10 years ago, I could not lift my right elbow above my belt. Cortisone shots and PT to no avail.
MRI showed one fully torn tendon in the shoulder. Orthopedic surgeon repaired it almost as good as before the injury, but nothing on a 63 year old body works like it did when it was 40 years old.
In my case, either the shoulder block failed, or the anesthesiologist did not administer it. I awakened post op to the most intense pain I have ever experienced. Worse than gall bladder attack with gangrene by an order of magnitude, worse than broken bones, worse than teeth knocked out of the jaw intact, worse than H Pylori.
Post op they administered morphine and demoral, they gave me a valium, and some other pill which I fail to remember. Doc said they had me maxed out, and could not give me anything more. I sat and rocked and panted for about four hours.
It came time to close the Surgery Center for the day and I was able to walk out to the car. Momma drove me home but stopped at the pharmacy to fill a percocet and a vicoden Rx.
Even with the percocet, I was unable to lie down for 72 hours. I sat in a recliner sleepless for those three days. Then the pain broke like turning off a light. I layed down on my bed, and woke up twenty hours later.
I flushed the percocets, and also the unopened bottle of vicoden down the toilet and sent Momma to town for a dozen bran muffins, all of which I consumed before getting traffic flowing again.
Two weeks post op, I walked into the surgeon's office sans sling, but carefully carrying the arm against my naval. Surgeon agreed, the shoulder would not allow me to do anything which would hurt it, barring accidents.
14 weeks post op to get the Doc to sign a full release so I could go back to work. 18 months post op before I could throw a ball overhand, and not very fast at that. Six months post op to handle recoil of the 260 Rem, over a year before I dared to shoot the 7mm STW.
PT was a chore, sure it hurt, but not excessively painful. No pain meds needed for PT, but I was using NSAIDs for arthritis.
I am very, very envious of those who say their shoulder surgery was relatively painless.
