Post-Surgery Update! Don't stop doing PT!!

Sorry for the long break between posts.

I will try to do better.

My shoulder surgery went fine. The surgeon said that the only thing holding my shoulder in place was my bicep tendon. He was actually surprised that I could use my right arm at all.

They give you a cool DVD to watch of your surgery and I waited a few weeks before I watched it. It was amazing. At first I thought I was watching an underwater video on the Discovery Channel. I could see lush beds of kelp and fish swimming by. Then I realized the kelp was shredded cartilage and the fish were just debris that shouldn't be there. Woosh! In come the tools! They started mowing the kelp and vacuuming it up. Then came in files and polishers to work on the bones. Then the drills came in and put in nine titanium bolts that had pre-attached Dacron thread on them. He then started pulling things into position and sewing it all together.

Amazing stuff, I have to say.

The healing process was long. They didn't want me doing anything with my right arm for five weeks other than squeezing a rubber ball to keep circulation going. Eventually I came out of the arm sling and then was able to start doing small things like empty-handed curls. It was almost three months later that he let me start going to physical therapy.

I have an awesome physical therapist. She is a walking encyclopedia of the human body. She got the movement back into my shoulder and then started to build up the strength. I saw her for almost three months. Got signed off from her to my primary care doc and I was free!

Then I quit doing my exercises.

Then the issues started up about six months ago.

I type for a living. (Exciting stuff, I know.) I have bad posture, and I do bad repetitive movements all day long. I went to grab the mouse with my right hand (like always) and my shoulder made a noise that sounded like an old door closing in a horror movie. I kid you not. There was no real pain involved, but it freaked me out.

So...back to the doctor I went. X-rays and examinations later they determined that I have arthritis and need to go back to PT.

Long story short...if a physical therapist tells you to do your exercises....do them. Don't stop.

I'm back in PT, with the same doc, and I have a new set of exercises that I can do every day...for the rest of my life.