Rotator Cuff Surgery recovery

MtnGoat · 04-11-2006, 08:08

A week ago I had Rotator Cuff Surgery on my left Shoulder, I also had my biceps "fixed". The Bicep had some "stressed" tendons and the Doc "scraped" the damaged area. My rotator cuff had a "major" (Doc Said after the surgery) tear along the supraspinatus muscle of the cuff. The Docs did Arthroscopic repair on both sites. I had one Doc on the supraspinatus muscle and another on my Biscep.

What I'm looking for is input on revocery. Like what to expect during PT and what you did to "speed up" your personal recovery time. What worked for you during your first 2-4 weeks of "self" PT at home, or didn't. What sucks during PT, ETC.

Like I told the Doc, I want the surgery ASAP. So I can be ready to deploy by within 6 months or so. I know that I can't lift anything for 3 Months or so, and nothing over 50 lb. for at least 5-6 Months from now.

Thanks for any of your commits.

VG

**Team Sergeant** · 04-11-2006, 09:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by MtnGoat

What I'm looking for is input on revocery. Like what to expect during PT and what you did to "speed up" your personal recovery time.

Thanks for any of your commits.

VG

Something I'm very familiar with……

There is no “Speedy” recovery. You can do damage recovering too quickly or trying to do too much. Go very slow and do not lift anything over 16oz using the left arm. Do exactly what the doctor says and no more!

(I got hit from behind coming out the back of a 141 from 15,000 feet. The strike dislocated my left shoulder. I could not re-locate the shoulder in free fall. I opened the PC-3 and the opening shock did considerable damage. I was operated at Womack. The doc’s placed a 2 ½ inch screw in my shoulder with a lot of other cutting and sewing. It took a year to recover, I stayed on the Team, but I was lucky, I healed very well, hell I was only 26 I think.)

Go slow and enjoy the time off……. Read a lot.

TS
BTW, I've been operated on the same shoulder three times now.... once at 16, second at 26 third time in my 40's.
I've yet to understand what my limits are.............

MtnGoat · 04-11-2006, 09:26

TS
Thanks for the input.

I know its slow and there no "Speedy" recovery. Just wishful thinking I guess. I know this week that the PT DOC has me doing "movement "kill" me at times. Sleeping at night is like being on Patrol... 3hrs at most. Cat naps though out the day.

Don't lift anything over 16oz using the left arm. Hell I can Barely pick up my laptop with two hands.

Long road and a short time to get there.

Thanks - VG

Warrior-Mentor · 04-11-2006, 10:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Team Sergeant

Something I'm very familiar with……
I got hit from behind coming out the back of a 141 from 15,000 feet. The strike dislocated my left shoulder. I could not re-locate the shoulder in free fall. I opened the PC-3 and the opening shock did considerable damage.

Sounds familiar...

Was rolling a "student" over in free fall last week and heard a loud pop in my left shoulder. Saw stars and instinctively let go and pulled the arm in to protected it. Wasn't sure if it was in or out. Opened up and checked it out under canopy and it was back in socket. Sounds like mine was no where near as bad as your TS. Have had it do a couple "pop-out, pop-right-back-in's" over the weekend...enough to get my attention. Being hard headed..my inclination is to give it a couple weeks to heal on its own.

**The Reaper** · 04-11-2006, 10:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Warrior-Mentor

Sounds familiar...

Was rolling a "student" over in free fall last week and heard a loud pop in my left shoulder. Saw stars and instinctively let go and pulled the arm in to protected it. Wasn't sure if it was in or out. Opened up and checked it out under canopy and it was back in socket. Sounds like mine was no where near as bad as your TS. Have had it do a couple "pop-out, pop-right-back-in's" over the weekend...enough to get my attention. Being hard headed..my inclination is to give it a couple weeks to heal on its own.

See the Doc.

This stuff you ignored or gutted-out adds up as you age and will eventually make you wish you had taken care of it.

