Rotator cuff 10 week update

[Billmanweh]

I started having terrible neck pain in November. Not able to sleep, just kept getting worse no matter what I tried. My RA Dr sent me to PT for my neck, and in the first visit the therapist tore my rotator cuff. Three of the tendons torn, bicep tendon torn, the whole deal.

In getting a MRI on my neck and shoulder, they found a life and death issue with my neck. So, I had bone shaved off and C2-T1 fused. I had to wait another 8 weeks to do the shoulder. Shoulder surgery was in March.

I had some pain the first week or so, but slept in my bed the first night. Started PT after 3 weeks and it's been pretty steady progress since then. Of course, I'm still rehabbing my neck as well.

I haven't shot a rifle yet, but I think I'm going to try it next week.

 

[Rob01]

Ok, here is my day five update.

1. The ice machine died today, replacement will take three days from amazon.’
2. Wife is had enough, she is wore out from no sleep.
3. Talk about not getting any bowel movement, let me tell you its going to kick your ass.
4. Sleeping in a chair will if not kick your ass. Man this is the worst pain because your ass is there 24 hours a day.
5. Pain in the shoulder is getting easier each day. But the sling on the neck is killing me. Why do they not fix this or design it for more comfort?
6. Sleep is 2 hours at best in a chair, so day five I am super tired. I should be able to hit the bed in a few days.
7. Thinking about shooting, but that is 6 months out so just watch crappy TV in the meantime.
8. Forget about loosing weight, hard to set around and watch crap on TV and not eat.
9. 5 more weeks of the sling yea, I am ready to just loose it right Now.

And that is why I am not getting mine done until it needs to be done. Good luck going forward and hope it heals faster than expected.

 

[D Coots]

just rub some dirt on it

Tore mine up first time 45 years ago at work. Second time in a motorcycle wreck 24 years ago. Played raquetball for 38 years. If I don't have pain somewhere, I'm probably dead.

Went in last week to have shoulder checked for the first time after trouble sleeping well for a few years. Bone on bone, basically tore up, all junk. Full shoulder replacement in January. Will be 6 weeks immobilized. Ready to shoot come spring. There's a lot of worse things to have.....

Later

Dave

 

[L.Sherm]

I strongly encourage anybody who is having shoulder, knee problems to do your research on stem cell injections after 4 shoulder surgeries on both shoulders and facing a replacement on my left one I had stem cell treatment 4.5 months ago and doing fantastic. Its a Hell of alot cheaper and way more pain free and intrusive than surgery. Caution though not all stem cell treatment or the stem cells are the same, you have to open your mind which held me back for about 3 years know I regret it, do your own research and realize there is another way than just going under the knife.

 

[Mastershot]

Today is week three rotator cuff post surgery anybody out there have any advice can’t wait to get the stupid sling off long road ahead of me right now. How are you guys doing with your post surgery?

 

[Dkk37058]

My advice is do exactly what the physical therapist says grit your teeth wipe the tears and do the therapy. Take a pain pill about 45 minutes before therapy to take the edge off the pain and do it. I’ve had both mine done it’s been about 20 years since the first one and about 10 years since the last one and doing fine so far. It’s a rough recovery after about 2 weeks I ask mt therapist if I was ever going to get better after the first one she said yes but i was wondering if it would but it did
It takes time good luck

 

[Just Dave]

Today is week three rotator cuff post surgery anybody out there have any advice can’t wait to get the stupid sling off long road ahead of me right now. How are you guys doing with your post surgery?

Two weeks to the day. I'm sitting at local tavern lubricating the internals, waiting for a pizza. . The sling does suck, when I'm not out in public I wrap a towel under it to relieve the direct pressure. Physical terrorist said I'm probably healing faster than most,

 

[Rick in Oregon]

I'll be due for RC surgery soon. Can those who've been through the ordeal give me a general idea of the recovery time involved till one is close to back to normal?

I've endured 30 surgeries over my lifetime, so I'm not a rookie to these invasions and know this one is not one to look forward to (not that any of them are).

