Post-Surgery Report

[skywalker]

Just to let all of you who I am sure, are waiting in pregnant anticipation:

Surgery went better than expected. I was already asleep from the opiates they gave me Fentanyl and Vercett, but I am told they took me in right at 1145, exactly on time. They removed the rod reverse of install. Said that is came out easy. Re-attached my rotator cuff. They then cut open the back of my arm and found it un-necessary to move the radial nerve. They put in some synthetic material, used some sort of tool to compress the two ends together on the synthetic material while they install the play. Ended about 1500 I woke about 1630.


Have a lot of stitches and cant wash my arm to much for a week or so, but all went well.

 

[zookeeper]

Hope healing goes quickly. I had surgery last March and although the first couple days home were a bit rough, at least I felt better with each passing day. BTW, how did you know you had a serious shoulder problem? I get a sharp twinge when I lift my left arm above my head and I'm afraid to tell the doc, but I also don't want it to get worse. I keep hoping it'll go away.

 

[skywalker]

I broke my humerus in August. I was a week away from going to Iraq and a day away from moving. I was putting a tail rotor on a helicopter and I went to pull some safety wire through the barrel nut the SWAPs slipped off, I lost my balance and fell off the maintenance stand. That was August 14th. On the 17th they put a rod in the arm by going in through the rotator cuff. I'll post some pictures on my flickr in a bit.

So in Later ovember we realized that the bone had not fused and was what is called a "Non-union." That's the reason for the second surgery.

As far as shoulder problems, if you have a full on cuff tear, trust me, you will know it. It'll be very painful to move your shoulder. You could have an impingement which is usually fixed with physical therapy. Several ways to check for this (as there are several types of impingement) and you need to see a doctor about it. The pain you described may be a slight impingement, it may just be weak muscles.

Many people who don't regularly lift weights don't realize that there are a lot of supporting muscles that need to be regularly exercised to maintain endurance and overall strength. I would get an exam and if you are negative for impingement, look at Jobes' exercises. They are used by pitchers to strength their shoulder after Tommy John Surgery in the elbow (the shoulder becomes a weak point and the next place to go.)

Physical therapy will just be arcane and seemingly odd strengthening exercises. It can be painful. But if you listen to the physical therapist they can help you. This is the second injury I've been through physical therapy for. I made a full recovery on the first one (grade III ankle sprain, we fixed it with rest and PT, no surgery) and I had about 60% use of my arm with 2 months of physical therapy and it still being broken, prior to this surgery.

 

[skywalker]

pictures posted.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/13694542@N02

 

[zookeeper]

Thanks, I suspect my problems are from loading tooling in the CNC machine at work. I'm right-handed, but I have to reach up and over the table, holding tooling that weighs maybe 15-30lbs with my left until the tool changer gets it. It's either that or 38+ years of riding and falling off of dirt bikes and ATV's.

 

[skywalker]

probably weak support muscles. Go to a doctor man. People never want to go to the doctor, but doctors can help. No reasont o go through life with pain when you don't need it.