Any Shoulder Surgery Survivors in here?

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GoodTurns

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Apr 20, 2007
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Bowie, MD, USA.
I am an avid Volleyball player, "A" level doubles and sixes if that means anything to anyone;) I have to make a choice on my hitting shoulder. I have been fighting a "small" tear in my rotator cuff for several years, ice, cortisone shots and PT to keep it working. Last fall, something went way bad in the shoulder, but being an idiot, I continued to play out the three leagues I was in. Scheduled my appointment with my orthopedic for the day after the finals of the last ending league, played the best two days of ball I have played for years and took home the trophy. Fast forward 18 hours and my ortho and I are looking at a contract MRI of the whole shoulder joint. I have never seen a shoulder MRI before, but quickly pointed out several things that didn't look "right"...too late for long story short, but...fully torn Labrum, 3/4 tear in rotator cuff, major biceps tendinitis/fraying and a bunch of bone spurs that need to find a new home. Did 3 months of 3x a week PT to strengthen support muscles to see if it would hold together, took about 40 minutes of playing to forget I am not supposed to swing...3 months work in the dumper and I can't breathe from the pain.

Arm works, dull pain constant, can do just about anything with enough ALLEVE and Diclofenac. Can't throw or swing/hit with my right arm. Terrified of surgery, even more afraid of 6 weeks of immobilization of the entire arm, not a sling, immobilization. If I do the surgery, shop out of the question for 2-3 months, volleyball out for 6-9 months (best case). Skip the surgery, forget I can't do something, get hit with pain that makes you forget to breathe.

Anyone done a shoulder repair/reconstruct? happy with results? full use? would you do it again?

HELP!
Jon
 
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Sorry I can't help you on this one, Jon. I've never had shoulder surgery.

But, if I remember correctly, I did have a frontal lobotomy ... or maybe that was a bottle in front of me. Oh well. ;)
 
Jon I dont know how much help this will be but 10 years ago I had rotator cuff surgery. The doctor told me at the time if I refused the surgery my motion in that arm would eventually be limited to no higher than my waist.Recovery from the surgery was painful, the therapy was even worse but it turned out to be worth it because I have no pain or loss of motion and my strength in that arm is about as it was before the tear,if I had to do it over again I wouldnt hesitate. (It was a long recovery process).

If you have more questions feel free to pm.
 
Several years ago, a friend of mine tore his rotator cuff so bad that he had no choice but to have surgery. He made a full recovery and, as far as I know, is still 100%.
 
Just had had left shoulder done abot 2 or so years ago (needed to get done before my last round of leg surgeries) It has to date been my most sucessful surgery. IE the shoulder is almost like new and I have had no problems with it since. You probably already have but talk to another doctor to get another opinion on your shoulder. It doesnt hurt to talk to a couple of docs to see what each thinks. Beleive it or not doctors take different aproaches to fix same issue. The first shoulder doctor told me he would have to open it up to repair it and I would be laid up for really long time and the other doctor did all the repairs through a scope so rcovery was alot faster. Also the increased damage from last time to this time will continue to increase unless you get it repaired.
 
I had an injury to my right shoulder several years ago and ignored it. After finally seeing a doctor he said it had healed but improperly and was beyond repair. Now I live with limited use. My left shoulder has begun bothering me. Small tear maybe. But, I'll be going to see the doctor soon. Any surgery involves a recovery period. Your choice is that or possible permanent impairment. Not a choice, IMHO.
 
You're probably right in saying that with Alleve, you can do almost anything......BUT you are only masking the pain, and run a very real risk of any further damage, as Nolan and Frank have said. Nolan was also right on the money about different Drs. having differena approaches to the same problem. If it were me, I'd get it fixed ASAP---but that's just me.
 
Jon,

This is likely not what you want to hear. Make a trophy shelf for your volleyball trophies. Sign on as a referee if you want to stay with the game. Get a second opinion, or perhaps a third. Get the shoulder fixed and keep your happy memories of when you USED to play volleyball. Hopefully you will have a long life, and it will be far more pleasant with a shoulder that works.
 
