I hope you can still find me. I changed the name of my blog. Well, I really just added the word Reverse. As I said before, when I began the blog I did not know that I would be having the reverse Total Shoulder Replacement procedure. Dr. Kai briefly referred to the different procedures and said we would discuss his recommendations after I had a cat scan. I asked him to make a guess and he said probably the reverse.
I didn't know enough to be worried or to appreciate the serious nature of the surgery. By the next appointment Dr. Google and I had been "talking" a lot and I was full of the appropriate questions. Dr. Kai was reserved in his enthusiasm for the operation. He would not make a very good car salesman! He down played the possible positive outcome of the surgery, tried to lower my ( and maybe his) expectations. He suggested my arm might not look quite the same, might even turn out a little longer. I already have long arms and it made me wonder if I would look like an orangutan post op. He suggested a successful surgery might allow me to put a dish away on a low shelf in an upper cupboard but would not give me anywhere near the range of my left arm. He hoped it would offer some pain relief.
Well, in spite of my recent whining about sore muscles, I am getting along great! My range of motion is much greater than my therapist or I expected. At first, in order to elevate my arm, my right shoulder hitched up towards my ear. I had to concentrate pretty hard to keep it relaxed and down. It helped to do my exercises in front of a mirror. I think I have it under control now.
After more than a year of being a leftie, I now have to remind myself to let my right arm do it. I am able to sit and stay seated at my sewing machine...still adapting bras with front closures. Before I had to stand up to thread the machine or turn the flywheel to start sewing. I can turn the car's steering wheel in the usual hand over hand circle which makes turning easier, faster and eliminates a lot of horn honking by impatient drivers behind me. Yes, the muscles are sore and there remains a certain stiffness to many motions but things are so much better! And getting better daily.
There are a few things I can't do yet. I throw like a girl and I don't mean Mone' Davis! I open my kitchen door and toss bread crusts out for the squirrels. My brain expects them to land four feet out onto the patio. My arm propels them twelve inches from the door onto the step where no intelligent squirrel will come. There is definitely a communication gap twixt brain and arm. There is something about the shake motion that I just can't master yet. Whether it's the salt shaker or the kitchen rug, a King size sheet or a bottle of hot sauce, there's not a "whole lot of shaking going on." That motion just hurts. And I cannot pull with much force yet. A wet bath towel stuck to the wall of the washing machine turns into a real tug of war. I definitely need more strength building exercise.
But at three months post op I think I am doing quite well. If full recovery is twelve months I can't imagine how much progress I will have made. My arm looks perfectly normal, it's the same length (yes, I measured it pre and post surgery) and I'll solve that shake'n problem before long.
Maybe I just need a little inspiration:
http://youtu.be/Nh8-cclgGgw
No comments:
Post a Comment