Shoulder surgery, how long in this XXXX sling?

[wroughtn_harv]

Just incorporate texting or video games into the project.

Don keep in mind those things are what poor parenting uses instead of conversation and chores to engage the kids.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

One more week to go in this sling. Then it is four weeks of three days a week, 1 hour plus per day rehab. I've talked my wife into allowing me to go to Haiti if necessary after two weeks of the rehab.

The pain is a constant low grade "toothache in the shoulder". I suspect a lot of that is due to use. I can apply stick deodorant to the opposite armpit, rub my nose, and carry some weight with the injured shoulder. I can dress myself, including buttoning up the shirt etc. I still can't tie my shoes, ******.

My next doctor visit is the 17th. I am really looking forward to having the shoulder I had ten or fifteen years ago. I will take better care of it, when I can.

 

[Bird]

Harvey, you have my sympathy. I know how boring, tiring, and sometimes painful waiting to heal can be. Good luck with the rehab.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Harvey, you have my sympathy. I know how boring, tiring, and sometimes painful waiting to heal can be. Good luck with the rehab.

No boredom here Bird. Ubuntu-blox is keeping me busy. I get to talk to people all over the world, yesterday it was Haiti, India, and some place called California, love skype. Most of the people dealing with are half to a third my age. Their enthusiasm and sense of purpose is invigorating.

One of our TBN members contacted me about Haiti. He has been there twice. It turns out that his expertise and passion have taken an idea I stole from China and I believe he is going to take it where I never could.

Happenstance hand in hand with serendipity make a march a stroll.

 

[samhudson3]

Sorry to hear about your injury, glad you're recovering.

I was in a sling 4 weeks. PT went great, I was religious about doing everything my therapist recommended (she was top notch) and my shoulder is like new for this 57 year old.

 

[rsewill]

I am a retired truck driver. When working my messed up shoulder had no pain. About three weeks after retiring it started to ache. Doc said to take Tylenol to let me sleep through the night. Didn't work. Started to walk about three miles several or more days a week and the swinging motion of my arm while walking was all it took to make the pain disappear. Until then I hadn't made the connection between exercise and the motion of turning a truck steering wheel all day long.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Today we had our first rehab appointment. I guess the therapist doesn't get many in there like me. I'm a little sore but you have to expect that. I'm already way ahead of his schedule when it comes to range of motion etc.

We took off the sling brace and remodeled it into just a sling. I'll be wearing it in public for two reasons, the arm gets tired easily, and I don't want someone that isn't aware of recent events attempting suicide by punching in me in the arm.

The therapist kept asking me about pain. I explained to him that the pain you have in your jaw with a toothache when you can feel your pulse pound, that's a three. When something touches that sore spot and the pain wraps around your sinuses three times at the speed of light, that's a five.

I live with a two most of the time, three occasionally with this shoulder.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

First therapy left me feeling like I had participated in a farce. It was about a heat treatment to relax the muscles. A couple of passive movement exercises to judge range of motion. Then twenty minutes of ice pack.

He explained to me that you couldn't expedite it, the biggest problem he had was with athletes. They always wanted to work harder faster to get it down the road quicker. It couldn't be rushed he told me.

Yesterday morning I showed up no sling. He had told me to plan on two weeks to wean myself from the sling. We did the range of motion exercises with him watching my eyes intently, looking for signs of pain I guess. No extraordinary pain was felt. He told me the assistant was going to take over.

We went to the hand bicycle. That hurt like bejeezuz on judgement day. Then we went over the exercises I will be doing on my own at home. Once again a lot of pain, if the shoulder has a toothache analogy works, I was biting down on a mouthful of marbles.

He explained that they wanted me to do the exercises twice a day if I could. I asked him if I could do them three or four. He said that would be okay but most folks had issues with twice.

I got home yesterday hurting pretty good. But I'm feeling good this morning. I haven't done my exercises yet and that might be why. But it looks to me that this thing can be expedited with exercise that is about repetition more than it is about limits.

Any thoughts?

 

[txdon]

Harvey, you must still be getting swelling when you move it that is why the ice and the pain. Some things cannot be rushed and require time to heal properly. Slow down. :thumbsup:

 

[Bird]

When I was going to a physical therapist after knee replacement and later with shoulder problems (but nothing a serious as your shoulder, Harvey), they always finished with the big ice pack. Now we had some very small ice packs at home, but nothing like that big thing they had, so I asked and learned that they sell them right there, and I bought one. May not use it very often, but it sure is nice when you do need it.