My Shoulder Surgery

For over a year and a half I've had some issues with my left shoulder. Everyday activities were just fine, but sleeping was painful if I woke up with my arm over my head. There were times if I turned wrong pain would go zinging through my shoulder! I had 3 cortizone shots and they only helped for a short while. Last January I had an MRI done that didn't show much of anything.

I started physical therapy with a new gal and she was AWESOME!! She worked around my ADD and helped me to get my work done. Then I slipped at work and we had to change my focus to my back instead of my arm. When we finished with my back and started looking at my shoulder again, it was worse than before. She decided to send me to an orthopedic surgeon.

I went to this dr, after 3 tries of missed appts (he was gone for 2 and I had to take Brie to college). Finally saw him and after 5 min he determined I needed S.L.A.P. surgery. heh heh heh a lot of people have thought I've needed some slap therapy for a while now. :) It stands for Superior Labrum Anterior to Posterior. Looking it up on WebMd it sounded like EXACTLY what I had!! I actually had no problem with my labrum, but the dr took care of my bone spur and some arthritis.

The day of the surgery, my friend L. K. took me. She was so awesome and wouldn't leave until they wheeled me back. If someone needed a patient advocate, she's IT!!! Unfortunately, she didn't help me much when we both ended up with the giggles when the anesthesiologist came in. She actually had to leave the room. I think it was jitter giggles. I stopped laughing when he told me what he was going to do to give me a nerve block!!!

Surgery was delightful, don't remember a stitch of it except right when they gave me the happy juice and I gave them a thumbs up to let 'em know it was working. I was in outpatient care and they're serious about it being "short" term!! They wheeled me out of there barely conscious! Thank goodness L. K. was back when they were waking me up because I can't remember a thing they said post-op!

From there things went a bit downhill. I ended up cutting off the numbing meds that were going into me that were supposed to last 48 hours. I enjoyed it for only 10! :o{ Found myself in the ER at 4am because I was in so much pain. That experience was a new post all in itself. Let's just say I'd rather have a street urchin work on me than head back into that ER. :) Praising the Lord my friend L. P. went with me. God surrounded me with blessings!!

The following pics are after I went to the ER and they took off the bandages that made me look like a line backer. I have no clue what the writing is, but the surgeon does and that's all that mattered. The bandaids cover the incisions. The dried blood on the side of my shoulder is where the On-Q pump was attached to deliver the numbing medication. Hmmm it looks worse than where the actualy arthroscopic surgeries took place! After I washed it off, all that was left was a tiny hole where the line was inserted. I have to continue to keep the entire are covered while I take a shower so after my post-op appt tomorrow I'll find out when I can clean all of it! No, the coloring isn't my skin, it must've been from the iodine or something.

The one positive thing I can say about my trip to the ER is they took the pump out of me, gave me a muscle relaxer and I've felt "better" since then!! I'll be missing work tomorrow because I'm still not ready to be walking around for 6 hours. After I take my pain meds, I'm out of it for a couple of hours. Have I mentioned I'm not fond of medications?

I praise God that the pain has been cut to more than half of what it was when the numbing meds wore off. Tomorrow I go to my first post op physical therapy and I know I won't be a happy camper. Please pray for complete healing!