Shoulder Separation

[axlr8n 161]

So, last week I was on vacation with my family. We took a cruise to the Western Caribbean. The first few days were great and we were having a great time.

On Tuesday, we stopped at Grand Cayman. I tripped and fell directly on my shoulder on asphalt! Lots of pain. I ended up back on the ship getting xrays and found that I have a grade 5 separated shoulder that will require surgery.

Wednesday I flew home from Jamaica and saw an orthopedic surgeon. Surgery is coming up this week, and frankly I can't wait because not only am I fairly useless with just my left hand, but I'm constantly in pain if I try to move my arm.

Anybody have experience with this type of injury / surgery (A.C. Reconstruction)? I'm hearing that I'll be in a sling for 8+ weeks and not back to normal for up to a year.

In the back of my mind, I wonder if losing this much weight so quickly has compromised my soft tissue, or if this type of fall would have resulted in the same injury even before surgery? I'm really grateful that I didn't hit my head... could have been much worse.

[Djmohr 6,965]

@@axlr8n

So sorry to hear about your accident! I just had my AC joint in my left shoulder reconstruction. I had very severe bone on bone arthritis and the week before my surgery I had a nuclear stress test which required me to raise my arms above my head for 2 15 minute sessions. After the first session I could not move my arm back down without help and when we finally got it down, my shoulder separated and the clavicle stuck out about a good inch out of the top of my shoulder. So they fixed that and cleaned up a frayed rotator cuff as well.

For me this surgery was a piece of cake but I have had a lot of spine reconstruction which has to be some of the worst pain.

I had mine done on February 12th. I am still in rehab and of course I have stiffness and swelling anytime I over do it. I can tell although the pain is gone unless try to reach above my head when it is swollen, it is going to be a longer than I thought recovery. The first 4 weeks were the hardest because I couldn't raise my arm to brush my hair let alone straighten it. LOL! Hubby had to do it for me.

For the most part though it really has not been bad.

Hopefully all goes well for you too!

I was allowed out of the sling by week 3.

[Miss Mac 6,261]

In January 2009, I tripped over my own foot and landed hard on my shoulder. It was sore beyond imagination and I could not even swipe my parking garage card at work. When I got to the orthopedist, he said that I had torn 3 of the 4 tendons in my rotator cuff.

I ended up having arthroscopic surgery and was off work for two weeks and in a sling for six weeks. The worst of the pain was over at that point, but it took three months of physical therapy to get some range of motion back and a full year to get all of my range of motion back.

I feel your pain and wish you a rapid recovery.

[Dub 9,922]

Dang.......sorry to hear about your misfortune !!!

I was on vacation in the Western Caribbean last week as well.

I probably should have fallen down a time or two because of the motion of the boat and a bit too much rum.

I hope you heal up well and enjoy a full recovery.

[axlr8n 161]

Thanks everyone! My other question is about pain meds. It seems like I metabolize things really fast since my surgery... doc initially told me to take a pill every 8 hours but I had to talk to her again because they were only working for 2-3 hours. Have you had this experience after RNY? Any pain meds you find work better than others? I don't want to be completely zombied out, but I don't want to be in tons of pain either!

[Djmohr 6,965]

@@axlr8n

Yes and it is terrible when you suffer from chronic pain. I am not even sure of what to advise. I have been on narcotics since November due to severe spine pain that is extremely bad.

They started me out initially on Vicodin 5/325. Then immediately had to move me to the Vicodin 10s. The problem was they would give me about 1 to 2 hours relief and this didn't come close to helping.

When I had my shoulder surgery in feb. they had me start taking morphine long acting and then using Vicodin in between. This definately helped but unfortunately my kidneys do not like all the oral medication so in early March my PCP changed me to a fentanyl patch and then increased it a week later. I get about 1 full day of tolerBle pain before the patch starts wearing down and it takes almost a day for the new patch to get up to full power.

So, we are still playing with the dosage and days but I definitely would not recommend this solution unless you never drive and really don't have to function. It really is strong and causes memory loss for me. I don't like it but honestly have not found a solution that I don't malabsorb besides the fentanyl.

Hopefully we will figure out what the heck is causing such severe pain and do something that might give me longer relief.

[Miss Mac 6,261]

I used to be able to take opiod pain meds pre-op, but just can't handle them now. Because of chronic orthopedic and neuropathic issues, I need to take something to get through the day.

Now, one hydrocodone or oxycodone makes me so sick to my stomach that I am dysfunctional for three days. There is no taking one every six hours as needed.

I have been taking Lyrica for so long that it is as effective as Tic Tacs now - so I dropped it. I went back on it for a little while and gained ten pounds in twelve days, so I stopped it, too.

Right now, I tough it out during the day because I am busy and my mind is occupied, but at night I use Lidocain Patches to ease the pain.

Several years ago I had frozen shoulder. I was given Fentanyl Patches to break the cycle of pain, but I totally lost three days of my life. I have NO idea what was happening or where I was. Fentanyl is 100 (that's one hundred) times stronger than morphine. Proceed with caution.

[ProudGrammy 8,322]

tripped, fell directly on shoulder on asphalt! compromised soft tissue

@@axlr8n

what a way to "enjoy" your vacation!!!

sorry for your aches and pain

never was in your particular situation

but pain is pain

no one enjoys it

we deal with it the best we can

good luck with surgery this week

you will have intensive physical therapy etc

lots of hard work in front of you

total faith in you my friend

you've lost an amazing 138 lbs!!!!

you can do anything you set your mind to!!

one day at a time

take care

sending good wishes your way

huggggggs

kathy

[ProudGrammy 8,322]

ahhhhhh man

sorry all

i made a double post

erased, now in never never land!!

boo on me

kathy

[axlr8n 161]

Well, surgery went well today and I'm on the long road to a full recovery. So far, I've taken one dose of norco and have been icing it every couple hours. Maybe I'm still benefitting from the after-effects of anesthesia, but it actually hurts a lot less than it did before surgery even with the pain meds I was taking. Getting the bones back where they belong must be a good thing, LOL.

[Djmohr 6,965]

@@axlr8n

I did not have a lot of shoulder pain following my surgery either. Especially the first 18 hours post because they put a nerve block in that made my whole arm numb.

I feel more pain in it now when I move it the wrong way than when I had the surgery.

I hope the Vicodin works for you and I am glad to hear everything went well.

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

Man, I'm sorry to hear so many of you have chronic pain issues that require you to take so many pain meds.

Did not know you all were dealing with that kind of challenge.

And yet even with these issues you all have lost SO much weight, which has made your lives so much more enjoyable.

Big, big hubbah to you all. RESPECT!