Shoulder Replacement Surgery

[Kyle_in_Tex]

I had been prescribed an antibiotic about 3 years ago. I started noticing pain in my left shoulder when I only had 1 or 2 days left of pills. I did not know at the time that some types of antibiotics would cause shoulder tendon damage. Anyway, the left shoulder got better after about a year of just nursing it. Fast forward and 16 months ago I had to take another round of antibiotics and this time it messed up my right shoulder. I have nursed it since then. I can use it in most directions, but there is 1 certain type of movement that is crazy painful. This makes me think the damage is mostly in 1 or 2 tendons. I'm hoping that just nursing it will cure it since the left shoulder is fine now.

 

[wngsprd]

Kyle, do you remember the type of antibiotics?

I've had pain in both shoulders for over a year..not usually too bad, but when I reach behind me to pick up something it can really hurt. This year I feel it has made pulling my bow more difficult. So I plan to discuss on my next annual physical visit with my doctor.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Kyle, do you remember the type of antibiotics?

I've had pain in both shoulders for over a year..not usually too bad, but when I reach behind me to pick up something it can really hurt. This year I feel it has made pulling my bow more difficult. So I plan to discuss on my next annual physical visit with my doctor.

Unfortunately I can't remember the name. But I'm pretty sure it was kin to the Cipro family, but not Cipro itself.

 

[techman]

My sister has had both shoulders replaced. About 1 1/2 years apart. First one was a longer recovery. I guess they constantly improve the techniques as the second one was much quicker recovery. She is great and range of motion restored. She recommends it if you are restricted or in great pain currently. BTW we call her the bionic woman as she has also had both knees and hips replaced as well !

paul

 

[HEC]

I had a full knee replacement July 6 and still recovering . Some people recover very quickly , I wasn't one of them . I have been sleeping in a recliner up until a few days ago and had to go back to the recliner last night . The surgeon said," it could take up to a year before things could calm down ". PT hasn't been to bad , and I can walk along pretty good now . Although this has been a very long process for me I am still glad I had it done as I have friends who opted not too , and they are suffering much more than me . On some days before surgery I would have to use crutches to get around, that is not the case now . If it be a shoulder or whatever if it is altering ones lifestyle it may be time to make the decision.

 

[RSKY]

My father-in-law had both his shoulders replaced. The right one last August and the left in March. He had been going to a doctor that told him there was nothing left in the shoulder to attach replacement parts to. Wish I could post his X-rays and you would see what he was talking about. The rotator cuff on the right side was totally missing. The ball in the ball-and-socket joint rested above the socket. The doctor said the ball looked like a piece of lava rock. To feed himself he would grasp his right arm with his left hand. He would hold it slightly below the elbow and by leaning forward he could get the fork into his mouth. He was in constant pain and I was afraid of what he would do to relieve himself of his pain. He was 87 years old when we took him to another doctor. I had been to this doctor with my knee and one of the first things he told me was that unless it was an extreme case he would never tell a patient that a joint needed replaced. I would have to tell him my knee was hurting so bad that I wanted him to replace it. When he walked into the office he looked at my FIL's x-rays, turned to him and said, "we have to replace this as soon as possible". His assistant said it was the worst he had ever seen on a non accident victim.

Anyway they did what is called a reverse replacement. Instead of the ball being on the arm and the socket on the shoulder their positions were reversed. Also the deltoid muscles were reattached to lift the arm since the rotator cuff was gone. It took about two months each to recover from the surgeries. FIL has mowed his yard all summer. He uses his weedeater. Only problem is that he cannot raise either arm higher than straight out horizontal. He is not in any pain.

In a knee replacement this doctor pusher PT and encourages people to go beyond what the therapists do. For this surgery he warned my FIL to not go to extremes and when FIL told him the therapists tried to get his arm higher than horizontal he told him to quit therapy.

Once again last summer he could barely feed himself and now he mows his yard on a zero turn, uses a weedeater, and has recently traded cars. He will be 89 on January 20th.

