Reverse Shoulder Replacement Celle's Reverse Shoulder Replacement

[Jockette]

That was a lot of activity! I wouldn‘t even do that much in one day, “healthy as I am!”

 

[Celle]

I know, Jockette. I was just so keen to do some of the things I hadn't been able to do and I admit to going overboard on the activity.

I watched a program on TV last night, called "Supervet". The vet did a shoulder replacement on a puppy that had been hit by a bus.
He's the only vet in the UK who does shoulder replacements on dogs and he had previously only done four of them. He designed the hardware himself and had it custom made for the puppy.

For the puppy, the alternatives to shoulder replacement were bad - amputation, or let the injured shoulder continue to deteriorate until increasing pain and poor mobility caused the owners to think it would be kinder to put him gently to sleep.

It all went well and by 6 months after surgery the dog was running around normally, with no signs of impairment at all.

 

[Pumpkin]

Amazing that they can do a shoulder replacement on a dog, with such success.
I hope your shoulder is settling down after all the activity.

 

[SaraK]

@Celle - you found the ODIC (overdid it club) for shoulders. Please find your way back out! It's so hard to know you're overdoing it until you're done. And to distinguish between good old- fashioned tired muscles vs ones that have been overstressed. The whole "nothing heavier than a cup of coffee" always got me. It's fine to say for lifting things, but what about pressure doing other things like sweeping or vacuuming or opening a jar. That was always hard to judge whether I was overdoing it.

Like others, I'm glad you found a good PT. I lucked into one of the good ones before my first hip replacement and stayed with him through my shoulder surgery. He didn't have me do anything that hurt and worked through a progression of movements with the shoulder - working on the behind the back and lifting to the side as some of the last items. "If it hurts when you do it, don't do it. If it hurts that night or the next day, don't do it again for awhile."

I'm always so glad to see your progress reports - you're are doing things the right way and seeing the benefits!

 

[Celle]

Thank you @SaraK .
Yes, I did find the shoulder ODIC, but I hope I've learned my lesson.

My PT gave me surprisingly few exercises to do and she stressed not doing any to the point of pain. I will need to work on moving my arm behind my back, but my shoulder doesn't seem ready to do that yet. Standing with my back to the wall, I can't put my hand flat against the wall yet, but I'm getting closer. Each day, a little bit more of my hand comes into contact with the wall.

 

[SaraK]

That will take time but you will continue to loosen up. At almost a year post op, I am continuing to see improvements in mobility.

I had a different surgery and didn't start PT until 6 weeks post op. I didn't really start working on behind the back for several more weeks - probably close to 3 months post op. Even at the 2 month point, laying flat without something under that shoulder to prop it up wasn't comfortable. With a reverse shoulder replacement, aren't you also retraining some muscles to do things they weren't doing before?

 

[Celle]

7.5 weeks post-op:

I tried driving my little manual car today. I managed all right, although it was only a short trip. My left shoulder started to ache through my hand being up on the steering wheel, so I know I won't yet be able to drive far.

I had no difficulty changing gears, except when changing down from third to second gear.

We're hoping to get me a little automatic car - second hand - within the next few weeks and sell off my Toyota that I have had for 23 years. It still goes well and it's never let me down.

With a reverse shoulder replacement, aren't you also retraining some muscles to do things they weren't doing before?

Yes, that's right. I understand that the deltoid muscle has to take on quite a lot of extra work. I'm fortunate that I started out with a strong deltoid before surgery.

I do my exercises about once a day, usually after my shower. I sometimes forget to do some of them, but I try to make sure I do those the next day.

I can sleep flat on my back in bed now, without a supporting pillow, so that's progress. It's nice to be back with my husband, too.

 

[HandyWOMAN]

Glad you are now driving. AH, I could see having to wait with a manual. I had to give them up once I started with full-sized pickups & towing horses. Sounds like your over doing it, just was too much(like a hard PT work out?) , but didn't hurt anything? It just hard to do much PT the next day, as you hurt too much, right? I did it once too.

 

[Celle]

If I have a day when I've overdone it a bit (like the day I tried driving) I don't do any PT that day or the following day. I consider the use I put my shoulder through was its PT.

 

[SaraK]

Sometimes a good day of rest is the best medicine! I hope the muscles have settled down with the rest.

 

[Mojo333]

I'm glad to see you are doing well, albeit whilst finding your boundaries.
I do think that is part of all recovery processes...
I know about having to get rid of old reliable vehicles...I had to a manual little truck that was rather rough looking but was great on gas, very dependable mechanically and was rather sentimental to me.

 

[Celle]

I know about having to get rid of old reliable vehicles...I had to a manual little truck that was rather rough looking but was great on gas, very dependable mechanically and was rather sentimental to me.

I feel the same about my little car. It's been a good friend to me - and very economical. I only have to fill it up with petrol/gas once a month.

Its registration begins with "TM" and I've always called it "Timmy".

We're going to look at replacement vehicles on Friday.

 

[djklaugh]

@Celle I drive a Prius - now almost 15 years old and I love it! Being retired I don't drive nearly as much as I use to so I only put gas in it about every 6-8 weeks. It has been the best car I've ever owned and is very spacious too. If you can find a good used one I'd highly recommend it.

 

[Celle]

I just need a little car now - a "shopping basket" - as the furthest I'll drive it will be to our son's house, about 45 minutes away.
We do have a Mitsubishi ASX for longer journeys. My husband uses that as "his" car, but I can drive it too. I'm taking it today and my husband is taking my little, manual car..

We originally intended to downsize to just one car but, unfortunately, we both need a car on Thursdays, for meetings and other commitments, and the times we each need a car overlap.

 

[HandyWOMAN]

[QUOTE="djklaugh,
@Celle I drive a Prius - now almost 15 years old and I love it! Being retired I don't drive nearly as much as I use to so I only put gas in it about every 6-8 weeks. It has been the best car I've ever owned and is very spacious too. If you can find a good used one I'd highly recommend it.
[/QUOTE]

Nice to know about Toy hybrids. I have 2 Tacomas. One is older only 60K, has a factory hitch & I put extra leaf springs, but banged it up more than some, bought too early, before I sold construction F250. Knee started doing weird things, bad pain in RT after an hour. So for long distance drives I found a younger one with cruse. But now think I'll get the new hybrid Sienna(after I can find them used). Stupid to have 2 vehicles that only seat 2 people. I have only driven Trucks or Cargo Vans since 1980!!!

 

[marieltha]

Stopped by to visit and see that you got your new shoulder! Congratulations ! Very happy for you.

 

[Celle]

Thanks, @marieltha. I'm glad it's done. I was having constant pain and now I hardly have any.

 

[Celle]

9+ weeks post-op:
I drove my little manual car yesterday. It didn't upset my shoulder at all.

Getting into my car and out again was a bit hard, because it's rather low to the ground, but everything else went well.

I had no trouble changing gears and steering wasn't a problem, either.

I'll still get a much newer (but still pre-owned) automatic car in a few weeks, as I've had my little Toyota for 23 years.

 

[Jockette]

I’m glad driving went well for you, and that you’re coming along so well.

Wow, you’ve had your Toyota a long time! It beats the Corolla we had. We bought our second one, the first new car we’d ever bought, when our son was 3. After he graduated from high school, he drove it to the tech school he was attending! It was the best car we ever had, though I’m real fond of my current CRV.

 

[Celle]

My Toyota Corolla is 26 years old. I bought it from my sis-in-law, who used to change her car every 3 years. I'll be sorry to see it go, but it's time to get something newer and safer - it doesn't have air bags.