# shoulder surgery



## fbelec (Jul 18, 2020)

hi everyone just looking to see if anyone had a shoulder replacement and how it went?  i'm having my right shoulder fully replaced at the end of this month and looking to see about how it went for you. i can't wait. i have a ligament that is ripping and a pinched nerve on top of the bone on bone shoulder


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## DAKSY (Jul 18, 2020)

I had my right shoulder replaced. Scheduled for the procedure in Sep 2018. My surgeon does 150 replacements every year & has been at it for 10 years, so I was confident (but nervous) going in...When the surgeon cut me open, he found that my rotator cuff was shot & he had to go to Plan B, which was a Total REVERSE Shoulder Replacement. The "ball" of the joint is now attached to my shoulder instead of my humerus. 2 hours in surgery. 1 night in the hospital. No visible sutures. The incision was held together with transparent surgical tape, which allowed medical personnel to see that the site was healing properly & that there was no infection present. It was kinda weird having  a basically "dead" arm just hanging there in a sling due to the anesthetic block  after I awakened. 6 weeks in a sling, which was rather unpleasant, especially trying to sleep. We had a recliner, but it wasn't much help. There are restrictions like not doing push-ups (darn!) & bench-presses (shucks!). My rotator cuff is non-existent & does present some problems getting my hand behind my back. I cannot throw very well overhand. Weight limitation of lifting 15lbs MAX.  My bowling career is essentially over, but at 68 & retired, I really couldn't afford the league fees anyway. There is a  5% chance of dislocation if I push it too hard, so I think before I commit to moving heavy stuff. Almost 2 years post-op & I have no pain. Glad I had it done. Below is a pic of the incision scar. Good luck with your procedure.


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## fbelec (Jul 19, 2020)

your doctor did very well on the scaring. my brother has a big noticeable scar on his. i'm hoping that he doesn't have to do a reverse on me i'm 59 and still have some work to do before i retire. he says he won't know until he gets in there if it's a conventional replacement or a reverse. if reverse he says early retirement. so far i like my doctor. he and the hospital (new england baptist) are very thorough he and his team work on the Celtics and red soxs  so that was a vote of confidence. it boggles my mind to see how many replacements he does in a year and see office visits and the like. my doc does 200 to 250 replacements a year. thanks for the good wishes


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## fbelec (Jul 27, 2020)

bob is the 15 pound limit because of the reverse or that non existent rotator cuff


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## DAKSY (Jul 27, 2020)

fbelec said:


> bob is the 15 pound limit because of the reverse or that non existent rotator cuff


Supposedly due to the Total Reverse. I have pushed it, but carefully.  
I lift heavy weights VERY slowly, using my legs & holding the objects 
CLOSE to my body, not just hanging from my shoulder...


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## fbelec (Jul 28, 2020)

thanks


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## Sodbuster (Aug 8, 2020)

DAKSY said:


> Supposedly due to the Total Reverse. I have pushed it, but carefully.
> I lift heavy weights VERY slowly, using my legs & holding the objects
> CLOSE to my body, not just hanging from my shoulder...



Daksy, am going through a similar suckage as we speak. I tripped and fell landing on my right (dominate) hand. Shattered my wrist which was reduced using a plate and 10 screws by the surgeon. After the swelling started to subside, I noticed that I may have also retorn my right distal bicep tendon which was  re-attached 11 years ago and healed up fine. I will be glad to see 2020 go. I see the surgeon on Thursday for a follow up. Meanwhile I have a beautiful pile of Oak on my drive waiting to be CSS.  And Ash that needs to get CSS before it goes punky.


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## begreen (Aug 8, 2020)

Oh man that sounds terrible. So sorry to hear this Sod. Sounds like it may be good to hire some help for the season so that you don't have to worry about anything but healing.


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## fbelec (Aug 24, 2020)

just a update i had my shoulder replaced the regular way and not reverse. my doc has me in a sling for 6 weeks not moving the arm so that one of the four muscles of the rotator cuff that he cut to do the surgery and put back on can heal so that i don't rip it off for him to do surgery again.  this is the first opportunity that i got to access my pc to get on here because my arm wasn't moving to access the mouse. trying to use the mouse with my left hand was like trying to use my foot. scar doesn't look good but as off the 3rd day after surgery i was off pain killers. didn't need any until the 2nd half of the second day when the nerve block wore off.  sodbuster i feel for you and hope you recover well and soon.


