Shoulder Replacement Surgery by Dorothy Waterman

MY SHOULDER SAGA

ON VALENTINES DAY I GOT A NEW SHOULDER.  FOR 3 YEARS AFTER I DISLOCATED IT I TRIED EVERYTHING I COULD TO AVOID SURGERY.  I WENT TO SEVERAL PHYSICAL THERAPISTS AND DID THE EXERCISES THEY PRESCRIBED.  I GOT ACUPUNCTURE TREATMENTS, MASSAGE THERAPY, MYOFASCIAL RELEASE, CUPPING AND CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENTS.  ONE DOCTOR GAVE ME HYALURONIC ACID INJECTIONS.   

I FINALLY GAVE UP AND DECIDED DR. JOHN ITAMURA COULD HELP ME. HE CAME HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FROM SEVERAL PEOPLE I RESPECT, INCLUDING MY CLIENT, MY DOCTOR AND MY PHYSICAL THERAPIST.

THE NAME OF MY PROCEDURE IS TOTAL REVERSE SHOULDER REPLACEMENT ARTHOPLASTY. DUE TO EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO MY ROTATOR CUFF MUSCLES, THIS WAS THE BEST CHOICE FOR ME.

I HAD MY SURGERY AT WHITE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL.  Two VERY HANDSOME ANESTHESIOLOGISTS CAREFULLY GAVE MY RIGHT ARM A NERVE BLOCK, ANDTHEN OFF WE WENT TO SURGERY.   THE PROCEDURE TOOK 1 HOUR AND 30 MINUTES. WHEN I WOKE UP MY ARM WAS IN A ROBO-COP SLING! I HAD A DRAIN ATTACHED TO IT AND FELT NO PAIN, JUST TIRED. 

AFTER GETTING TO MY PRIVATE ROOM, MY OXYGEN LEVEL, BLOOD PRESSURE AND PULSE WERE ALL BEING MONITORED, JUST LIKE YOU SEE ON TV SHOWS WITH THE PATIENT HOOKED UP TO ALL THOSE MACHINES.

THE GENERAL ANESTHETIC MADE ME DROWSY AND MY OXYGEN LEVELS GOT SO LOW THE ALARM WENT OFF A LOT. IT WAS HARD FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND WHY I HAD LOW OXYGEN WHEN I HAD JUST TAUGHT 2 AEROBICS CLASSES THE DAY BEFORE.

THE NURSING STAFF WAS VERY KIND AND HELPFUL WHENEVER I CALLED FOR THEM.  A FEW OF MY FRIENDS CAME TO VISIT ME THE DAY AFTER SURGERY. OF COURSE MY WONDERFUL HUSBAND HELPED WITH EVERYTHING HE COULD.

WHILE RECUPERATING IN THE HOSPITAL, I HAD TO HAVE CALF MASSAGERS ON MY LEGS CONSTANTLYTO PREVENT BLOOD CLOTS. AN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST GAVE ME A SERIES OF HAND EXERCISES TO DO TO PREVENT TOTAL ATROPHY TO MY RIGHT ARM MUSCLES. 

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I HAD NO APPETITE!  I COULD NOT CLEAN MY PLATE!  THE FOOD SERVED TO ME WAS ACTUALLY QUITE GOOD AND NOURISHING!  SALMON AND SALAD AND GREEN BEANS!  I LOST A FEW POUNDS IN THOSE FEW DAYS. I AMOK WITH THAT, TOO.

GETTING HOME WAS PAINFUL. EVERY BUMP ON THE CAR RIDE HOME HURT LIKE HELL!!

I CONTINUED TO TAKE THE PAIN MEDICATION AND PENICILLIN AS PRESCRIBED.  

AT HOME I TURNED MY RECLINER CHAIR INTO MY HOSPITAL BED. HOOKED UP TO THE ICE MACHINE AND CALF MASSAGER, I WATCHED HOURS OF TV WITH MY HUSBAND AND FELL IN AND OUT OF SLEEP ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. SUNDAY I STARTED FEELING MORE ENERGETIC AND ASKED DR. ITAMURA IF I COULD STOP TAKING THE PAIN MEDS SINCE I NO LONGER HAD PAIN. I HAVE BEEN PAIN FREE EVER SINCE AND NO MORE MEDS.

I HAVE BEEN WALKING 3 MILES A DAY THIS WEEK AND FEELING 85% NORMAL. IAM SO GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE SUPPORT FROM MY HUSBAND, MY CLIENTS AND MY FRIENDS.

TODAY IS MY FOLLOW UP APPOINTMENT WITH DOCTOR ITAMURA. I HAVE MANY QUESTIONS FOR HIM: WHEN CAN I SHOWER?  WHEN CAN I DRIVE? WHEN CAN I RETURN TO WORKING WITH MY CLIENTS?

I WANT ANYONE WHO READS THIS TO KNOW HOW PROFOUNDLY GRATEFUL I AM FOR THIS JOURNEY I AM ON. I HAVE DEVELOPED A MEDITATION PRACTICE, AND A DAILY GRATITUDE JOURNAL, WHICH HELPS ME FIND THE GOOD IN THE SEEMINGLY INCONVENIENT AND HUMBLING EXPERIENCE OF HAVING ONLY ONE HAND TO USE 24/7.

Dorothy Waterman is a Certified Personal Trainer

 

 

 

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