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Help- Shoulder surgery :'(
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OK ladies I was in a race on 7/4 & had a bike crash. I have a complete supraspinatus tear, superior labrum tear, and partially torn anteroinferior joint capsule at the scapular attachment in my left shoulder girdle.

I am getting surgery on Thursday to fix this mess.

I'm posting this is the women's specifically because I don't want to hear from any of the (mostly arrogant) men on this forum (why I rarely post here in general....but I digress ;-), and.....well...I am a woman ;-)

So my questions....any women have shoulder surgery here ??? HOW did you heal with it ???? Clothing for after ???? I was told I have to be in a sling for 24/7 for SIX weeks...I'm already dreading it.....

And finally....the bra issue ??? HOW did you get one on ????? I found some by Moving Comfort that have velcro on the straps so I'm thinking I can step into them & have the straps fastened once it's on ?????

ANY advice would be appreciated !!

Thanks ladies
Last edited by: cassidyfit1: Jul 14, 15 12:18
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Re: Help- Shoulder surgery :'( [cassidyfit1] [ In reply to ]
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First of all, your injuries sound really painful. I wish you quick healing.


I had surgery on my bicep tendon last December. My tendon was removed from the top of my shoulder, shortened and reattached to the bone below my shoulder with a screw. I was in a sling 24/7 for approx. 5 weeks.

After surgery, the nurse showed me how to slide my bra (I lived in a comfortable, not-too-tight sports bra while I was in a sling) over my "bad" arm and head first, then "shimmy" my other arm in. It took my husband's help for the first couple of clothing changes, but after that I could manage on my own.

On the day of surgery, I wore a comfy bra, a stretchy tank top, a zip up jacket and leggings that I could pull up with one hand. This became my daily outfit until I went back to work after approximately 3 weeks.

A few other things that helped me (sorry, some might be TMI):

  • Take the pain meds
  • Take the stool softener with the pain meds. really.
  • My surgery was on my dominant hand, so as silly as it sounds, cottonelle flushable wipes were lifesavers (have you ever tried wiping with your non-dominant hand? I was NOT good at it)
  • Bring a pillow to rest your arm on during the car ride home. This saved me
  • Sleeping was hard for me. If you have a recliner, sleep there. If not, make a big nest of pillows to prop yourself up in bed. You don't want to wake yourself up by rolling over on to the shoulder you had surgery on. trust me.

I hope your surgery goes well. Keep us posted.
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Re: Help- Shoulder surgery :'( [Kristi] [ In reply to ]
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THANKS so much !!!

NEVER TMI when it comes to us crazy triathletes I think ;-)

It IS my dominant arm & it just sucks already ;-(
I mean, I can't even put my hair into a ponytail now...the little things.....

Thankfully I do live in FL (even though it's summer everywhere in the US now) so I basically can live in a jog bra & shorts.

My mom is coming to FL on Tuesday to help me. Not sure how long she'll stay......

I already CANNOT sleep...in so much pain & just CANNOT get comfortable no matter what ;'(
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Re: Help- Shoulder surgery :'( [cassidyfit1] [ In reply to ]
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Sorry to say I don't have any advice. I was reading through the tri forum this week and saw something about recliner rentals. If you don't have one maybe look into that to help with sleep. My 80 year old dad had surgery on his dominant shoulder last summer and he had a bitch of a time not using the arm! Drove us nuts! Good luck with the surgery and recovery.

**********************
Harry: "I expected the Rocky Mountains to be a little rockier than this."
Loyd: "I was thinking the same thing. That John Denver's full of shit, man."
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Re: Help- Shoulder surgery :'( [cassidyfit1] [ In reply to ]
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I had shoulder surgery almost 20 years ago. Best thing I ever did. My shoulder after a long recovery has never been a worry.

Short sleeve button ups were really the only shirts I could get on for a few weeks.

I vividly remember I could not do a pony tail for months. That was a pain since I'm usually in a pony tail.

Hit your PT hard- it makes a huge difference.

If you tend to get pukey make sure they send you home with anti nausea pills. It is impossible to hold your shoulder still while puking.

Those are the random things I remember.

ETA - I used a regular soft bra I could fasten in the front and then spin around and pull up the straps.

Good luck!
Last edited by: Moonrocket: Jul 14, 15 14:15
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Re: Help- Shoulder surgery :'( [cassidyfit1] [ In reply to ]
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I had shoulder surgery two years ago for a labral tear. In a sling for six weeks, which was followed by frozen shoulder and other things that were probably my fault (fell out of the recliner). Stick with your PT and expect a long recovery and you'll be fine.