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## Sodbuster (Aug 24, 2020)

fbelec said:


> just a update i had my shoulder replaced the regular way and not reverse. my doc has me in a sling for 6 weeks not moving the arm so that one of the four mussels of the rotator cuff that he cut to do the surgery and put back on can heal so that i don't rip it off for him to do surgery again.  this is the first opportunity that i got to access my pc to get on here because my arm wasn't moving to access the mouse. trying to use the mouse with my left hand was like trying to use my foot. scare doesn't look good but as off the 3rd day after surgery i was off pain killers. didn't need any until the 2nd half of the second day when the nerve block wore off.  sodbuster i feel for you and hope you recover well and soon.


Thanks, and same to you. I had the nerve block too, what a weird sensation, worked well though. When I got home, my arm kept falling over because I was supposed to keep it elevated.  I'm about 5 weeks out now, and it is going OK, he said I can't hurt it, and I need to start stretching the tendons back out. Hurts like the devil when I do that. I also wake up in the morning and my hand feels like it's on fire, I hope that's not the new normal. Everything I read says, it will take a year to fully recover. I'm glad I'm ahead on wood. I had my daughters boyfriend run my saws dry. Really sucks. I have a pile of Oak on my driveway, that needs to be CSS, that probably won't happen any time soon.


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## begreen (Aug 24, 2020)

Thanks for the updates fbelec and sodbuster.  I'm glad the surgeries went ok. Hope you both have good and full recoveries. Keep practicing with the left hand. It took me a few weeks, but eventually I got very good with it.


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## fbelec (Aug 25, 2020)

thanks begreen. sodbuster i had both hands carpial tunnel surgery it felt like my hands were on fire but at the same time numb. come to find out in my sleep i was bending my hand at the wrist and it did not like it. woke up many times to it a night. until i put on a wrist brace for bowling. with metal supports in it. not saying it will work for you but at 24 dollars on amazon was well worth it. you have a lot more going there but if for some reason your crushing the nerve that's what it feels like but you must have a cast on so maybe in the future.


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## Sodbuster (Aug 26, 2020)

fbelec said:


> thanks begreen. sodbuster i had both hands carpial tunnel surgery it felt like my hands were on fire but at the same time numb. come to find out in my sleep i was bending my hand at the wrist and it did not like it. woke up many times to it a night. until i put on a wrist brace for bowling. with metal supports in it. not saying it will work for you but at 24 dollars on amazon was well worth it. you have a lot more going there but if for some reason your crushing the nerve that's what it feels like but you must have a cast on so maybe in the future.



Thanks, Frank and Begreen, I still have my removable cast, maybe I'll try putting that one when I go to bed so I don't kink it funny, sucks to wake up like that. I will say that everyday is getting just a little bit better, so hopefully things are one the mend.


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## fbelec (Aug 26, 2020)

daksy i wish my scar looked like yours. the waterproofing is just coming off


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## Sodbuster (Aug 26, 2020)

fbelec said:


> daksy i wish my scar looked like yours. the waterproofing is just coming off



That'll get a lot better in time.


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## fbelec (Aug 27, 2020)

thanks good to know


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## begreen (Aug 27, 2020)

Silicone and onion extract are both reported to help reduce scarring. Keep it out of the sun. 








						Getting rid of old scars: Best home remedies
					

Scars form when skin wounds heal. They often fade over time but can leave a permanent mark. Get some tips on preventing scars or making them less visible here.




					www.medicalnewstoday.com


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## MTY (Aug 28, 2020)

This scares the heck out of me.  I still bounce pretty well, but it is only a matter of time until I do not.  Good luck to the both of you.  

About 30 years ago I broke my right wrist.  After surgery, I was numb on the back of my hand for about a year and a half, but the nerves grew back in time.  Patience is required.  

I worked left handed for better than two years while searching for a surgeon with a high success rate for wrist surgery.  I became quite proficient left handed.  In 2007 I was eating peanuts in China.  You eat them with chopsticks.  People were laughing at me because I would occasionally drop one.  I challenged them to eat left handed.  It was my turn to laugh as I was just as proficient left handed and they were total clutzes.


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