Rotator Cuff Surgery Recovery: Weeks 11-12

This is the last post about the shoulder surgery.  Last week, Thursday, the doctor said I only had to wear my arm restraint for one more week, so, I haven't worn it since.  :)  Once freedom is so near, you just have to grab for it!  Friday, for the first time, the PT has me trying to lift my arm over my head, push my hand up a wall, and use a pulley system to stretch my shoulder myself.  All very weird feeling after 11 weeks of being told, "No, no, no."  Now all of a sudden it's, "Yes, yes, yes!"  It was a weird mental transfer for me.  But once I got it, it was all "go, go, go." 

Here is a negative of my shoulder I finally got.  It's not very clear, but you can see a few of the screws.  The screws were used to re-attach my tendons to the bones.  There wasn't much of the "labrum" left so he might have used a screw with a tie on the end to try to hold that together, too.  You can see the metal plate and the screws in my neck in this shot, too, a little.  Just call me "Frankenmissi.  :)

I have a picture of one of the MRIs too, from before the surgery, but I really can't tell a thing from it.  I guess that's why you have to be trained to read those things.  Well, here it is anyway.  It looks even more creepy than the one with the screws.

So my mental attitude is much improved with the doctor's release to start doing some more aggressive strength building and stretching...  They know that I shoot archery, so they are devising some fun exercises to get me back with my bow lickity-split.  I went to the gym both Saturday morning and today.  I'm going to have to work on getting there during the week, too, the days I don't have PT, until Christmas break. 

So, what has changed this past week?  I can touch my eyebrows now (still have to wash my hair with my left hand).  I put the hanger on the rack with my right hand this morning (woo-hoo).  Since I cast off the arm restraint, I can put both my arms in my jacket, thank goodness, now that it's down to 10 degrees Centigrade this weekend.  I'm eating about half the time with my right hand now.  Still can't really reach behind my back with the right arm yet.

The doctor said it might be six months to a year before my shoulder actually feels "normal" again.  That's okay, though.  Just being out of that arm thing is such a relief.

Well, I hope someone can benefit from these comments about shoulder surgery in the future.  I hear that a lot of people have to go back and have the other shoulder done.  I hope that is not the case with me.  I don't want to do this again.  It is just too weird!  That's about the best word to describe what it feels like now.  There is virtually no pain anymore, although sleeping is still an issue.  I did sleep in my own bed the past two nights.  Waking up and tossing and turning a lot.  Anyway, I think I'm done with the recliner.  I just don't want to go down to the den anymore.  Especially now that it's turned so cold.  I feel guilty heating the extra room at night.  :)

What I'm going to try to do is keep doing these exercises they have given me to strengthen both my shoulders, to ward off any other shoulder issues.  Archery, here we come.