ 190 Liters (2 Dukes)
Sup Sports Hammer: 8'11" x 31" x 4" @ 140 Liters
SUP Sports One World: 11'1" x 30" x 4.5" @ 173 Liters
CJ Nelson Parallax: 9'3" x 23 1/2" x 3 3/16" @ 78.8 Liters (prone surfing longboard; Thunderbolt Technologies build in Red construction)

RideTheGlide

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Re: Right Shoulder Surgery: One Year Later
« Reply #10 on: December 03, 2018, 12:45:48 PM »
I would also add push hard to do what they ask during PT. I left out one part of my story from 3.5 years ago. He went in a second time because I had limited range. Scar tissue had formed at points that were touching too long while raw and those connections had to be severed. Once I was out, he severed a bunch of those by moving my arm through the range of motion I should have been doing (he looked in the scope to make sure that was all that was going on). Some he had to cut and he had to clean up more bits. The first few days after were every bit as painful as the first procedure. I was a bit more compliant in PT after that.
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eastbound

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Re: Right Shoulder Surgery: One Year Later
« Reply #11 on: December 22, 2018, 04:21:44 AM »
shoulder issues suck--for me the issue was sleep--ive had some episodes of pain over the years to which i have successfully my panacea cureall: i ignore best can and give shit time to go away on its own--shit has always gone away so far--but i found that, during times of shoulder pain shit, sleep was impossible---every little shift id make (often because position was beginning to hurt) during the night would produce pain sufficient to wake up--luckily the few episodes ive had never lasted beyond a week or two
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