What a difference a year makes! New Year’s Day 2015 found me 12-hours post-op from my rotator cuff surgery, looking forward to months of rehab, pain, discomfort and uncertainty over whether it would all be worth it. Well, after the optimistic early days described in the entries below, I’m pleased to report the sailing remained smooth and steady. End result? A right shoulder that’s 100 percent functional in every way and better than it has been in 15 years. It has been tested on the tennis court, the golf course, in the swimming pool, on bike trails & ski slopes, in the kitchen and in the gym. In fact, thanks to the shoulder exercises assigned by my physical therapy guru, Luke Bongiorno at NY SportsMed, my right is now stronger than my left — so there’s still work to be done! I couldn’t recommend more the pre-op preparations I outlined in earlier posts. What I didn’t mention, though, was the physical therapy I did before the surgery that I believe gave me flexibility and strength in the rest of my shoulder putting me on the fast track to full recovery. Post-surgery I wore a sling 24/7 for one month and then for an additional two weeks only at night. I visited the physical therapist 3 times a week the first two months and did my exercises at home, religiously. Tapered to 2x/week of therapy for months 3 and 4 (especially since I ran out of insurance coverage after 20 visits!) and kept building strength at home with thera-bands and free weights. Despite the snowy & icy New York City winter of 2015, I managed to stay on my feet — until one day about 8 weeks post-op, when I tripped on an uneven sidewalk, breaking my fall with my right forearm. This jammed my shoulder pretty good and had me worried for a few days that I had undone some of the repair. But two weeks later, I was back on track. Phew. So, here’s the rough timeline of my rotator cuff recovery. Of course everybody’s different, and some may recover at a slower pace, but I haven’t heard of anyone who has rehabbed any faster.
It’s a long, challenging road, but worth every step if you start out, like me, with a rotator cuff tendon that’s still healthy, despite the tear. Some doctors told me that I wasn’t getting any younger and I’d have to begin accepting my limitations. But others said that with determination, there was a chance I could turn back the clock and keep doing the activities I love. Obviously, I went with the optimists and I was richly rewarded. Leave me a comment if you need any specifics or encouragement.
1 Comment
Michael Lavin
1/17/2016 11:06:34 pm
It always comes down to determination. Thanks for sharing.
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AuthorJust somebody who wants her shoulder back. ArchivesCategories |