Friday, December 11, 2015

One Month Post-Surgery

Happy December!!  Just a quick update to let you all know I'm doing well after having shoulder surgery on November 12th.

Just a reminder, I first injured my shoulder while running on a dirt trail in July 2012. I tripped over something (tree root, rock...not sure) and landed on my shoulder and dislocated it. Since then, I've dislocated about 15 times.

The surgery went well. The doctor just needed to tighten up the capsule surrounding the shoulder joint. Nothing was torn. It also has nothing to do with my rotator cuff, which is a common question I get.

I was expecting the worst going into surgery. And then I expected it to be even worse than that. It's the way my medical stuff has been going this year. Pain and more pain. So I was very relieved that it actually wasn't as bad as I thought. Sure, I was on my pain meds, but it was still better than I thought. I'm no longer taking pain meds and haven't for a couple weeks. I was in a sling until this past Monday (so 3 1/2 weeks) but was able to take it off as of Monday. I am working on range of motion and a bit of strength (no weights). I have 2 exercises right now and have been doing them 3 times a day every day since I could start doing them. This week after seeing the doctor, I realized I can push it a bit more than I have been so I've really been getting my arm up there, pushing past a small amount of pain and tightness. It's ok, I can do that. It's allowed. :)  But only on the 2 movements.

Today has been a slight milestone. I'm pretty proud of myself. These things might seem little to you but they are huge to me! I was able to "kind of" straighten the front of my hair today for the first time since surgery. I've been a complete mess this past month! I can't even brush my hair with my right arm. I've also moved the mouse back over to my right side at work instead of using my left. I've also been eating today with my right arm. These are all things I have not been able to do for 1 month. I'm not doing them perfectly. But I'm doing them.

Sleeping in a recliner is still happening and that's depressing. I've tried sleeping in the bed a few times but it's so uncomfortable, I end up moving to the chair at some point. I can't wait to sleep comfortably in the bed.  But I can fully dress myself now, which I wasn't able to do before.

Anyway, it's the little things, right? I've gotten in some milestones. I've been starting to (sometimes) feel a bit more normal. It's going to be several months before things really feel better. But I'm happy with where I am after 1 month. I've had some wonderful support helping me through it all!

Have a great holiday if I don't get back here before then!

4 comments:

  1. Glad to hear that the surgery went well and that you are on the mend (albeit slowly)! Hopefully you'll be out of the recliner soon! Happy holidays!

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    1. Thank you Pete! Have a good holiday season!

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  2. Thanks for the update, Amanda! I am glad you are making progress and hitting some milestones. It's just going to keep getting easier from here on out. Isn't it awesome to be able to use your right arm again for some of these everyday actions??? Please keep us all posted on how your recovery is going!

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    1. Yes I am definitely happy to be able to do some "normal" things with my arm. Still a bit stiff but it's getting there!! Merry Christmas Emily!

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