I’m now past the 12 week mark following shoulder surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff, torn labrum, torn bicep tendon, and to remove bone spurs in the shoulder capsule. I’ve been suffering pain with extreme stiffness and inflammation for months now. Sleeping has been difficult. My body has over-reacted to the surgery and “healed too well,” as my physical therapist says. There is a large buildup of scar tissue which is causing pain and reducing my mobility and flexibility. This condition is known as “frozen shoulder.”
I saw the shoulder surgeon last week for my 12 week check, and we decided the best course of action for the above issues was to do a steroid shot into the shoulder capsule. This is to reduce inflammation, swelling, and stiffness, and help me progress faster in rehabilitation.
The shot hurt. It was kind of a deep, dense pain. That pain was even worse over the next 2-3 days. Fortunately that pain has gone away mostly, but I still have quite a bit of discomfort. Pain will flare up if I move the wrong way or push things too hard.
Today (12.5 weeks), I did my first rehab exercises following the shot. The doc recommended taking a break from them for a few days. I feel like I’m in the same position mobility-wise and pain wise, that I was in five weeks ago. I’m hoping the shot will do its thing and I’ll start to more quickly recover and progress.
I’m nowhere near being able to swing a golf club, which is expected but still frustrating. I’m not even at a point that I could take a club out of the golf bag with the right arm.
Not much else to say except it sucks.
I’m hurting in numerous ways right now. First, spring has sprung here in northern Utah. The courses have just opened. I live on a course, and the parking lot has been packed, with the temps going from snow to the 50’s and 60’s. Second, ski season is still in full swing. The resorts in Utah have gotten hammered with a massive amount of snow, and I’m not skiing it. Third, I’m now exactly five weeks removed from my shoulder surgery for a torn rotator cuff, torn labrum, and torn bicep tendon.
I’m still in a sling. One more week to go. That’s extremely irritating, especially since I have to sleep in it. I’ve just barely started to be able to do some basic typing, but after a few minutes the bicep portion of the surgery really flares up and hurts like hell. I had a bicep tenodesis, where they cut an inch or two of the bicep tendon off, and screw the end into the bone. Yeah. Fun.
I’m attending rehab (a.k.a physical therapy) several times per week and doing daily exercises to strengthen and loosen up the shoulder. Earlier this week the therapist tried to introduce me to a new exercise, pulling my arm up with my other arm, via a pulley. Total fail.
The setup photo above looks like some kind of rig for sexual deviants. I wish it was. It’s the pulley chair. Three days ago they put me in it and asked me to reach up and grab the handle. I tried like hell, but couldn’t. So they lifted my arm up for me, which was a new experience in pain. I then tried to do the pulley action, using my left arm to lift my right arm up. After about two incredibly painful reps where I moved it maybe a quarter of an inch, the therapist stopped me. She said, “I can see your bicep twitching.” I wasn’t ready.
At today’s therapy session the therapist didn’t even bother with the S&M chair. That was a bit depressing, as I want to progress. But I know I can’t push it either. No point in going through this hell again.
So the goal for now is simple. Get to where I can do some reps in the S&M chair. Baby steps.
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