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Standard Shoulder Replacement Done 11/23. Getting scared, possible nerve damage?

I'm glad it's better but I'd really suggest you talk to the surgeon about the dislocation feeling. Maybe it's nothing, maybe he'll want you to use a brace or look at other issues. Just please get it douible-checked!
 
The PT said, it was still loose back there. Not tighten up much compared to the rest of the shoulder, because I couldn't use right,(the nerve damage). I felt better by the next evening, so it didn't do much. I have lived with that dislocating feeling when moving the shoulder wrong, for weeks/months after dislocating shoulders before. Years ago I went to button down clothes, not much over the head stuff nowdays. Know they do tighten up(I have never had one stay out longer than maybe a minute), it takes time. This time, I'm now working with an 3 month long non to little use of the area. I don't feel there is any tears or anything. It's just the surgeon's damage to it in the first place. He never answered me on ANY of this before, I'll never go back to him for anything. But I'd say with the lenght of time now of little use, & my history of over coming loose shoulders........ It will be well over 6 months from now, to feel the shoulder is ever secure. I have to ask my PT, I almost think I have to back off on strenghtening some areas, as being too UN balanced in strenght may do it again? Need to have it more uniform?
 
OK, Rambling. Something I just noticed, as I don't look in the mirror naked often at this age!! :nah: Being an artist (an artist "Eye"). I noticed the first week, my operated on shoulder (I'm skinny), the ball of the top of the arm hung down from the collar bone, I'd say a good 1/2 an inch compared to the other. I said something about it to the surgeon at the 2 week check in. Again he NEVER said a WORD back. Now 3 months out, I noticed it looks about the same height as the other. So there IS one of the reasons for the sling. The dislocating done during the surgery has everything all stretched out, & why I got the ache after out of the sling too long early on. Tells me the long slow PT is to tighten all that mess back up. I know it would be months after I dislocated shoulders (horses, back in my 30s) before they quit "thinking" of slipping out with certain movements. Guess some things can't be rushed, a limit on how fast you can tighten up tendons & ligaments vs Build muscle.
I'm getting a little stronger, but the weakness & nerve problem still comes & goes. Can't build up strength much, if nerve not working right that day. PT has come up with some exercises for working on focusing on that weak back area.
 
It sounds as if your PT is being helpful with what your shoulder needs. That's good.
 
Up Date: OK, finally getting somewhere. It's been about 3 weeks since I got the nerve control over the lower arm rotation out. So been working on building that area up & using it. So been working on the house. Things at tabletop level(like painting lattice, very slow work), put together a big medicine cabinet I had started before surgery, etc. Yesterday I was FINALLY able to lift the arm up above my shoulder level, but only out to the side a bit(back top of arm gets braced against ribcage some). Not straight out in front, still feel weak behind for the fulcum/lever working of the arm & wanting to dislocate out the back. Way too long to have had to wait, to be abe to build that area up, because of the nerve damage. Months behind. I know I wouldn't be here without my PT's hard work. He did some real cranking on rotating the lower arm out, & lots of electric simulation, some time 3 places! & boy, he does some hard massage in places I never KNEW were tight, til he works on them??
 
I know your recovery hasn't been ideal, but I'm so glad you are finally seeing some progress. I wouldn't be surprised if it continues to be slow for awhile - you had issues for such a long time that significant atrophy wouldn't be unusual.

Keep at it and persevere! You've got this!
 
Update: This is more for people who come after me, for timing. Week 16. Wake up stiff, but, I can do just about everything. So working in the yard. A lot of weeding using the TSR LF hand (nerve damage RT hand, for little finger tip control). So doing lots of light weight repetitive reaching out(PT). The motion I didn't have for the first 3 months, so have a lot of catching up to do with those muscles. & I DO feel it at night! Still have to work on the strength in the back, as I don't feel it's solid yet. So I don't lift above my head out in front much yet. Only when doing it with over the door pully back up(PT) work. The PT says I have 160+ angle for reaching straight up. Which he says is good. Can reach behind me, about as much as I could before. Could be looser/easier though, to get to the back of my neck for starting my braid, yet. I still don't have total lower arm rotation out with the lower arm elbow at side(that was the locked up/frozen motion with the joint from the surgeon screw up, PT is still cranking on). I'm down to one PT visit a week now. Mostly for him to still crank on the lower arm & electric sim of the back. I do wonder how long it is before if ever the stiffness disappears, & you start to forget the surgery ever happened. It might be awhile for another up-date. Maybe when I don't feel it at all?
 
