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Old 09-09-2014, 09:25   #61
The Reaper
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Originally Posted by pbr549xxx View Post
Today I tried a very slow run/walk. 3 miles at an 11 minute miles average pace. That was the first time I ran since I injured my shoulder back in April. I kept my arm held across my chest so I would jar my shoulder. It felt really good to gert bacl out there and break a sweat. Its been 2 hours since I finished the run and my shoulder doesnt hurt anymore than it usually does. Im going to try it again on Thursday except I'm going to wear a sling that will immobilize my arm and shoulder more.
Did you ask your ortho about this?

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Old 09-09-2014, 12:09   #62
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No, but I will speak to him tomorrow.
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Old 09-10-2014, 12:46   #63
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The Ortho Dr cleared me for light running. Thank God, I hate not doing PT and feeling like a slug.
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Old 09-10-2014, 17:32   #64
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Old 09-11-2014, 14:17   #65
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I got back after it today in physical therapy. They started me off with two warm-ups. The first was using the pulley and using my good arm/shoulder to raise my injured arm/shoulder I did 3 sets of 30 to the front, to the side and inbetween. Next I was on the hand bike, but I used my uninjured arm/shoulder to do all the work and my injured arm/shoulder just went though the motions. After that it was a series of isometric exercises to get the muscles to start "firing" again. I went into therapy a little sore and I had some soreness throughout the session, but after it was over I was straped into the GameReady machine for ice and everything felt much better. That was almost 6hours ago, I'm just now starting to feel a little bit a pain in my shoulder. All in all, it wasnt bad and the pain wasn't unbearable.
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Old 09-11-2014, 23:04   #66
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I've been following your adventure from the beginning but didn't feel a need to contribute until now. I had a Bankart repair performed 02 APR. The physician REFUSED to allow PT until mid-AUG. Bottom line - things were bad enough (a lot more damage than expected compounded by previous untreated injuries) when he went in that he didn't want an overzealous PT tech undoing his "masterpiece". I'm progressing well; he cleared me "not to return" on my last visit 03 SEP, instructing me to cautiously continue with the prescribed course of PT.

The data point for you is that there is no such thing as a routine repair. Your Ortho knows what he did and what can be expected over the course of recovery. Keep him in the loop until you have a clean bill of health and recovery has progressed as far as can be expected. Do not expect 100% restoration of function. My physician informed me that I can only expect about 70% after 12 months. As consolation he also told me "that's more than most people need/use anyway". As if that made me feel any better.

The current/projected course of PT is focused on assisted stretching to prevent "frozen shoulder" and gradual increase of exercises designed to build stabilizing muscle. I've also been given a (common sense) list of activities to avoid. I have been repeatedly cautioned to avoid anything causing "pain". Apparently it really isn't "weakness leaving the body" as we've been told all these years. Who'da thunk?

Thankfully, I continue to improve. I have recovered sufficiently that I can once again manipulate a 9mm (haven't tried the .40, .44, or .45 yet); unfortunately I can't get my support elbow under my long gun, I've no idea yet what it means for archery season this year, and I'll be "throwing like a girl" probably for the rest of my life. And it still aches almost continuously though I was able/eager to quit narcotic pain meds W/I 2 weeks of the surgery. I've been assured everything is normal and progressing as expected - not to push it like we've all done while in uniform to "get back in the game faster".

Do as you've been told by your med care team, don't re-injure yourself by pushing too hard/fast, and be accepting of "the new normal". Screwing any of that up will most likely result in additional surgery (guys in my office facing 3rd and 4th surgeries on the same injury for FTFSI!). I don't know about you but avoidable pain (unnecessary surgeries fall in that category) isn't one of my fetishes. Good luck with your recovery; it's a long road, one I'm not that far down myself.
Peregrino....thanks for jumping in with another perspective on degree of repair. There is no "cookie cutter" one-size-fits-all PT regimen for rotator cuff repairs.
As previously posted by me, I had surgery on May 28 and was at PT on May 29, three days a week for 4 weeks, then twice a week for another 5 weeks.

