Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Rotor cuff surgery ?

Weird how they all have their different ways, eh? Maybe he just figured you're tougher than most?

My first doc told me it's very common injury as we age and put out a hand to stop our fall. I guess, in the non -doctor lingo, scheidt don't stretch as well as when we were younger and tendons and such just tear.

Do the PT religiously. And keep up with it at home even when they give you the OK to stop sessions.

Yeah, he's very perceptive.

Seriously though, they are tighter with opiods these days

Much.

I've got a long time script for a synthetic one, rarely take them as I don't like the effects, but they allow sleep at times. Pounding stakes today has my shoulder really upset tonight. Took a couple of tylenol first. Clinic I had been going to closed when their MD retired a few months back. Run by the hospital up the road in OR. My provider, PA or FNP I can never remember which, moved over to the clinic associated with our hospital/ER/care facility etc. They won't let him prescribe the synthetic ones even. Basically only give them out for end of life or terminal cancer patients now.

I think that first doc gave me a script for 50 oxycodones with instructions to "take as needed for pain".

Jar, I will add my 2 cents. I had the surgery 13 months ago. I estimate that I am about 95% healed at this point. Apparently I am luckier than some of you guys because I did not have a lot of pain. I dumped the pain killers after the first 48 hours. I had fatigue in the shoulder and arm and a serious loss of strength though.

Based on my experience, I can only offer the following:

Tylenol and ice are your friends.
PT is very important. Do everything they tell you. I went 3 times a week for about 6 weeks and I think it helped a lot.
If you have a sofa that reclines, that will help you sleep. A couple of hours of sleep sitting up, then when you need to shift, lay on your good side for and hope for a couple of hours more sleep, then repeat.
13 months later, I can do MOST physical tasks as before, but as Robb10238 said above, "repaired is NOT restored". I tried drawing my bow after I was done with PT. No way. I tried drawing my bow a few months later. No way. But I will keep working on it.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Be very careful - one of my younger brothers had both rotator cuffs repaired, the same year, then fell off a hay trailer before the second was fully healed. He wound up getting a shoulder replacement all at age 55.

Actually My Dr and PT recommended to take pain killers before PT. I was told if you are in pain during PT you will not do the exercise correctly. If you do not do it correctly , you will not get full range of motion or mobility. My Orthopedic Surgeon said this is not a contest to see how much pain you can take, but how to heal correctly. More than one Doctor and PT has told me the same thing.

Interesting about your bow and not being able to draw? Compound? 70 lb draw weight?

I have, and really had, no issues with my 55lb stick bow 6 or so months post surgery. I own the same model in 45lb draw and started with that after LOTS of similar movement with rubber bands and other exercises. I told them folks that was one thing I didn't want to lose.

Keep at it!

AJ300

I was in PT for 6 months before I got the MRI. Don't do that! And yeah, the MRI is one of life's more miserable experiences, especially if one is in pain.

I advise her to get the MRI first, cuz PT ain't gonna help if surgery is needed- waste of time/money, and the sooner one finds out the extent of the problem, the better. Of course the therapist wants the business.....

It's kinda like starting reloading without knowing what or where all your components are!

I also wasn't taking my pain meds as prescribed after surgery (on blown knee, IIRC) and got my ass chewed out. Pain gets in the way of optimum healing they told me.

Use common sense, but not necessarily "tough guy".

The only benefit I received by holding off on my first one, according to my surgeon, was that I probably helped my recovery by having all those muscle groups ready to recover quickly.

When the second one happened, at work, I had to fight with them to get the Workers' Comp process going and I knew what to do. Hearing that sumbitch pop, I knew exactly what happened and it was 3 months of fighting with work until the surgery was accomplished. I already knew what exercised to do to keep that shoulder loose.

Thank you and to the others who have replied to my post.
One of her biggest issues is that her parent's health insurance mandates that she does the PT protocol first before they'll pay for the MRI. Her concern is that once they have the MRI results she'll be benched, possibly until the first of the year. Like teens in general, she doesn't have a grasp of the permanent damage that she can cause to herself if she continues to aggravate her shoulders.
Poor kid got hit in her bicep by a pitch Tuesday. She was in excruciating pain, lost use/feelings in her hand. I asked if she knew what a stinger was, she said no. I told her now you do...

AJ, most insurance is like that nowadays. There's a good chance if she goes to PT and it doesn't get better, the PT person will report that to the doc and they'll do the referral to the MRI.

And the PT person might tell her coach to bench her. Such is life as we old folks know.

Glad she got hit in the arm and not the noggin. Those are really being watched closely now...............and rightly so.

Again, best wishes for the young lady and I hope she gets that shoulder looked at soon.

Regardless of what the MRI indicates, the strengthening exercises will be a benefit. They could help her avoid or at least put off surgery, it worked for me. But if she needs surgery, having strenghthened the muscles that support the joint will help with her re-hab.

Good luck to the young lady.