Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Rotator cuff surgery

Def get the ice machine if offered. I lived in mine for most of 1st couple weeks. Nerve block was also very helpful in keeping the pain level down. I took pain killers for 2 days and that was it. Do exactly what your doc says and do the PT.

I just had this done on my right shoulder and reattached the bicept on same arm 4 weeks ago. getting along just fine now but BOY , that first week SUCKED ! what ever you do , do what the therapist tells you to do . I am not sure a person can do it at home without strict disipline . due to the therapist pushing you beyond your point of pain and natural resistance . there are alot of conditions to meet to get back to some kind of normal. I have to get back to normal to be able to work with both hands so , it is important to me to do the therapy . good luck and be ready to sleep in the recliner for awhile .

Have had both shoulders operated on. Right one was done one month before Pa. deer season. Hunted that one with the Redhawk in the left hand. Biggest concern was slipping and grabbing a tree with the right side so wore the sling and swath in the woods to keep arm immobilized. Recovery takes time and work, no way around it.

Dale

I have had the surgery 3 times. Left shoulder twice and right shoulder once. If you need the surgery then get it done. My advice is do the physical therapy. It will help you gain your strength and flexibility back. The first week or two is pretty rough, but it gets better. Good luck.

Never learned to change up? Sheesh!

Thanks everyone for the advice, I'll keep it in mind.

Dale, are you left handed? I'm hoping to at least hunt gun season but I don't think theres any way I could shoot left handed with a pistol lol. I'm going to miss a whole month, maybe month and a half of walleye fishing. Not looking forward to that at all.

there is an over the shoulder cold pack that will be your best friend after the surgery.

I put off the surgery too long. Finally had it done. Rotator torn in two places, biceps tendon torn. Fixed the tears and cut and reattached the biceps tendon. As others say, first few weeks are not fun. But it gets better and even though rehab is a little tough and inconvenient, DO IT! It makes a huge difference if you stick with the rehab plan and do not overdo it. You will have use of the shoulder after about 4 months but longer for some things. After 6-8 months things work pretty well in my experience. I am a year out and shoulder is back to normal. Feels great and I never regret the few weeks of agony and little sleep after the surgery,

What's your quality of life? Cuz it really comes down to that.
The shot's the PT, is all the Milking stool setting you up for the big payday. Surgery.

You'll never throw a ball again, play with a dog or Grand kids If WC is picking it up, the expense issue is out of the picture, but the body is an amazing thing. You will adapt and over come if your not in great pain. You will adapt.
You may want to just embrace this as the "new normal" and live your life. No surgery.

If not? Schedule for cold weather. You don't want to be in an immobilizer in the Summer, learn to wipe you ass with the other hand [you laugh, try it] months of recovery, and PT only to be told there could be more in your future, for minimal improvement

I think Ozzie Smith, Hall of fame shortstop had the surgery, and keep playing baseball.

No, I'm right handed. I have shot some in the past with my left hand so it wasn't totally new to me. I practiced several times from the bench at the range and was keeping everything on a paper plate at 50 yds. Most of most of my hunting consisted of sitting on a hillside watching the flat below me. I bought one of those MTM shooting rests that looks like a cane with a pointy end. If I did do some wandering around, I always stopped somewhere that I had a tree limb or other suitable rest available.

Realistically, the chances of getting something were slim but I was hunting.

Dale

Best of luck to you.

Having had both done, with full thickness tears and bicep tendon detachments, I can tell you they're real fun.

I get to go have the right one looked at this coming week for bone issues impinging on the cuff now, 1o years or so after the surgery. Hoping whatever they decide to do doesn't affect any hunts I might get lucky and draw. Have a bunch of points in AZ toward a sheep tag and was going to put in for that until I had the MRI done ( a year after I first tried to get it done) and found out what's going on. Fuggers try to delay and delay hoping I Might die I think.

Three repairs to the right and two left... now they make a lot of noise but no pain...

Get it fixed.

If you use the ice machine, here’s a tip. Get a half dozen of the little round plastic, “Ziplock” containers with screw on tops that are used for leftovers. They’re about 4” in diameter. Just pop the ice out in one piece and use warm water if they stick.

Fill them about 3/4 full and freeze them. When half of them are in the ice container, the others are refreezing. As big round ice blocks, they will last longer than using ice cubes or crushed ice. The ice container with the pump will hold three or four of bigger blocks and plenty of water to keep the shoulder wrap full of cold water.

I figured out how to manage the ice after my wife’s rotator cuff surgery years ago and told the surgeon about it in one of her post surgery appointments. Sometimes the docs listen and when she had her hip replacement in November, that technique with the ice was included in the pamphlet the nurses gave out. 😊

Have you ever fallen from standing into a pushup position, catching yourself with your hands? It looks cool but it's a darn good way to tear a shoulder apart. I have a friend who's a retired Army Ranger. He's had both shoulders operated on because of stuff like that.
2 years ago, I tripped in the yard and partially caught myself on 1 hand. I didn't even go all the way down but I torn a tendon in my left shoulder. After they reattach the tendon, it takes at least 6 weeks for the body's 'glue' to grow the tendon to the bone. It won't have full strength for many months after that. It's been 18 months since my surgery and it still gives me pain, especially at night. Mine was just 1 torn tendon. My friend's surgeries were both total reconstructions.

The recovery and PT for my shoulder sucked worse than my achilles tear.
I ended up with decreased movement and lost dexterity in my hand which screwed up my guitar playing.

LOL Dale, Ya I don't think I could hit anything with my left hand.

Mine was pretty good till now. Scooted out of my truck one morning with coffee in my right had and went down HARD bracing myself with the left. That did it for me. now I'm having to get it fixed.