Shoulder Surgery

Don't worry, this post will NOT contain pictures of my arm or shoulder! Or any pictures at all for that matter! :)

I just thought I would explain my shoulder surgery since I keep being asked by so many people that I also know read my blog. I'm efficient like that.

I injured my right shoulder in a car accident last year. I was rear ended and it was just one of those freak things...a combination of the way my hand/arm was positioned on the steering wheel, and the force of the impact, jarred my shoulder in a not so nice way.

Over the past year, I have had physical therapy and several steroid shots. After a few months, the shots wore off, and the pain returned, worse than before.

No, it was not my rotator cuff (thank you GOD!). What it was was this:

I developed a bone spur, that caused an impingement...this meant I couldn't raise my arm but so high, and any raising of it at all was very painful. I also had biceps synovitis which is doctor speak for my biceps tendon had excess wear and tear on it.

To fix these, I had surgery on October 26, and they shaved down the bone spur and then relocated my biceps tendon (called a biceps tenodesis which got rid of the bad spot, and rerouted its location to avoid the spot in my shoulder that caused the excess wear and tear), but snipping it from where it originates in my shoulder and then screwing it into my upper arm bone (the humerus). I have three little incision sites on the top of my shoulder, and then about a 3" long incision underneath my arm.

I originally was completely immobilized in a sling, with a big pillow attachment that also buckled around my waist and held my arm tight against my body. I have returned to the doctor for my post-op appointment, and have been able to ditch the pillow thing, so now I am just in the sling for about another week. Then, i only have to sleep in it at night, to keep me from moving wrong in my sleep. I begin physical therapy on Monday,to work on my range of motion and cannot lift, push or pull anything greater than 5 pounds for 6 weeks. This has been challenging as you can imagine, seeing as I am right handed, and have two children! We have had lots of help and so far, I don't think it has been too taxing on anyone but me, the patient, which was my hope. I am released to drive now (yes, one armed!) as long as I am not on a narcotic pain medicine. I drove for the first time yesterday, and it made for a long and rough day, since I couldn't take the "good stuff" to help with the pain. I survived though. Today was more of the same, as Jay and the boys (yes, BOTH boys!) are on a cub scout camp-out, and Cobie had an appointment at the vet. So...no good pain meds for me today either. Wrangling Cobie around one armed was an adventure but thankfully, once I got to the Vet, they helped me completely. I am pretty sure I was holding by her neck at one point, getting her in my vehicle :(. She didn't complain about it though!

So...thats the short version of a very long story!

PS: I has taken me an obscene amount of time to type this left handed!