As for that archery season....probably not. I shoot a 40-45# Hickory self-bow, in addition to using an atlatl. I've been using the thera-bands and surgical tubing as a pulling exercise simulating pulling a bow, and can only get about 25# pull before the shoulder starts saying "stop". I started last week doing a little overhand atlatl spear throwing having the appearance of what I call the "sissy throw", trying to reduce stress on the shoulder. A few weeks ago, I was asked by the Director of the Museum of the Cherokee in NC to instruct a class on making and using the atlatl and dart. I told him due to the shoulder situation it would most likely be Spring of 2015 before I could do it.

I'm still doing the thera-band, pulley, and dumbbell exercises several times each week.

It's a long journey to recovery.

Carl
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Old 09-13-2014, 22:33   #67
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Maybe I missed it but what happened with your bicep?

I didn't see how you were injured so your injury might be isolated to your shoulder. In my case they did a great job repairing the ball and reducing the dislocation but we missed a few other issues that over the long run would have been better dealt with at the time.
Best and be kind to your other shoulder...
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Old 09-17-2014, 07:49   #68
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Maybe I missed it but what happened with your bicep?
They had to move my bicept tendon and reattach it to a more secure place due to all the tissue damage in my shoulder.
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Old 09-17-2014, 14:14   #69
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Update: Nothing significant to report.
I saw my Ortho Dr yesterday, all we did was discuss my pain levels, if I feel any instability in the shoulder, and what I was doing in physical therapy. He was fine with everything. I'll see him again at the end of October.

I had another physical therapy appointment today. I did the same routine I did the past Monday. It was painful. The pain seemed more like a muscle burn you feel while working out hard. Afterwards, I spent 10 minutes on the GameReady ice machine and felt great. That lasted all of about 5 minutes LOL. All in all though, the pain hasnt been anything more than a dull ache until the end of the day when the pain level starts to rise.

The light run/walks Ive been doing have felt good. The runs haven't agitated my shoulder.
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Old 09-29-2014, 17:22   #70
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Cool

Update:
I had ACAP trainign last week, so I did most of the exercises and stretches on my own.

Today I was back at the PT clinic to start things back up. First I had my every 3 week eval from the Physical Therapist. He is a little disgruntled because he feels that with the range of motion I have displayed so far and how well I get through each session, that I am ready to start ramping things up. I go see my Ortho Dr on the 3rd, so I'll see what he has to say. I'm not going to push it more than he thinks.

Personally, I hate how slow things are going. Its pretty damn hard to do things and keep up with my 4 year old daughter and I hate not being to ta.ke her to the park and do as much as I used to.
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Old 09-29-2014, 22:48   #71
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I'm not going to push it more than he thinks.

Personally, I hate how slow things are going. Its pretty damn hard to do things and keep up with my 4 year old daughter and I hate not being to ta.ke her to the park and do as much as I used to.
Welcome back!....was wondering if you re-injured the shoulder and didn't want to tell us. LOL.

The key here is "not pushing it more than what the Doc tells you". As several here have said, "it is a long road to recovery". I'm 18 weeks post-op, and have some good days with no discomfort. Went 4 days feeling good and then yesterday....Bam!, certain positions of the arm would let me know healing is not complete.

By now you should have adapted to doing most daily things with the good arm. Doing anything with the repaired arm is going to be slow going for quite some time. Keep up the at-home exercises to stretch and strengthen the shoulder.


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Old 10-15-2014, 06:57   #72
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Nothing significant to report.

Still maintaining the same stretches ans exercises; however, I did add a 1lb weight to two of the exercises.

I am looking forward to 30 Oct when I see my Ortho Dr again and hopefully can start to ramp things up.
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Old 11-02-2014, 21:55   #73
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I saw my Ortho Dr on the 30th. He gave me the green light to start the strength building part of physical therapy. I'm pretty happy about that.
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Old 11-02-2014, 23:09   #74
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Three months out from surgery.....sounds like you are progressing nicely.
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Old 11-03-2014, 09:28   #75
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Ive got my first Physical Therapy appointment after getting the green light to start the strength building. I'll let ya'll know how it goes.
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