Here’s a quick explanation on why I appear in a sling in the picture below. Several years ago (in college) I began having problems with my shoulder – specifically, it had a proclivity to slide out of joint (partially) and quickly back in. It hurt. Over time that gradually became less common. In the last year, however, my shoulder began having different problems – mainly related to pain, decrease in my range of motion, etc. It got to where the pain was nearly constant and I couldn’t really lay down on my right side. So after consulting a couple orthopedists, we decided to have surgery. The stretching and tearing had taken quite a toll on the joint.
On June 8 I had an arthroscopic procedure where the doctor cleaned out a bunch of scar tissue (torn ligaments and cartilige) and bone spurs, and then tightened up the joints. They had to install a couple anchors (they look like caribbeaners in the pictures…. which I decided NOT to post!) to help hold the joint together. It will never be 100%, but this should improve it a lot and also eliminate most of the pain.
The surgery went well enough. Shoulder surgery is, they say, more painful then surgery on other joints. I wouldn’t know… but I believe them. I was popping a couple Viacadins every 4 hours along with a bunch of ibuprofin. The sling has been my companion for nearly a month now, though I can now take it off around the house (except for sleeping). I have worn nothing but button-down shirts for a month now (can’t get Tshirts on) and am not supposed to drive yet, so Keri has to cart me around everywhere. Hopefully some of this will change when I see the doc on Wednesday. I’m doing physical therapy, which consists only in light stretching and a couple isometrics for now.
So that’s the scoop on the gimpy picture.