@SaraK, still having problems reaching out to the side and twisting open thins like door knobs and pulling up on things, they have been doing iontophoresis but it is only helping minimally, guess it will just take time. my range of motion is better then normal except for reaching behind my back, I can put things in my back pocket, but not reach the middle of my back hope you are doing well.
Standard Shoulder Replacement tazzy13's Recovery Thread
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Hey @tazzy13 - good to hear from you. I'm sorry you're still having some issues but there's still more healing to be done! The biggest question (at least to me) is whether you're able to go out and live your life without pain? You can always get a back scratcher (human or otherwise) but being able to get rid of the pain was the biggest driver me me. Never heard of iontophoresis before - what does that do?
I'm doing well. I'm still working from home and now enjoying being an empty nester. I'm not working out as much as before because the only gym I go to is the private one where my trainer is located. I've started doing some lifting in my living room (just with a hex bar) but am chomping at the bit to get the flooring done downstairs so I can my gym set up and lift more often. With not lifting as many days a week, progress and increasing weights is progressing slowly.
Take care!
Sara
I'm doing well. I'm still working from home and now enjoying being an empty nester. I'm not working out as much as before because the only gym I go to is the private one where my trainer is located. I've started doing some lifting in my living room (just with a hex bar) but am chomping at the bit to get the flooring done downstairs so I can my gym set up and lift more often. With not lifting as many days a week, progress and increasing weights is progressing slowly.
Take care!
Sara
@ sarak, Iontophoresis is the process of passing a weak electrical current through the skin on the pad is a medication (steroid base.) suppose to help with pain and swelling , each treatment last about 15 mins. I will have about 12 treatments.As far as the shoulder goes, no real pain there, but the bicep is a problem when I use that arm, so I still use my left more.Take care, stay safe
Sorry I haven't been on in a long time but I was one of the lucky ones that came down with Covid and it is kicking me bad. I ha to postpone my 6 month follow up but hopefully I will be better next month to see the surgeon. My ruptured bicep is still giving me problems but I'm dealing with it the best I can. Have a safe and Healthy holiday..
So sorry you got hit with the virus - piling on just isn't fair! They had released the bicep on me and I do find that's the slowest part for me to get my strength back. Benching is just taking longer to get back to my old self than the other lifts. Take care and please get healthy soon!
@SaraK thanks, the ones that think this covid is just like the flu are so wrong, I've lost a few friends from this and wouldn't wish it on anyone. Just so glad the kids and grandkids didn't come down with it as they spent the day with my husband just before he came down with it.. I told him he didn't have to share. Hope you are well, and Have a safe New Year.
HandyWOMAN
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So sorry to hear you caught COVID. HUGE fear for me, alone, recovering from a TSR, with 4 good sized dogs, had pneumonia 3 times. Doing PT, but may have to drop it soon. It's spiking here like everywhere else.
@Sarak,Well thought I'd give my 6 month update not good news, my replacement is coming out of the socket, will need revision and or a reverse replacement but will have to wait for a while,mostly due to having hd Covid and it affected my breathing some. will just plug on and go back and see her on 8 weeks and go from there.Take care, stay safe.
Oh, @tazzy13 ! I hate to hear that! I had hoped that you were getting some improvement but I guess this tells us why you weren't improving.
I'm glad they've at least identified the problem with the shoulder. Other than pain and difficulty wit range of motion, were you feeling it slip? Was it coming completely out or just part way (subluxing)? I ask, as much as anything else, so that it provides information to others that have a problem after shoulder replacement.
I hope your breathing starts to improve. My sons were lucky and had mild symptoms, but I worry about getting the more severe version or "long COVID." Please get better soon so that you can get the new surgery done.
While the journey is going to be longer than planned, you'll be starting to move forward again once the revision is done. Please keep in contact and let us know how you're doing (even before surgery)!
Sara
I'm glad they've at least identified the problem with the shoulder. Other than pain and difficulty wit range of motion, were you feeling it slip? Was it coming completely out or just part way (subluxing)? I ask, as much as anything else, so that it provides information to others that have a problem after shoulder replacement.
I hope your breathing starts to improve. My sons were lucky and had mild symptoms, but I worry about getting the more severe version or "long COVID." Please get better soon so that you can get the new surgery done.
While the journey is going to be longer than planned, you'll be starting to move forward again once the revision is done. Please keep in contact and let us know how you're doing (even before surgery)!
Sara
HandyWOMAN
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OH, NO! It sure sounds like these TSRs are not like a THR or even TKR. I guess I should be happy with my slow progress. I do know from reading up on how a bone heals when I broke my leg. That new bone growth doesn't even start til around 3 1/2 weeks! I did figure that new growth has to somewhat lock the "new pieces" in place, right? Before stressing too much. I do remember pushing a lot harder on reaching above around week 4. And I got some of that bad deep pain that midnight?, had to take a 1/2 pill. I had that same 6=8 hrs delay in deep pain, went I hit my ankle bone REAL hard with a hammer. Hit at midnight & Nothing at home worked on it. My boss (EMT instructor), said it was a bone bruise. So that kind of scared me, I backed down on my self PT after that.
