Photo by Greg Corbo
I’ve been fighting a torn rotator cuff, separated shoulder, and bicep tendon issues for 8 months. Prior to the HOG World Tour trip to Bandon Dunes Golf Resort last summer, I got my first cortisone shot, which allowed me to play golf there. That wore off in October and I got another shot around then, and did shoulder rehab. The cortisone shots wore off and as time rolled on I could do less and less of my rehab exercises. Pain came back and surpassed where it was before. Now I can’t do simple things like wave at someone or reach for my phone without intense pain.
I tried to go the non-surgical route first but that didn’t work. Today I’m getting shoulder surgery. I’ll be having the rotator cuff repaired, bone spurs removed, and getting part of my bicep tendon removed and the remaining end screwed into the bone.
I understand the pain level following this is pretty high, so I’m mentally prepared for the next few weeks to be hell.
The doctor has told me I’ll be in a sling for 6-8 weeks and I won’t be able to swing a club for roughly six months. That puts me through the peak of golf season here, into the fall. That’s a big bummer. I also had to cut my ski season short, and this season is one of the best snow years here in Utah ever.
I still plan to post as much golf blog content as I will be able, but some of my golf equipment reviews will either be delayed or won’t contain my usual “on the course” sections.
It sucked to have to let my regular golf buddies know I won’t be playing with them this season. I did let them know that if they missed me, they could just send me some cash so they could feel like they would if I was there winning bets. For some reason they declined on that. But at least I offered.
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Tony, good luck on surgery. I have had 3 of those proceedures, twice with bicep tendon reattachment, and I STRONGLY recommend a CryoCuff. I had first without it, and 6 months was a pretty real timeframe for recover. Woke up from the second surgery with this cuff on, and I used it religiously! Cold water on the shoulder for 5-6 hours, then 1-2 hours off, then rinse/repeat. I was swinging a club in 3-4 months, and the pain was pretty much non existent. Bathroom duties are tough, and walking on ice with that sling was a scary proposition. The real bitch was not being able to drive for a month (well that is at least what docter recommended), Rehab was OK…not sure how good it really was, and I did it the first time only. Wish you well
Thanks! I have one.