Not to mention, it documents the injury for your eventual service connected retirement claims.

I ignored mine. I wish I had not.

TR

Warrior-Mentor · 04-11-2006, 11:02

Thanks TR.

**Roguish Lawyer** · 04-11-2006, 11:28

Timely thread. I'm having an MRI on my right shoulder (and also right knee) this afternoon . . .

**Jack Moroney (RIP)** · 04-11-2006, 11:37

WM what TR said. I am now paying the price for errors of judgement when it came time to allow myself to heal. Not to mention you will never know when that next big chance will come to do something other than what you are doing now and you want to be ready, not only for yourself, but for those who are going to depend on you. I know all you young studs think you are like a BAR with only three rates of fire: fast, faster, and frigging fast. Believe me, even firing at high speed you have to take time to clean out that gas port or you are going to start misfiring.

MtnGoat · 04-11-2006, 14:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Reaper

See the Doc.
Not to mention, it documents the injury for your eventual service connected retirement claims.

I ignored mine. I wish I had not.

TR

This will be a Quote for the Tread! Ditto!

I injured mine climbing rope last January. Rope was a bit wet, lost my footing. Caught myself with my arms. Continued PT that day and week I think.

I didn't go to the TMC right off, I did the Medic thing. Three month no PT. Finial in June I did the TMC trip, first PT just gave me 2-3 month no PT profile. I finial in Oct/Nov I got a PA (18D) in Nov that sent me to PT EVAL. He told me you'll go through the motions for about 6-weeks, Then you'll get a MRI after that.

Which did happen, but I had Christmas Break. Then in February I got me MRI, and then finial sat down with an Orth Doc in Mar. I told him I want Surgery ASAP.

Look for any SF guy out there that my have injured any joint, leg, shoulder. Go to the TMC get checked and get into your records. Get checked!!

Its not that bad, well mine isn't/wasn't. No sleep is the biggest thing for the first week so far. Some good drugs.

I'm learning Arabic while I'm at home. So that's a plus, just hate the AKO Rosette Stone. You need the books, I feel. Bought me Tell Me More program this weekend, so I'll see how that works out.

Warrior-Mentor get it checked out, go to the TMC at YPG and get it recorded.

SF18C · 04-14-2006, 11:35

D...no advice other than hang in there and take it slow.

This summer I'll open your beer bottles for ya'. I wouldn't want you to set back that recovery time straining to open a Corona!

MtnGoat · 04-14-2006, 12:02

Just like training the kids with the things to know - guns, wine (beer) and women. I got them opening them up before this surgery. They can be my dog for my paper. The beer is in the Frig, just can't get it for 4-6 more weeks - Drug mine on.

But thanks for the help. Glad you found the site and your future.

Firebeef · 04-14-2006, 19:25

Berg Heil!

I had similar surgery to your's bro.
Thanksgiving day '96, Anavarza, Turkey. We were climbing, really a pretty simple pitch, top roped, and about 2/3 of the way up felt like someone stabbed my r bicep and shoulder with a cigar as I reached for my next handhold.

Luckily, the orotho surgeon at Incirlik was top notch, and was able to fit me in for surgery 48 hours before our bird was outbound. Turned out to be a training op for my team medic, he intubated me and got to make the first incision, and Lord only knows what else while they were inside.

I don't remember much of the flight(s) home, except I supposedly had a great time at RAF Mildenhall, ....something about Tyloxx and english ale...

anyways...back at Carson the rehab began. I followed the PT's every word, and I admit, it took a lot of self control to NOT go too fast or too far. There were good days and bad ones, but slowly over time it improved. They started me with just the weight of my hands, and after a couple weeks went to surgical tubing. What sucked most was sitting out WET, and as a bonus I got to attend the EO/HR NCO course. By late winter I was able to run again, and slowly worked to small hand weights. It's quite humbling to be curling a lime green hand weight, that didn't weigh as much as the collars on the weights I used to throw around. But don't get discouraged, keep goin....and DON'T overdo it, don't get crazy before you're ready. I was fit to deploy by April, and slowly, it all started coming back. I lifted regularly with my team and they all were really supportive of me (along with the usual crip jokes and what not) I remember the day sometime in July I did 6 pull-ups in a gym in Livno, BiH and it felt like I had conquered Denali!!

