Today marks the sixth week since my shoulder surgery for torn rotator cuff, torn labrum, torn bicep tendon. I’ve been religiously doing my physical therapy and home exercises. Which has been going slowly in terms of gaining mobility. The area where the doctor did the bicep tenodesis (cut the torn tendon away and screwed the end into the bone) has been extremely sore and very tight. Yesterday I consulted with the shoulder doctor in my six-week checkup on the shoulder.
Good News
The good news is the doc has released me from having to wear the sling. This is huge. I’ve been sleeping sitting up, with the sling on. I had to shower in a sling. Do everything in the sling. You can imagine how much of a pain doing things one handed with your weak hand is.
Bad News
As I mentioned, the area where they worked on my bicep tendon is not happy. The doc informed me I have “frozen shoulder,” also known as “adhesive capsulitis.” Adhesive capsulitis is a painful and disabling disorder in which the connective tissue surrounding the joint of the shoulder becomes inflamed and stiff, greatly restricting motion and causing chronic pain.
Chronic pain: check.
Restricted motion: check.
I’m really irritated about it: check.
This will increase my recovery time by an unknown amount. I may end up having to get a steroid injection to assist in the healing, but have to wait until the surgery is healed before that can happen. If I get the shot, it would be in another six weeks.
I have some basic use of my right arm now. I can type a bit. I can put my socks on, just barely. I can’t reach much higher than my waist however. So reaching the steering wheel of the car is a no go. Can’t reach the radio buttons in the car either.
I’m not thrilled at this point. For now I’m just hoping to be ready for next ski season. I’m unsure I’ll get any golf rounds in for the 2019 calendar year.
I hope to prove myself wrong and that I can get some golf in before 2020. I’m working hard on the rehab and doing whatever I can.