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I'm glad you've found some functional work for PT. After all, it's about getting back to normal life, isn't it?

My PT and I joked about my all-weekend PT session. About 8 weeks after rotator cuff surgery, I went to visit my mom and sister for a long weekend. When we get together, we generally end up playing cards morning, noon and night. All of the dealing, playing cards and raking in tricks were the motions we were working on in PT at the time.
 
@HandyWOMAN I've noticed that even several years after my Left shoulder replacement I still can get more ROM from it. It has always been a bit "slower" than the right shoulder probably because I'm right side dominant. And I also think having the shoulders replaced made each arm a bit shorter than it use to be - still can't hook a bra behind my back.

@SaraK I love your life imitating the art of PT story :)
 
SaraK said:
I'm glad you've found some functional work for PT. After all, it's about getting back to normal life, isn't it?
My PT and I joked about my all-weekend PT session. About 8 weeks after rotator cuff surgery, I went to visit my mom and sister for a long weekend. When we get together, we generally end up playing cards morning, noon and night. All of the dealing, playing cards and raking in tricks were the motions we were working on in PT at the time.



@SaraK Yes, it is so much better to be able to do "real life" light weight PT! It is probably better for us. Easy but done for a much longer time. I surely don't do hours of "PT" normally, like I have been with weeding.
Click to expand...
 
"djklaugh,
@HandyWOMAN I've noticed that even several years after my Left shoulder replacement I still can get more ROM from it. It has always been a bit "slower" than the right shoulder probably because I'm right side dominant. And I also think having the shoulders replaced made each arm a bit shorter than it use to be - still can't hook a bra behind my back.

djklaugh. With the nerve damage to the RT arm/hand I haven't been able to do a bra behind my back now for years. Luckly someone told me about hooking it up in front at waist & spinning to back & then climb in, after a horse reared over & flatten me against a car(could barely move). Most front hooking bras, I pop open if I bring my arm forward against "the girls". After TSR surgery I used a front hooking one with like 6=8 hooks. It's for after breast surgery. I figured I couldn't pop all of them at once!! Nice to know ROM will keep on improving. I use my left arm a lot to hold things while say, I hammer with RT(I had to learn to hold the hammer differently to get control of it again), nails, screws, piece of wood, etc.
 
I've been doing my bra up at the front and then moving the fastening round to the back for years now and I expect I'll always do that.

I have been told that, after my reverse shoulder replacement, trying to reach to the bra fastening at my back presents a risk of dislocation, so I shan't even try it. Right now, I couldn't even reach my back hip pocket, but I should be able to do that eventually.
 
I guess it's a good idea not to try the bra in the back at all, for most of us! Odd that even after 3+ yrs, I find myself doing it that way, & have to start over.....

I got the reaching to the back of hip, late. PT didn't want me doing that much, too early. Didn't have me doing anything for it til about 3+ months out.
 
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OK, This will be my last post. As it's been 5 months since the surgery. I had my last PT appointment about 2 weeks ago, after a 2 week break. He was so happy with where I was. "I said, I just NEEDED that nerve for lower arm rotation to work!" I can do just about anything, but the arm is still on the weak side, but don't have that arm pain very much now. I am back to working fairly hard on my place. Which mean about 10=12 hrs a day, now that the days are getting longer! Mostly outside landscaping, before it gets too hot here. Fence work, retaining walls, planting trees, brushes, etc. chain saw soon. Using the heavy metal post pounder does make my arm ache at the end of day, it's the getting it UP & over on the T post that does it! I do have to remember to still some reaching way up PT, to keep that loosened. As it's not a motion I use a lot. Most of the time I don't notice "it" now. In fact last week, it kinda sunk in that it is amazing, that a doctor can cut/tear you apart, cut your bones out, put METAL in you, & it WORKS! I'm the first in my family to have any replacement, & no one close to me has. Thanks for the support here.
 
@HandyWOMAN - I'm glad you're doing so well and hope you'll continue to post on your thread and also encourage others. Otherwise, we'll miss you! Plus, you can provide so much encouragement to others with concerns about nerve damage.
 
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