Tips/tricks/other
-- TMI but I'm pretty flat-chested so I think I went without a bra for six weeks...bad form I know.
-- I was able to wear tank tops after a few days by very gingerly putting my bad arm through the giant arm holes. Then I'd wear hoodies or whatever else I needed to stay warm. It really wasn't so bad - you'll learn to adapt to the wardrobe limitations.
-- Hardest for me was not being able to brush my own hair into a ponytail for months. I ended up cutting it short.
-- I was on the stationary bike 48 hours after surgery and kept with it until I was out of the sling. I still couldn't run for another few months, so I did the elliptical to keep my fitness. I couldn't swim for 14 months but that's a whole other story (last week I swam a 5 mile OWS so don't worry - you WILL recover!). I'm also in far better shape now than I was before the surgery.
-- Make sure your PT knows what he/she is doing. My PT hurt me.
-- I fell out of my recliner on Day 2, and from then on I had severe pain. I never told my surgeon about it because I was embarrassed. At my 4-week check-up, he did the range-of-motion exercises while I held back tears and said I felt fine. I learned the hard way that I should have just spoken up. I guess it goes without saying that you should trust your surgeon.
-- I had a nerve block, which was great. In retrospect I wish I hadn't taken any pain pills - I was so sick/nauseous/constipated for days thanks to the narcotics. But everyone is different and you should definitely do what you need to do to stay on top of the pain.
-- The absolute best thing for my shoulder in the long-term was getting back in the pool. In the post-op period, keep the shoulder moving as much as you can (ie pendulums), because having to break up that scar tissue later really hurts!

Feel free to PM me anytime! Best of luck with it.
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Re: Help- Shoulder surgery :'( [kells] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks again girls ~~

"-- Hardest for me was not being able to brush my own hair into a ponytail for months. I ended up cutting it short. "

I'm already struggling with this :'(

I went online & googled shoulder surgery & I came across this girl's blog & found something I think very useful !!! She got some velcro & velcroed her cell phone to her bulky sling !! LOL Sooooooo I went out & got some yesterday ;-)
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Re: Help- Shoulder surgery :'( [cassidyfit1] [ In reply to ]
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I got this for my mother when she had hip surgery and couldn't "reach" on the toilet. Might work well in your situation too:

http://www.drleonards.com/...mfort-wipe/49779.cfm

No coasting in running and no crying in baseball
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Re: Help- Shoulder surgery :'( [cassidyfit1] [ In reply to ]
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HI there,

let us know how you are recovering?
I guess you will be in a ton of pain and dosed up on a cocktail of pain relief right now?

I am a physical therapist so just wanted to add my support and two cents worth having treated lots of post surgeries like this:

1) definitely focus on movement as soon as you are able/allowed to ( prevent frozen shoulder)
2) when you are ready - general shoulder strength work- but really focus on posterior rotator cuff strength strengthening throughout full range of motion ( prevent later shoulder impingement-when you start swimming!)
3) for now- make sure your posture is good- lots of post shoulder injuries get bad stooped shoulder posture which they have to go and undo 6 months later.
4) keep the rest of your body in as good shape as poss- walking/running in water, stationery bike, elliptical, leg weights in gym
5) do some strength work with the good arm- as there is some carry over into the injured one
6) doing your hair/ponytail will be one of the last things to come back- as well as doing up your bra!

Good luck - fingers crossed for you
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Re: Help- Shoulder surgery :'( [Sam181] [ In reply to ]
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I'm miserable....& I don't know how to put pics here :-(

and it suuuuuuuuuuuuucks to type with one hand
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Re: Help- Shoulder surgery :'( [cassidyfit1] [ In reply to ]
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I had a labral tear and bicep repaired 6 years ago. I've done 2 Ironman races and numerous lesser races since, so don't fear that your tri career is over.


- I wore tube tops that I could step into and button or zip up shirts while I was in the sling.
- A recliner will be your best friend. I got one from craigslist before and sold it after I no longer needed it. Sleep in it when you need to.
- Don't worry about any exercise but shoulder rehab. Swim/bike/run will come back when you're ready for it. Do the rehab diligently from Day 1.
- I took Ambien for the time I was in the sling, as normally I can't sleep on my back. That did the trick.

Best of luck. Heal strong!
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Re: Help- Shoulder surgery :'( [cassidyfit1] [ In reply to ]
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Yes...recovering from surgery is the pits. I had a hip replacement 2 months ago(worn my old one slam out;)) and have found the little things are really what makes life better-not 100 mile bike rides. Wrapping my head around never running again is hard.....but not being able to reach your leg to shave, not being able to clip your toenails, going commando for 2 months due to a scar that is extremely sensitve, going out to eat-to go to bathroom to see a too low toilet, and last but not least having a thigh that is 2 inches bigger than the other! You will recover and hopefully you will remember the sweet ability to get your bra on or sleep in your own bed.
In life...it always is the litte things that matter.
Good luck....it gets better!
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Re: Help- Shoulder surgery :'( [cassidyfit1] [ In reply to ]
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Just seeing this and you've already received some great advice. I had my proximal humerus plated and pinned (14 screws) last year after a bike crash. My arm was a mess. The fracture was badly displaced and rotated but thankfully wasn't compound. Lots of soft tissue damage. It was my dominant arm and I live alone. Sleep disruption was pretty bad. The recliner helps. A few add'l suggestions: Hair - got it cut shorter and treated myself to a blowout occasionally. Opening shit (the cat still expected to be fed) electric can opener was a godsend. I also picked up some left handed scissors. Driving - I started as soon as I got off the pain meds. Took the sling off to drive as its a DWI offense to drive in a sling in NJ. Flossing- gave up and just used a water pic. Stick with the PT. my recovery was slow but I regained almost all my ROM and strength. I'm actually getting the hardware removed in a couple weeks so I'll be doing another round of rehab soon as well. Good luck. It does get better.
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Re: Help- Shoulder surgery :'( [sneaker] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks again for everyone's input.