Encouragement welcome.

 

[rjtfroggy]

All of the X Rays and MRI are done, I find out Monday if I am going for the surgery or not.
Physical therapist thinks there is more going on than just a rotator tear, possible tear to the bicep tendons or muscle.
Therapy did not help at all, maybe made it worse. Pain level today same as it was 3 days after I injured it. What a way to spend this beautiful summer.

 

[Dkk37058]

6 to 8 weeks is the norm for rotator cup tear
Could be longer depending on how much work they have to do I don’t know about RC surgery though

 

[Tangent]

Now I'm curious to know how you've all wrecked your shoulders? Manual jobs? Old age? Throwing too many javelins? I can then try and avoid the cause, except old age, I'm quite happy with that one!

 

[FNSafari]

My left one was hitting an icy stair with my hand locked to the rail. The bod went forward and stretched my arm and shoulder resulting in two tears. The right one last Dec. was while doing pushups...to stay in shape. Just gave out I guess.

 

[Dkk37058]

First one had a tree fall down on the farm cutting it up and pulling limbs from it also pulled a mussel they had to reattach
Second one putting up a basketball goal for grandson it started falling and I was trying to hold it so it wouldn’t mess it up.
Growing up on a farm and 30 years of construction didn’t help ether

 

[Mastershot]

Two weeks to the day. I'm sitting at local tavern lubricating the internals, waiting for a pizza. . The sling does suck, when I'm not out in public I wrap a towel under it to relieve the direct pressure. Physical terrorist said I'm probably healing faster than most,

5 weeks now to the day, I am doing good. Love it when the PT moves my arm around. Feels so good just having it moved around. 1 more week to go before I loose the sling they say.

 

[Mastershot]

Now I'm curious to know how you've all wrecked your shoulders? Manual jobs? Old age? Throwing too many javelins? I can then try and avoid the cause, except old age, I'm quite happy with that one!

Bike accident and then falling on it 6 months later did mine in.

 

[Dave M.]

First, OP I'm sorry to hear about your situation (and all the others). My GP says I have torn rotator cuff in both shoulders, but mild (if that's a thing). Can't sleep unless I tuck my arms under like I'm a T-rex and if they wander out in the middle of the night I wake up in pretty good pain. Can't lift hands above my shoulder height without wincing. This is one of the main reasons I've worked really hard this past year to lighten my gear across the board as well as moving back to my AutoDrive Dillon last year which seems to have helped becuase I'm not puling a handle over 18,000 times a year. My GP is recommending home therapy exercises from a sheet printed out which I honestly haven't been great about doing so that's on me, but the act of shooting isn't hurting me at this point either. I've really put off going further into any kind of surgery mainly because I have two friends who swore they'd never do the second shoulder after doing the first and I have about the bottom level private medical so I can't even imagine my out of pocket.

I did a C5/6 replacement several years ago and still not convinced it was for the best now. So this stuff scares me.

Man sounds like we have the same issues John…to see if we are truly brothers, I’d ask you how many ex-wives you have……just kidding though.

 

[Rsadams]

As stated getting it fixed is really the only solution.... It sucks to be in pain constantly.... I tore mine decades ago.... Never got it fixed per say.... physical therapy helped a ton.... In my opinion recoil pads are not created equal and you have to find what helps the best.... I finally went to a muzzle break and it helped a lot also...

 

[2000yd]

i"ve had both repaired even a complete tear off takes time i"m 73 still shoot my big 30's and 338's have shot in the low teens in short range too dont give up

 

[2000yd]

ps hurts more sleeping or working at a desk than shooting therapy is your friend dont give up

 

[FNSafari]

As stated getting it fixed is really the only solution.... It sucks to be in pain constantly.... I tore mine decades ago.... Never got it fixed per say.... physical therapy helped a ton.... In my opinion recoil pads are not created equal and you have to find what helps the best.... I finally went to a muzzle break and it helped a lot also...

If you stock LOP allows, put a Protector brick style sandbag behind the stock butt and your shoulder.