Nearly 10 years later I'm retired and a Fireman. I might not be able to bench or military press what I usetacould, but I do alright for a guy pushin 50, and the young-uns still are tryin to catch me. I still get some pain in the shoulder occasionally, although my left one had been acting up lately.... ugh!! If you follow your PT's advice and take your time, I don't see any reason you can't be 99.9999% of what your strength, flexibilities and capabilities to be on a mountain or any other team once was. You're young, go slow... work hard and work smart.... NEVER QUIT!!

MtnGoat · 04-15-2006, 05:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firebeef

I followed the PT's every word, and I admit, it took a lot of self control to NOT go too fast or too far. There were good days and bad ones, but slowly over time it improved. They started me with just the weight of my hands, and after a couple weeks went to surgical tubing. What sucked most was sitting out WET, and as a bonus I got to attend the EO/HR NCO course. By late winter I was able to run again, and slowly worked to small hand weights. It's quite humbling to be curling a lime green hand weight, that didn't weigh as much as the collars on the weights I used to throw around. But don't get discouraged, keep goin....and DON'T overdo it, don't get crazy before you're ready. I was fit to deploy by April, and slowly, it all started coming back. I lifted regularly with my team and they all were really supportive of me (along with the usual crip jokes and what not) I remember the day sometime in July I did 6 pull-ups in a gym in Livno, BiH and it felt like I had conquered Denali!!

Nearly 10 years later I'm retired and a Fireman. I might not be able to bench or military press what I usetacould, but I do alright for a guy pushin 50, and the young-uns still are tryin to catch me. I still get some pain in the shoulder occasionally, although my left one had been acting up lately.... ugh!! If you follow your PT's advice and take your time, I don't see any reason you can't be 99.9999% of what your strength, flexibilities and capabilities to be on a mountain or any other team once was. You're young, go slow... work hard and work smart.... NEVER QUIT!!

Brother I've had some PMs over this & I have be a bit discouraged over the time frame. The whole thing about you may have to stand one out trip thing.

But After hearing QPs here and my Two DOCs tell me to stop picking something (to me) as small as a laptop with two hands. Floored me! Like man, I got on hand - (DOC TALKIN NOW) well then use the good one to pick up the "heavy" part.

I have and will take it VERY Slow, like a bub (Former Mil) said. "You got to take care yourself. Don't listen to the BS commits from Co workers over your "not putting out". Better to get it done than to have Ur arm feel like it falls off down range. So I'm VERY HAPPY with my current out come.

Thank for that advice, and I would like to have the feeling of conquered Denali, I did the West Buttress Route in 90 - after camp Four/Five (18,000 -/+) we got WX - snowed in for four days in a snowcave. Had to abandoned the climb due to NO food and fuel. So I'll love that feeling again.

Thanks Taking it easy so the song goes

Firebeef · 04-18-2006, 20:21

patience will take you far! It sux. I can't tell ya how to make it any better, but I can tell ya, if you come back too quick n too early you'll be havin deja vu all over again with your shoulder surgery!

O, n btw, I was using conquerin Denali as a metaphor, never actually have, but thats what I thought it must feel like.... does Longs Peak count???

MtnGoat · 04-19-2006, 08:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firebeef

O, n btw, I was using conquerin Denali as a metaphor, never actually have, but thats what I thought it must feel like.... does Longs Peak count???

Beef, I know what your meaning was behind that. I just thought it was good metaphor since I had been there but never got to Summit it. Now that's SUX!! But thanks, I know the "workouts" ahead will be hard.