Tomorrow will be 3 weeks post op.

Still miserable.

The ponytail is still the absolute WORST !!!!!!!!! SO frustrating to not be able to get anywhere even close to getting that done !!!

Can't remember if this was mentioned previously in this thread, but I got this bra from Moving Comfort- the Fiona Bra, and it has velcro on the straps.That's how you adjust it. So I can get this bra on by completely undoing the left strap. TOTAL GODSEND !!!! Otherwise dealing with a bra would be another nightmare !!!!!!!!!! If I knew how to post pics on this forum I'd put up a picture of it !

Still cannot sleep lying down......recliner is the only thing that's semi comfortable.....
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Re: Help- Shoulder surgery :'( [cassidyfit1] [ In reply to ]
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Just checking in to see how you're doing? Hopefully out of the sling and working on ROM. I had shoulder surgery yesterday to remove the hardware (orif proximal humerus) put in after my crash last year. He also did some resurfacing of the bone and scar tissue clean up. I'll be sleeping in the chair for at least a few days. Hoping to start rehab sooner this go round.
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Re: Help- Shoulder surgery :'( [sneaker] [ In reply to ]
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The one thing I wish I had known was if your arm starts swelling up with fluid, this is not normal and go to a massage therapist and they can move the fluid around. Being stuck in a sling for that long really sucks. (6 weeks in my case)

I had a torn bicep repaired and it was 6 months until I was back to normal, and I really appreciated the range of therapy I received including stuff in the pool. The worst was regaining ROM. It was painful, but I'd do it again to have a solid shoulder. Okay, actually the worst part was all the idiot docs I saw over 15 years before I found one who figured out there was something wrong (and I wasn't just a dumb chick with tendinitis) so I am still fighting bad muscle patterns to this day.
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Re: Help- Shoulder surgery :'( [cassidyfit1] [ In reply to ]
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Seems clothes are less an issue...be mindful of rehab...could take up to a year!! Best of luck. :)
Last edited by: boohage: Sep 3, 15 14:53
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Re: Help- Shoulder surgery :'( [boohage] [ In reply to ]
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Hey girls......ok...today is 7 weeks post op..........

Started PT..............HOLY HELL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'd rather do back to back IMs..................soooooooooooooo painful !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Still can't put hair into a ponytail...................BUUUUUUUUUUUUUT yesterday I tied my shoe laces for the first time since July 3 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was a beautiful thing........sigh...........

Overall, I'm still in pain & not sleeping so great..........just feels like I'll never be able to lift my arm again....can't imagine it wit the amount of pain................


I guess everyday it's a "little" better...........

Oh yeah.....I made a Haiku a few days ago when I was more depressed than usual.....here you go:

BEING INJURED SUCKS
NEVER TAKE HEALTH FOR GRANTED
YES, I AM YELLING
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Re: Help- Shoulder surgery :'( [cassidyfit1] [ In reply to ]
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Yeah, shoulder PT hurts.... a lot. I used a 'bite rag' for the tough sessions. But it's worth the pain in the long run to regain ROM. My recovery after surgery #1 was slow and painful but continued over 9+ months. Surgery #2 was less than 3 weeks ago. It has been much much easier. My only regret is that I waited so long to get the hardware taken out.
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Re: Help- Shoulder surgery :'( [cassidyfit1] [ In reply to ]
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love the haiku :-)

Keep it up!

AP

------------------------
"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS
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Re: Help- Shoulder surgery :'( [AndyPants] [ In reply to ]
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New member heading in for surgery in 2 weeks - thanks for all the tips!
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Re: Help- Shoulder surgery :'( [yentna] [ In reply to ]
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Longtime member with an MRI on the dominant shoulder tomorrow.

If I just breathe it'll all be ok.

AW
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Re: Help- Shoulder surgery :'( [yentna] [ In reply to ]
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So is your surgery scheduled for this week?

Mine is slated for 12/10. argh.

AW
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Re: Help- Shoulder surgery :'( [AWARE] [ In reply to ]
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Pushed it back to January 22nd. Flying to visit family over Christmas and the potential for issues in a sling (new niece/nephew to hold, snowy location, getting in and out of small planes and on/off snowmobiles, luggage, etc.), followed by a work trip mid-January, convinced me of the need to postpone. I have full ROM just a lot of pain, and can keep riding and running, and even swim a bit, in the meantime. Sigh. Not looking forward to the weeks after that...

Good luck!
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