post op ROTATOR CUFF question. UPDATE #11

[DawnCt1]

i have a question for those of you in the rotator cuff alumni association, i am going on 7 weeks post op. i have been in an abduction sling since surgery that i am suppose to wear until i see the dr. on dec. 19. i took it off today "just because". i went grocery shopping without it but i won't do that again because it was hard to push the cart with one hand (and i won't lean over the cart. ) and i was terrified that someone was going to bump into my shoulder, even if they were 3 ft away and it hurt after being unsupported for that long. i should have "experimented" at home first. anyway, my right hand is still swollen. i haven't been able to use it much because i am not supposed to use my arm. i cannot close my fist although the movement in my thumb and first two fingers is almost normal now. i also get pain in my wrist and palm. has anyone experienced that? it does have me concerned. i had multiple tears with one complete tear in the supraspinatus so i had a lot of atrophy in my upper and lower arm before surgery, and even more after surgery.

 

[PrincessTiff]

Bumping up for you!

 

[DawnCt1]

Bumping up for you!

thanks, i am concerned that i may have damaged a nerve in the splint from immobility or hopefully not, in surgery. i would think that if the circulation was compromised from the shoulder i would have swelling in my arm but it is just my hand. my therapist said this is not unusual but i don't know if she is just trying to make me feel better. i see the surgeon on tuesday.

 

[I'mNoPrince]

When I broke the ball of my shoulder and had it imobilised I lost a great deal of use of my hand as well. I was wearing on the Rotator and it was ready to tear so they put me in the sling.

I know this is not the same but if your Therapist thought it was anything that would be even a minor thing I would think they would tell you to see your Doc right away and not risk doing anymore work on you. It took me many weeks to get my range of motion back and strength to grip things just from not doing so.

Good luck and best wishes.

 

[eclectics]

i see the surgeon on tuesday.

I have no medical advice, but even though you will see him in a couple of days, I'm sure your surgeon wouldn't mind if you call his emergency contact number and voice your concerns, if only to give yourself some peace of mind.

 

[DawnCt1]

I have no medical advice, but even though you will see him in a couple of days, I'm sure your surgeon wouldn't mind if you call his emergency contact number and voice your concerns, if only to give yourself some peace of mind.

i know he wouldn't mind. he is a very nice guy with a good sense of humor but i will see him in less than 48 hours and it isn't a new problem. dh doesn't see any neuro deficits just weakness which he feels is expected but he does have a concern about some sensory symptoms on the inner aspect of my wrist. it feels like mild burning. i thought at first it was velcro irritation but i haven't had contact with velcro in 24 hours. i tend to put more weight in others' personal experience. actually if i didn't i would have been very discouraged by now but other posters have told me that this recovery is LOOOONNNG.

 

[DawnCt1]

When I broke the ball of my shoulder and had it imobilised I lost a great deal of use of my hand as well. I was wearing on the Rotator and it was ready to tear so they put me in the sling.

I know this is not the same but if your Therapist thought it was anything that would be even a minor thing I would think they would tell you to see your Doc right away and not risk doing anymore work on you. It took me many weeks to get my range of motion back and strength to grip things just from not doing so.

Good luck and best wishes.

that's very helpful because i tend to be impatient and want it fixed yesterday..

 

[eclectics]

i know he wouldn't mind. he is a very nice guy with a good sense of humor but i will see him in less than 48 hours and it isn't a new problem. dh doesn't see any neuro deficits just weakness which he feels is expected but he does have a concern about some sensory symptoms on the inner aspect of my wrist. it feels like mild burning. i thought at first it was velcro irritation but i haven't had contact with velcro in 24 hours. i tend to put more weight in others' personal experience. actually if i didn't i would have been very discouraged by now but other posters have told me that this recovery is LOOOONNNG.

Attitude plays an important role in any recovery, imho. I think if someone is willing to work hard and look at things positively, their recovery time will be shorter than someone who is a "complainer" and is reluctant to give much effort. I never tore a cuff, so I can't really relate. Now, if you had P.A.D. we could discuss symptoms . Good luck on Tuesday. I'm sure it's nothing serious to be concerned with.

 

[wvjovifan]

Wow, sounds like your tear was really bad! I only had a partial tear so my recovery has been a breeze compared to yours! I only wore the sling for 2 weeks and started physical therapy after 2 1/2 weeks. It has been 7 weeks for me and I have my complete range of motion back and am only working on strength training now at PT. The doctor told me it would be about 4 months to be back at 100 percent, but my therapist said it is not unusual for it to be closer to a year. Hang in there and really listen to the doc and your physical therapist. I also think because I was in PT for 4 months prior to my surgery, my recovery has been quick...my therapist has been amazed. Soon you will start to see improvement every day and after the first few times, therapy actually starts to feel good. Of course, at first I referred to it as Physical Torture! Hope you start to feel better soon!!!

 

[DawnCt1]

Wow, sounds like your tear was really bad! I only had a partial tear so my recovery has been a breeze compared to yours! I only wore the sling for 2 weeks and started physical therapy after 2 1/2 weeks. It has been 7 weeks for me and I have my complete range of motion back and am only working on strength training now at PT. The doctor told me it would be about 4 months to be back at 100 percent, but my therapist said it is not unusual for it to be closer to a year. Hang in there and really listen to the doc and your physical therapist. I also think because I was in PT for 4 months prior to my surgery, my recovery has been quick...my therapist has been amazed. Soon you will start to see improvement every day and after the first few times, therapy actually starts to feel good. Of course, at first I referred to it as Physical Torture! Hope you start to feel better soon!!!

i too went to pt very soon after the accident. (slipped on wet grass mowing the lawn). i showed the therapist my mri. he said the "good news is, my shoulder was so wrecked there was nothing i could do to hurt it". i went to hawaii with the tear and the only thing i couldn't do was kayak or swim over hand. i could snorkel and hike. one day the waves were up on ka'anapali beach and i tried to get into the ocean between the waves and didn't make it. i was the proverbial bowling ball, mowing people down as i got thrown to the beach, apologizing all of the way. i couldn't use my right arm to stop my momentum. i wonder if that is when i impinge my clavical on the joint?