Originally posted by wdcav1952

Make a trophy shelf for your volleyball trophies.

a tiny little shelf!

Originally posted by wdcav1952

Get a second opinion, or perhaps a third.

done, not ready to hang 'em up yet!

I have a very low-key tourney over the 4th of July (local pool). It will be the first time I get to play with my son. I can set...will schedule the surgery. Thanks for the input folks.
 
John, Don't feel too bad about the sports and count your blessings that you could enjoy them in the best of times and hopefully can continue at a lower level.

I was a few steps away from becoming a semi-pro bowler when my shoulder started giving me trouble. I ignored and or drugged the pain until it actually started affecting my game and by the time I decided to do something about it, a lot of damage was done! Two surguries later I'm fine but left with a steel post in my left shoulder and my bowling days are over.

Don't wait too long, a few months being puny isn't all that bad.
 
John, I had left shoulder surgery about a year and half ago (and of course I'm left handed) I kept putting it of until the pain was constant. Don't wait get something done now and follow your PT to the letter and you will be ALMOST as good as new.
 
Stop! Do NOT play that last tourney! You risk doing damage that your Ortho can't fix.

I brought a small piece of shrapnel home from SE Asia in '72 that didn't start bothering me until the mid-80's. My sport of choice was handball/racquetball and between that tiny piece of metal and the wall that I kept running into, I finally needed a full reconstruction. They ended up opening it up from my armpit to the top of my shoulder, taking everything apart and then putting it all back together. I had full range of motion back in a month and full strength in three.

I've had two arthroscopic procedures and a clavicle reduction since then and I'm probably as near 100% as most 58 year-olds. But, I don't play racquetball any more. I also don't take advil, motrin, or alleve anymore. I also took the approach that with enough of one of those, I could do almost anything through the pain. Ended up with a GI bleed caused by the NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).

If I had it to do over, I would do ALL of the things I did - but sooner - and skip the drugs.

Good luck.

Rich
 
Originally posted by Texatdurango

John, Don't feel too bad about the sports and count your blessings that you could enjoy them in the best of times and hopefully can continue at a lower level.

I was a few steps away from becoming a semi-pro bowler when my shoulder started giving me trouble. I ignored and or drugged the pain until it actually started affecting my game and by the time I decided to do something about it, a lot of damage was done! Two surguries later I'm fine but left with a steel post in my left shoulder and my bowling days are over.

Don't wait too long, a few months being puny isn't all that bad.

Welcome to an unhappy club. My pistol shooting days are over.
 
My ortho said that if I'd gotten in sooner he could have fixed everything arthroscopically. He had to open my right shoulder up to fix the tears, but have full range and strength now (1 yr later). Just the occasional twinge to remind me.

Wayne
 
Just a follow-up. scheduled for August 27...trying to go arthroscopic, but depends on the status of the biceps connections when they get in. I get to spend best case 3 weeks in a sling, more likely 5-6...if he flays me open, it will jump to 8...whoo-hoo! Rehab on the order of 6-9 months...I'm a lucky boy!

Thanks to all for the input...success stories probably pushed me over the line to the DO IT side, so I'm gonna blame all of you if mine gets wrecked!;)
 
Jon,
A couple of things, I have not had shoulder surgery but my boss did (torn rotator cuff) and after 3-4 months was as good as new!!
I was huge into VB down here in VA. local league, outdoors and USAVB, so I played all year like you. Starting having problems with my hip, jumping (actually landing) all the time. kept putting off having it looked at and would eat ibuprofen all the time. finally in 2001 while at a warm up tourney for the USAVB season, by the end of the day all I could do was pretty much drag my leg around. Went to the Doc and found that I had pretty much worn it out. No more VB, no sports of any kind. Now I can't even stand long enough to referee an entire match, so I had to give that up as well. I can get the hip replaced (which is going to happen in the next 12 months) but still no more impact activities from now on.
So if you have a chance to fix it and be able to get back to doing what you love ... get er done, don't risk damaging it beyond repair. Just my $.02 worth ;)
 
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