I haven't had time yet to put together some articles for pre-op for shoulders yet. But here are some things I learned from my surgery on February 22nd.
My surgeon made it sound like I would have my left arm totally immobilized for a full 6 weeks in a special sling that keeps the arm strapped close to my body. I was terrified of how I would survive like that for weeks on end as I live alone and did not want to burden my friends with coming over daily to help me. In reality, from the very first I was able to use that arm to grasp a jar if I needed to open it or do other tasks of daily living with it.
He allowed me to be out of the sling during the day for periods as long as I was very strict about motions I made with that arm. I was not to lift anything with it and could not raise my hand above my waist. I also could not move it out sideways from my body nor pull the arm backwards. While these are pretty strong restrictions, I soon figured out how to do everything I needed to. I was just very slow at it.
If you have a pet, you may need to arrange boarding. I put my dog in the kennel for 3 weeks. She has a fenced yard but was used to going out front for at least short walks and I didn't feel comfortable putting her on the leash until after about 2 1/2 weeks.
Put up some frozen meals or items you can zap quickly in the microwave. I ate soups I had frozen for a couple of weeks. See if a grocery store near you does online shopping with delivery. I bought fresh items once a week online and had a friend pick them up. Having fresh fruit was especially nice.
If you have a Costco or Sam's Club near you, get a case of a protein supplement such as Glucerna, Ensure or Boost so you have a quick protein rich snack or meal if you don't feel like having anything else. It's important to stoke up on protein in the weeks before surgery and it's also needed afterwards for better healing. These drinks are not always to everyone's taste, but I thought the chocolate Glucerna was okay.
Get BIG clothes to wear. Buy a few t-shirts or button front shirts that are at least 2 sizes too large for you. Get some shorts or sweat pants that are one size too large. Both need to be elastic waist. You'll be pulling your pants up one-handed and that can take a little practice. I used a grabber to help the first couple of weeks. You won't be able to wear a bra for quite a while. I got dressed on the toilet for a while, but later switched to a chair in the bedroom. If you don't have a chair in your bedroom, I'd put one there. It comes in handy when you're out of the shower too. You'll tire easily and things will just be more difficult to do one handed. Socks were a bit of a challenge at first too, but I didn't opt for a sock puller. I just learned how to do it one-handed because you won't be able to use your surgery arm to pull on them. I also bought a few pairs of "granny cotton panties" in a size larger to wear. They are easier to pull up and down one-handed when you have that brace on.
After surgery, your skin will be very dry all over. Get some good body lotion and be prepared to use it liberally. Your feet will especially appreciate this going into summer. Each morning I put lots of lotion on my feet and then put my socks on. After a few days of that, my feet were wonderfully soft. You can use any good lotion or Vaseline works well too.
You'll need to sleep upright mostly for the first couple of weeks. My surgeon recommended a recliner, but it was very uncomfortable for me. I chose to use a foam wedge on the couch. Sleeping may be very sporatic for weeks, so you'll have to figure out spots that work for you. I alternated at night between my bed and the couch. Wearing that immobilizer brace to sleep in is no picnic, especially if you're used to sleeping on your side. It was nice to have more than one place to try and sleep at night.
Stock up on stool softeners. If you are on prescription pain medications (and you will be at least right after surgery), you'll likely become constipated. Start your stool softners at least 3 days prior to surgery and insist they give them to you in the hospital while you're there. I didn't and had a very severe problem. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. Be sure you get stool softeners that have absolutely no stimulants in them. Read the label carefully and avoid anything that has the word "stimulant" anywhere on the label. Those are laxatives and they should not be taken for long periods of time as your system can begin to rely on the stimulant and not function properly.
You may experience a few days of incontinence in the hospital or during the first couple of weeks at home, so have a package of Depends or incontinence pads on hand just in case. There is nothing worse than getting up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and not making it there in time. This is temporary and nothing to worry about. But it pays to be prepared.
Get a note pad and pen ready so you can keep track of when you take your pain meds. For at least a few weeks you'll need to take them on some type of schedule. Even if you are not on prescription pain meds (I quit them after about 5 days at home), you'll want to know when to take doses of Extra Strength Tylenol. Get a good supply of it because you'll need it for a while, especially at night to sleep well.
No one told me this, but I have not been able to use deodorant since my surgery. I could not move my surgery arm out enough to get under my armpit and the surgery arm wouldn't reach across to put deodorant under the other arm. Since it takes the better part of an hour to take a shower, I didn't do that every day. I finally figured out how to use a washcloth to slide under my surgery arm and wash daily. I had to use another washcloth to dry under there because a bath towel was too bulky to squeeze into that space. Since I was not permitted to move my arm out to the side (couldn't engage those muscles that were still healing from surgery), I'd rest my hand on the door frame and then walk back slightly to allow my other hand to put the washcloth under my arm. This was one of the more difficult things in my opinion to deal with after surgery and I think the Occupational Therapist should have taught me how to do this in the hospital.
Make sure you'll have Home Health for at least a few visits once you're out of the hospital. A nurse will check your wound and change the dressing if needed. An occupational therapist will help you with your everyday activities. They are great at figuring out how to do things with one arm tied to your body. You can also have a bath aid to help you with showering and hair washing until you are ready to do it yourself. It took me about 3 weeks to be able to wash my own hair, so this help was very welcome.
You will likely have a physical therapist through home health as well. You'll probably only be doing passive exercises (I had a pulley to use for 5 minute sessions 5 times a day), so there won't be too much therapy for that 6 weeks. I set my pulley up in the kitchen so I'd see it all during the day and would be more likely to get all the sessions in. I set a mirror up on the kitchen counter so I could be sure I was doing the exercise correctly. I have a tendency to lift my surgery shoulder when doing the exercise and being able to see it helped me break that habit. I imagine I learned that movement from years of having a bad shoulder.
Well, that's all I can think of at this point. Please ask any questions you might have.