Went back for my second 4-week check with the Doc and he evidently didn't like my progress so far. He's says I'm close to having a frozen shoulder. I've been going to PT twice a week and doing isometrics and using the range of motion pulley at home. The therapist has really put some moves on me too to stretch the shoulder.
Doc wants me to undergo something called "Manipulation Under Anesthesia". They put you under general anesthesia, then give a numbing shot in the shoulder, next they move you arm around it's complete range of motion to break up any adhesions (scar tissue). They do it this way so they don't have to hear you yelling bloody murder and you don't get to experience pain of what they're doing.
I'm having it done Monday and should be back at work on Tuesday (although I still can't lift anything). The up side is that if it's successful it should accelerate my recovery and put me ahead on the PT.
This has been a right big frustration for me. I'm a guy that fixes and builds things. When I see something broke I've gotta try to fix it. I do all the routine maintenance on our cars, the lawnmower, eh, you get the picture.
I just hope this thing and a few weeks of therapy will get me back in shape before I go friggin bonkers.
Quote from: Trekgeezer on April 27, 2009, 01:55:38 PMThe up side is that if it's successful it should accelerate my recovery and put me ahead on the PT.
That it should. I had a frozen shoulder and the improvement was dramatic once it was freed up. Good luck with the procedure, and keep at that PT!
Well, at least it sounds like they have a promising therapy to help your recovery, and not being conscious or able to feel that sounds like a very good thing. I'm pretty sure you would scream bloody murder! Ripping out scar tissue inside your shoulder has got to be painful as all get out.
Wow, PT under general anesthesia? It's like someone comes in and gives you a work out while you're napping! We should all be so lucky.
Seriously, get better quickly, my friend. Even though you're a Star Trek fan and I'm a Star Wars fan, I wish you no harm. :wink:
Good luck,and I hope you start to fell better. :thumbup:
Good luck Trek, I hope this procedure speeds up your recovery.
Oh, I also found out that after this procedure I have to do PT for 5 days straight (really only about an hour a day). Then three more weeks PT at three days a week.
Good thing I like the therapist. He was an army (probably National Guard) medic in Iraq and he's a sports trainer also.
Good luck! I wish you the best. But by the way, what did you do with your shoulder?
That is one procedure I have never done, and have never seen, but wow! What an awesome procedure that would be to see.
Or, more specifically, to hear. :teddyr:
Quote from: Cthulhu on April 28, 2009, 10:45:07 AM
Good luck! I wish you the best. But by the way, what did you do with your shoulder?
It just started hurting all the time and kept getting worse until the arm was almost useless. Found out later I had a large hook like bone spur right above my rotator cuff .
Quote from: Zapranoth on April 28, 2009, 01:23:53 PM
That is one procedure I have never done, and have never seen, but wow! What an awesome procedure that would be to see.
Or, more specifically, to hear. :teddyr:
Here it is Zap, apparently they can do this for back problems too. By the way thanks for all the good wishes everyone, you guys are the best!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLpYrqMDzSw
Hey man.... how did it go?
-Ed
Once they put me out it took about 20 minutes (the nurse did say prior to Doc arriving that her least favorite part was all the popping and cracking that takes place during the procedure). The most traumatic part for me is always the IV, I almost always end up bruised from the poking around trying to get it in. My veins have a mind of their own.
After I sobered up enough to walk they took me to physical therapy to get bent and twisted some more.
I have therapy everyday this week and three times a week for the next three weeks. My therapist greeted me on Tuesday by saying "Welcome to your first real day of rehab." He really worked me out with goal being to keep my shoulder from stiffening up again. He says I have a lot of muscles that need retraining.
It's a lot of work, but I intend to get it done and get back to normal, 'cause I'm really tired of this s**t. ♦