 

[DawnCt1]

well i just returned from the orthopedist. the good news is, i am sufficiently healed so i can begin strengthening exercises. the bad news is, the pain, swelling and burning sensation in my right hand is complex regional pain syndrome or RSD (regional sympathetic dystrophy). its an uncommon complication following surgery, more common following trauma. i have been going to physical therapy close to home. he is unhappy that they didn't contact him about my hand symptoms and is moving me to the PT department where he is so he can supervise the therapy more directly. he says it will get better. in the meantime i will also have hand therapy, medication to address the neuro symptoms, i can start celebrex and will have to continue the pain medication for physical therapy. so in five minutes, i get to take two percocet (yuck) and go to pt locally for the last time. i don't start at the new place until friday. i am hopeful that i will see some improvement with a different approach even though the commute will be significant. oh well.

 

[decaff38]

Too late for my advice. My hubby and mother had rotator cuff surgery. Their Ortho had them out of the sling the next day doing their own exercises. Stand next to a table, put the effected aram(hand) onthe table edge, hold it down with your other hand ( so it won't slip off)and slowly back away from the table until your head is level with the table ( your stiving to look under your armpit), hold for a count of 20 and repeat. 5-10 times a day as tollerated. The other one is to bend at the waist and hang your arm down. Rotate (like your stirring in a big pot) both ways. Again 5-10 as tollerated. My hubby was 44 when he had his and he was swinging a golf club at 5 weeks. My Mom was 78 and she also was healed in 6 weeks. Neither wore a sling after the first day or so. No PT either. Didn't need it. Different philosophy but it worked on both of them . He also did my knee(torn ACL) had it replaced. I was pretty well healed in 6 weeks. No PT. Just the exercises he perscribed. Hope this helps. Those exercises will help loosen up the joint and the pain will subside but you really should have been doing them a long time ago to prevent the stiffness. Good luck!!

 

[DawnCt1]

Too late for my advice. My hubby and mother had rotator cuff surgery. Their Ortho had them out of the sling the next day doing their own exercises. Stand next to a table, put the effected aram(hand) onthe table edge, hold it down with your other hand ( so it won't slip off)and slowly back away from the table until your head is level with the table ( your stiving to look under your armpit), hold for a count of 20 and repeat. 5-10 times a day as tollerated. The other one is to bend at the waist and hang your arm down. Rotate (like your stirring in a big pot) both ways. Again 5-10 as tollerated. My hubby was 44 when he had his and he was swinging a golf club at 5 weeks. My Mom was 78 and she also was healed in 6 weeks. Neither wore a sling after the first day or so. No PT either. Didn't need it. Different philosophy but it worked on both of them . He also did my knee(torn ACL) had it replaced. I was pretty well healed in 6 weeks. No PT. Just the exercises he perscribed. Hope this helps. Those exercises will help loosen up the joint and the pain will subside but you really should have been doing them a long time ago to prevent the stiffness. Good luck!!

that approach works for smaller tears. unfortunately i tore the major tendon completely through and two others were a partial. at one point in the tendon it had to be reattached to the bone as well so it had to heal before i could move it on its own. i also had part of my clavicle removed as it was impinging on the joint. i started therapy 2 weeks post op and i exercised my arm 5 times daily which my other arm so it did get moved. i also continually exercised my right hand and forearm because i wasn't restricted except for weight. when i spoke to the ortho and the therapist yesterday, they both said that the RSD was nothing i did or didn't do. it is a sympathetic nerve issue.it can happen following trauma and it is uncommon after surgery but it occurs.

 

[shortbun]

Wow! You take TWO percocets before therapy? Man, I would be in lala land and maybe losing my lunch. Good luck with your side issues, I'm glad your doc is in tune and cares. So many aren't that good these days! (can ya tell I just fired a couple?) Really, though Dawn, good luck and keep up the good work!

 

[DawnCt1]

Wow! You take TWO percocets before therapy? Man, I would be in lala land and maybe losing my lunch. Good luck with your side issues, I'm glad your doc is in tune and cares. So many aren't that good these days! (can ya tell I just fired a couple?) Really, though Dawn, good luck and keep up the good work!

it does make me very nauseous but it doesn't sedate me until after i am home. of course, i have been going to therapy 10 minutes from my house and i am not sedated during the torture session. i am not happy about having to drive 30 minutes and spend 10 minutes circling the hospital parking garage, so i am guessing that i won't be able to pre medicate or even be able to take it while i am there because i have to drive home as well. however, he feels he can supervise my therapy better. i guess i would like to know if anyoe has had RSD following a fracture or trauma. it can affect an arm or leg. i also would like to know if it really gets better. the internet info was rather discouraging.

 

[j's m]

Dawn, I feel so bad for you. I was hoping you were doing much better after the surgery. Maybe the new therapist will be more helpful. I never realized the recuperation/therapy would take so long.

After hearing your story, I'm glad I never had the surgery. My tear was small, painful, did therapy, cortisone but it became manageable, so I decided against the surgery. It's been almost 2 years, I am still uncomfortable at times, especially when cleaning/vaccuming/doing windows, etc.

Good luck with the new therapist.

 

[wvjovifan]

Good luck with your therapy! Hope they get you moving and pain free soon!!
I found out the hard way 2 percocetts definately made me lose my lunch!! One would take the edge off, but two were bad news for me!