@SaraK , it has only been subluxing but x-rays shows it hanging off the edge. just like me lately.LOL. it also feels like something is pinching in the front.always feels like my bra strap is digging in, but now wearing straps. lol. Still have the Popeye thing going nd lots of pain when the biceps ingage no fun.She was really upset when she saw the x-rays today and kept apologizing, I kept telling her, not your fault, just happened. I figure I won't have surgery till around April or May sometime. Hope everything is going well for you and you are staying safe.. @HandyWOMAN slow and steady is good, don't rush.I was using a continuous passive motion chair right after surgery, my problem began later when I was reaching up to wash my hair and ruptured my bicep tendon, now mind you I was bent over washing my hair,not reaching straight up. lol
Sometime things just happen. But stay on course go slow, no rush. Stay safe. Best of luck.
Sometime things just happen. But stay on course go slow, no rush. Stay safe. Best of luck.
HandyWOMAN
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How long after surgery were you in the continuous passive motion chair? & then trying to wash your hair? As someone who wants to beable to braid my hair behind my head again.
@HandyWOMAN , I was in the chair right when I came home from the hospital for 6 weeks, then I started therapy.I was bent over washing my hair. so my elbow was at my side, not up in the air take care and continued healing. me I get to wait to have a revision,reverse sometime this spring.
@SaraK , unfortunately I was in he hospital for new years and was sent home on oxygen, 2L 24-7. So for now I am not a candidate for surgery. went to my PCP and she is sending me to pulmonary rehab, once that is done then she will clear me as long as I can keep my oxygen level up. I will stay on oxygen at bed time as it has made a big difference. And the Dr. that did the surgery said it would be best if we wait a bit. The only thing that would push it up would be if it completely dislocates . Hope you are well and staying safe.
That darn COVID strikes again! I hope you feel better soon! I'm glad the oxygen at night is helping - do you need it during the day as well? I would imagine that doing surgery now would not be ideal - so now I'll hope you can hold out a bit before the surgery. Are you using a sling to reduce the risk of dislocation or are they wanting you to move it to avoid it freezing?
I'm staying safe at this point. My sons had mild cases recently but I didn't get it from them (I kept my distance once I found out). I'm in the Janssen trial so I may have gotten a vaccine but don't know since its blinded. Missouri is now permitting the tier of those 65 and older and those younger with health risks to be vaccinated but none of the local vaccination places are gone into that category yet. I have my name on every list. When I finally get an appointment (prob another month or so), I can be unblinded and decide whether to get the other vaccines. If I got the Janssen vaccine, I probably won't get the other unless the results for the Janssen one aren't promising.
I'm staying safe at this point. My sons had mild cases recently but I didn't get it from them (I kept my distance once I found out). I'm in the Janssen trial so I may have gotten a vaccine but don't know since its blinded. Missouri is now permitting the tier of those 65 and older and those younger with health risks to be vaccinated but none of the local vaccination places are gone into that category yet. I have my name on every list. When I finally get an appointment (prob another month or so), I can be unblinded and decide whether to get the other vaccines. If I got the Janssen vaccine, I probably won't get the other unless the results for the Janssen one aren't promising.
@SaraK yes I use the oxygen during the day also, I do try and go without it for at least an hour or 2 a day. No sling, she wants me to keep it moving and try to avoid the positions that makes it feel like its coming out of the socket, I have another month or 2 before I get the vaccine is what my Dr. said, the I can and should get it., Glad to hear you didn't come down with Covid and that your sons had a mild case. My husband is the one that came down with it first, he had a very mild case, I caught it from him, (lucky me).Michigan is also dopng 65 and older, but right now we have a shortage of the vaccine. I'm really not,but am, looking forward to this next surgery, I just hope it's not as bad a tear as she thinks it is and hope she can do a repair, if not then she will do the revision to a reverse.Guess time will tell. I also found out I'm anemic and very low Iron, so I need to build that all back up before I can have surgery. Take care, stay safe.
Tazzy, I'm so sorry to hear of all you've been through and what you're still facing. NOT FAIR!
I had trouble with my biceps muscle as well. One of the tendons was especially weak and an exuberant mammogram technician shoved my arm up on the machine before I could stop her and it tore it...maybe in two. They couldn't tell from the ultrasound because of the metal implant. Doc said he wouldn't repair it; it would just heal. It actually has gotten better pain wise, but it took a year. I can do pretty much everything. It's just not as strong as my other shoulder, especially lifting over my head. I hope your muscles settle on out once you get the revision to a reverse shoulder replacement. Differeint muscles are used to operate your shoulder with a reverse replacement, so you may find things working a lot better.
I had trouble with my biceps muscle as well. One of the tendons was especially weak and an exuberant mammogram technician shoved my arm up on the machine before I could stop her and it tore it...maybe in two. They couldn't tell from the ultrasound because of the metal implant. Doc said he wouldn't repair it; it would just heal. It actually has gotten better pain wise, but it took a year. I can do pretty much everything. It's just not as strong as my other shoulder, especially lifting over my head. I hope your muscles settle on out once you get the revision to a reverse shoulder replacement. Differeint muscles are used to operate your shoulder with a reverse replacement, so you may find things working a lot better.
@Jamie I sure hope so, I just know it is getting worse,instead of getting better, feels like it wants to come out the front of my shoulder, but I'm continuing to do my pulleys to try and keep .
as much of my range of motion as I can. I'm trying to not over or under use it till she can do my surgery. You all take care and stay safe
as much of my range of motion as I can. I'm trying to not over or under use it till she can do my surgery. You all take care and stay safe
I get to go for a ultra sound guided shoulder aspiration on the 25th to make sure there's not an infection in the joint plus blood work, then will follow up with her when the results are in. Unless they get me in sooner that will be the 17th. of March, will update when I find out more. Goodluck and stay safe all.
