Labral tears :My very own shoulder thread. aka sweet blog dude

[Skidog]

i was out roughly 2 weeks but i probabably could have managed at 1.5

Thank you this is what i needed to hear.

Ill post back when i know more about my upcoming surgery. Im putting this off as long as they'll allow. I'd like to finish out ski season.

[peterslovo]

Hey...can anyone tell me how long you're actually out of work for with these surgeries?

Thanks.

I think it's very dependent on the individual, and the surgeries done. I had my shoulder surgery on a Tuesday, and was working on the laptop at home on Friday for half a day. Granted I was still loopy. I went back to the office on a commuter van on the following Monday. If you can work from home, I see no reason why within 2-3 days you can't be online. If it's actually going to the office, then that might be different.

[crackboy]

yea. honestly by day 3 i was on my computer, but i wouldn't have wanted to work a whole day. 1 week i was totally over the anesthesia and probably could have managed office stuff, but i am a bench scientist so i took more time

[mdp]

I was out for 2.5 weeks, but I install network cabling for a living. I was able to do some paperwork from home, but mostly stood around jobsites helping out my crew where I could when I actually went back to work. Considering how much work I do overhead, I'm still struggling to be 100% productive, but at least I'm working.

[crackboy]

Also, I was done arthroscopicaly.

Had my first PT appointment tonight for an evaluation. It was a huge confidence boost. 3 weeks from surgery and I am somewhere between 90 and 105 degrees. man it felt good to work the muscles though i will probably be sore later.

[Snowmiser]

How's PT going Crackboy? Mine starts tomorrow!

[mdp]

Also, I was done arthroscopicaly.

Had my first PT appointment tonight for an evaluation. It was a huge confidence boost. 3 weeks from surgery and I am somewhere between 90 and 105 degrees. man it felt good to work the muscles though i will probably be sore later.

When you say between 90 and 105 degrees, do you mean that's how high you can hold your arm straight out in front of you?

Straight out in front I can go probably 135 degrees before I have to hunch my shoulder to get any more. Straight out to the side and up I can only get to about 110 degrees, and external rotation is still barely away from my side, maybe 10 degrees. I can get my arm behind my back finally, which is good. That's making it easier to get my pants pulled up and a belt through the loops.

[skatha]

I could only take 4 days off because I had no one covering my hospital service

[Snowmiser]

Glad to hear your pt went well. I was posting my last message to you at almost the same time that you were posting yours. My PT went well today too. I'm exactly one week post surgery, and I'm at only about 90 degrees. Still very tight! Lots of work to do. Are you doing the climbing the wall exercise? Good luck on your continued success!

[mdp]

I had a breakthrough today. While lying on my back I can now reach back over my head and touch the ground. And while my muscles still feel weak, the joint itself feels much more stable than before. w00t

[Snowmiser]

Great to hear mdp! Something that I will look forward to!

[crackboy]

yea its probably 90 ish to the side and somewhat higher up in front of me. it hurt but man it felt good to stretch. i have been desperately wanting to stretch since my surgery and ohboy it felt great. i was a touch wiped out today but it was worth it.

i was doing pulley stuff and cane exercises. i don't start resistance/active stuff until next week

i also got the all clear to walk around at home for a bit out of my brace

[telepariah]

I had my six week followup Wednesday. I did ask the doc about being wiped out and she said that at my age (53) and as traumatic to the body as my surgery was, and considering that I had the same procedure on the other shoulder less than 10 months ago, she would expect me to be easily wiped out for a long time. I'm actually feeling I turned the corner anyway and can be normally active now. I have almost full range of motion overhead and to the side. External rotation is almost there too. All this without PT, just pulleys and easy stretching. She said I am doing great. Last night I went for a 3.5 mile walk/run and had no problems except my legs are out of shape. That should come back pretty quickly as I was skiing and running right up until the day of the surgery. Shoveled 4" of snow just now while keeping my right arm straight and only using my right hand as a fulcrum. No problems. Don't tell my doc I did that.

I work from home and was back on the job the Wednesday following the Thursday surgery. I was worthless though... pretty much unable to concentrate on anything until the second week.

[crackboy]

another week, another update. started resistance exercises tonight meaning i get to actually lift my arm using my repaired shoulder. i never would have thought lifting my arm ten 20 times would give a mild pump.

I went up 45 degrees in my forward ROM, now up to 135 with room to easily go.

my short term goal is to be able to paddle on my trip back to Cali in the begining of june but it might be cutting it close

[Skidog]

Saw surgeon for consultation yesterday. Confirmed if I want it "fixed" surgery is the only way. He offered cortizone, but i declined as that will only mask the injury and likely allow me to make it worse IMHO.

Havent scheduled anything yet, going to finish ski season and likely go under the knife in mid to late may.

Ill update as things progress.

Great info in this thread and good luck with the rehabs guys..sounds like LOADS OF FUN!!! NOT!

[Snowmiser]

Good to hear the rehab is going well crackboy. I took a step backwards this week. I had muscle spasms over the weekend, and my arm is stiffer now that it was last week. I'm going to have to really focus on getting more stretching time at home.

[crackboy]

so i have a good problem. I am at week six of my therapy goals, but only midway through week 4. so i am stuck doing the same exercises for another week and a half

[Snowmiser]

That is a good problem to have crackboy! I guess it's really important to not push it too much or you risk ripping the anchors out! I'm working like crazy to catch up right now on my rehab. My arm just shakes when I'm using the pully to stretch it over my head. :{

[mdp]

I initially lost so much external rotation that the pulley setup to get my arm up over my head was a serious pain in the ass. The loss of ROM in that direction made my arm chicken wing waaay out everytime I pulled it up via the pulley so it was really awkward. It is getting better though. Guess my surgeon tightened the shit out of my capsule.

[Snowmiser]

It's so nice having other people to talk to who are going through the same stuff. Glad to hear yours is getting better mdp! God it hurts like hell after I've stretched it!!!! Ice isn't enough!

[peterslovo]

keep at it folks - it gets better.

I just hit my 1 year mark on the 24th of this month. I still have occasional discomfort, but I am a surfer, so really stress the shoulder. Skiing has been a non-issue for me.

[Snowmiser]

Thanks for the positive vibes peterslovo!

[crackboy]

OK an update. 6 weeks post surgery and I am officially out of the sling. he wants me to wear it if i am in huge masses of people but other than that finished. plus i started my weight training in therapy. rocking the 1 lbs oh yea

[Snowmiser]

Good for you crackboy! I'm finally starting to break through my stiffness on the rotation. With my elbow at my side, I'm still really stiff, but I'm starting to make good progress. I started with the one lbs. yesterday. I could barely notice it was in my hand until I started to lift my arm up. :P. Yikes! I don't go back to the doc until 3 more weeks, but I'm taking the sling off whenever I'm home and when I sleep.

Do you have any swelling still? I do, but it's on the front where the scope went in. It's still pretty sore to touch.

Great to hear you're doing well! Keep it up!

[crackboy]

nope no swelling at all and no real pain unless i am moving my arm in a funny angle. i do have some stiffness in the back of my shoulder and my bicep still hurts a bit but other than that i am good. my unassisted ROM going forward was 140 yesterday so its coming along. my surgeon was pretty excited with my progress and it seemed like he though my therapy could push forward more aggressively so hopefully i can push harder and make my june paddle goal