One note of caution. If a doctor is advertising on TV they cannot get enough patients by word of mouth and I would not go to them. There are a couple in our area, one in particular, and I know of no one who has been happy with their work.

It takes about four months to get an appointment with this particular doctor. Then you usually see his assistant who is very competent.

As for myself I had a bone spur inside my right shoulder joint. Had it removed and have no problems. I have to sit and think to remember which shoulder it was. BUT, after the surgery the doctor said it was supposed to be the single most painful surgery you can have. For about four days it is incredible painful. Had to stay knocked out or would lay there and cry. Talked to one guy who had heart bypass, hemorrhoid, hernia, and a couple other surgeries and he said he would have them all again before he would get a spur removed from inside the shoulder joint.

RSKY

 

[milkman]

I had a full knee replacement July 6 and still recovering . Some people recover very quickly , I wasn't one of them . I have been sleeping in a recliner up until a few days ago and had to go back to the recliner last night . The surgeon said," it could take up to a year before things could calm down ". PT hasn't been to bad , and I can walk along pretty good now . Although this has been a very long process for me I am still glad I had it done as I have friends who opted not too , and they are suffering much more than me . On some days before surgery I would have to use crutches to get around, that is not the case now . If it be a shoulder or whatever if it is altering ones lifestyle it may be time to make the decision.

Hang in there and give it time. Sept. '14, I had both knees replaced at the same time and when I went back for my 6 month visit, I let them know how unhappy I was that I still had pain that woke me up several times a night. They told me that it could take up to a year to heal, but at 7 months, I started sleeping at night and just kept getting better. I am pain free and do anything I want and can walk without pain. Like you, I'm really glad I had it done both at once.

 

[Bird]

I had the full right knee replacement done 8/30/2010. And now my right shoulder has been giving me lots of trouble and pain for a few years. So I finally went to the orthopedic shoulder specialist this morning; lots of x-rays, 2 shots of cortisone, and scheduled for an MRI tomorrow. But in showing me the x-rays, bone spurs, lack of cushion in the joint, etc., I think he's pretty well convinced that I'll soon need the right shoulder replaced. Needless to say, I am not looking forward to that. I guess I'm soon going to be made of spare parts.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

I had the full right knee replacement done 8/30/2010. And now my right shoulder has been giving me lots of trouble and pain for a few years. So I finally went to the orthopedic shoulder specialist this morning; lots of x-rays, 2 shots of cortisone, and scheduled for an MRI tomorrow. But in showing me the x-rays, bone spurs, lack of cushion in the joint, etc., I think he's pretty well convinced that I'll soon need the right shoulder replaced. Needless to say, I am not looking forward to that. I guess I'm soon going to be made of spare parts.

Five years ago or thereabouts I ripped out two tendons in my left shoulder.. The arm just hung there with no ability to lift it away from side. I had some strength curling but not much. They went in and spent 6 plus hours inside there putting it all back together. I have full range of motion and strength with that arm.

They want to remove the bone spurs in right shoulder but I'm putting that off as long as possible.

The pain wasn't an issue with me. By day two I was off of the pain killers and relying totally on the ice machine. If you do get the surgery and want to borrow the ice machine that is not an issue. Insurance doesn't cover it but it is the only way to recover in my book. By day four I was still in the recliner but could detach from the ice machine by myself and was basically independent. I went to Haiti with only two rehab treatments. Five weeks later I was back home and it was just a couple of weeks of rehab when the therapist told me to go bother someone else. The important thing is the full effort at rehab. Most of the people I know who have had shoulder surgery slacked off and now have a limited use of the arm.

If you get the surgery and want to use the ice machine give me a call, you got my number.

The last photo not only shows the ice machine pad but youngest granddaughter photobombing. If you look at the photo you will see the quick connect fitting, one of them. Ice water is pumped around the surgery and it's better than syrup on pancakes.

 

[IslandTractor]

Sorry to hear that Bird. Lots of rehab coming your way. Hope it goes well. Hips are easy, knees not too bad but shoulders are the biggest challenge for rehab. Hope you have a cute physical terrorist to work with as you recover.