I have a 75% tear of my rotator cuff that I am having repaired arthroscopically next month. I am looking for any suggestions from folks who have survived shoulder injuries on pain management, sleep techniques, icing options, etc. Dos and Don'ts of recovery would be great, too. Thanks! Danielle
msgrupp listed a lot of the things I was going to say. My husband (the USMS webmaster) had surgery about a year ago, and we know a couple of other people who have had it since then.
The recliner is a big one - if you don't have one, see if you can borrow one for a couple of weeks. Jim slept in the recliner exclusively for at least the first week. He said it hurt way too much to try to lie down in bed. The first few days he also spent a lot of time sitting in the recliner during the day, in front of the TV. He got lucky in that regard - it was during the Summer Olympics so he watched that all day long. Much better than normal daytime TV.
We bought an ice bag from Walgreens. If they have different sizes, get the larger one.
The day after his surgery, a nurse and a physical therapist showed up at our house. The physical therapist showed us how to put a t-shirt on him without raising his arm. The shirts need to be big. (We dug out some old XL-sized swim meet t-shirts and that's what he wore every day.)
I am sure that he would be happy to speak with you if you have more questions. Send me an email or give me a call.
Anna Lea Matysek
USMS Membership Director
941-556-6279
Membership@usms.org
msgrupp listed a lot of the things I was going to say. My husband (the USMS webmaster) had surgery about a year ago, and we know a couple of other people who have had it since then.
The recliner is a big one - if you don't have one, see if you can borrow one for a couple of weeks. Jim slept in the recliner exclusively for at least the first week. He said it hurt way too much to try to lie down in bed. The first few days he also spent a lot of time sitting in the recliner during the day, in front of the TV. He got lucky in that regard - it was during the Summer Olympics so he watched that all day long. Much better than normal daytime TV.
We bought an ice bag from Walgreens. If they have different sizes, get the larger one.
The day after his surgery, a nurse and a physical therapist showed up at our house. The physical therapist showed us how to put a t-shirt on him without raising his arm. The shirts need to be big. (We dug out some old XL-sized swim meet t-shirts and that's what he wore every day.)
I am sure that he would be happy to speak with you if you have more questions. Send me an email or give me a call.
Anna Lea Matysek
USMS Membership Director
941-556-6279
Membership@usms.org
