The Glade 4.0

So my softball career is probably over. I have a minor tear in my rotator cuff and I plan on getting the surgery to repair it.

What I am looking for is anyone who may have gone through this. The Dr. says it's a long recovery process, likely up to a month in a sling and then several months of physical therapy.

Anyone have this done and can share anything about the recovery experience? Or possibly any of our resident Glade doctors able to share anything.

Thanks.

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This must be Thursday. I could never get the hang of Thursdays.

I don't have any personal experience, but I dated a guy who had a torn rotator cuff...his doctor told him he could have the surgery, but once he did he'd never play rugby again so he opted not to have the surgery done until later in life.
Are you in constant pain?

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"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Jesus of Nazareth

Not a terrible constant pain, but it is always evident. It is an annoyance and, to me, it's a quality of life decision.

I don't plan on playing softball any longer (at least organized league play), but I want it healed and strengthened so that when my children are old enough, I am able to have a catch with them.

The long recovery/rehab seems to be worth the trouble.

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This must be Thursday. I could never get the hang of Thursdays.

Yeah, the constant pain is something you'd have to live with for as long as you put off the surgery, but if you've given it up and are ok with that then it sounds like you have a plan.
Sorry you have to have surgery, Foamy, that's no fun. But that shoulder pain can/will get worse without the surgery so you will have that to look forward to after it's all over.

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"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Jesus of Nazareth

You can always take up ice hockey instead.

My right shoulder is a bit messed up; it grinds and pops a lot and occasionally hurts. I fell on it, bad, skating about 9 years ago, and for a couple years after that it would flare up frequently, and badly. My doctor put me on antinflammatories and eventually it sort of "popped" and hasn't been as bad since.. until this past winter where I had to do this obstacle course where you hang from a rope and go hand over hand underneath it.. that made it pop again and it's been a lot more cranky since then. I'm not sure what's wrong with it, but nothing I can't deal with, it doesn't really hurt that often.

Anyhow, I'd say if you're ready to not play softball, go for it.

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"Hysterical children shrieking about right-wing anything need to go sit in the corner and be quiet while the adults are talking."

Sorta...

I was playing softball and slid into home but the catcher was standing on the plate. I knocked him off his feet and he fell on me. It ripped my left arm out of the socket.

Technically, it busted part of the glenoid fossa, the head of the humerus pulled out of the glenoid cavity, ripped a hole through the rotator cuff and slid underneath into the axilla. So, yeah, it tore my rotator cuff.

I hung from the backstop and pulled, putting the arm back in the socket. Unfortunately, I had just gotten out of the military a week before and didn't know I could have gone to the VA hospital, so I just ignored the pain and went on with life.

A couple of years later, after repeated episodes where the ball of the socket would slide back out through the cuff when I held my arm above my head (like, oh, when washing my hair) I decided to speak to a doctor. Surgery was the only option.

After surgery I got like 60% mobility back. I could have more if I pushed it, but this all happened years ago (1976) and I wasn't prescribed physical therapy. Took about 6 months for everything to heal.

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In time, this too shall pass.

I think amputation is the only solution. </screeling>

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Holy shitsnacks!

THis was the reason I left the army. Not that I got out on medical but I just waited it out. I can't do push-ups to save my own life now. ANd I never had the surgery. The Army doc in Panama told me at the time (93) that I would lose up to 30% of the mobility in my arm.

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Raell Kromwell

That's Army doctors for you.

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"Hysterical children shrieking about right-wing anything need to go sit in the corner and be quiet while the adults are talking."

Did they do an MRI or arthrogram? (stick a needle in your shoulder and inject dye?)

I'm pretty sure I had/have a slight tear in one of my shoulders, and for a long time it caused me great pain. Especially when trying to lift objects above chest high. I could not do push ups at all. It still bothers me from time to time, but after a couple of years it rarely is a problem anymore.

I'm not a doctor, but I was under the belief that a small tear will heal itself over time. Unless you keep damaging it.

Of course, I've also had slight tears in both knees, and didn't have surgery for those either. I don't play competitive sports anymore, so it's no big deal. The last knee injury took around a year before it was strong enough to stabilize itself. I couldn't run during that time, at all. The leg would fold back on itself.

Remember that surgeons make their money off doing surgeries. I'd suggest a second opinion before going under the knife. YMMV

So, in preparation for losing the use of my right arm for the better portion of a month, I have switched the mouse on my desk to the lefthand side and switched the button configuration around.

Figure I had better practice doing as much as I can with my left hand before I have no choice.

Yeah, I'm going to get the surgery. I just have to make sure all bases are covered before I commit. Probably be out of work for a week, and then going to need rides for the next few weeks. Sucks, but I have to get this done.

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This must be Thursday. I could never get the hang of Thursdays.

Left-handed mouse use FTW! You may like it so much you don't go back - and my belief is that ergonomically, at least for most computer users with standard keyboards, setups, etc., it's actually much better to have the mouse on the left side. If you have your keyboard placed so that the actual letters are centered on the monitor, and the mouse on the right, you have an extra six or seven inches of reach to get past the Number pad and Insert/Del/Home keys. If you have the mouse on the left, you have a much shorter reach, and maintain a better posture to boot.

Good luck with your surgery!

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This cold and dark tormented hell
Is all I`ll ever know
So when you get to heaven
May the devil be the judge

Another thing that helps with that is getting a shorter keyboard (i.e. one without the number pad on the side. It took a bit of adjustment, but it works much better than the older, longer keyboard for me.

Update:

Well, I put off the surgery until just recently. I just didn't want to be out of commission for so long.

Surgery was done 2 Thursdays ago and as of this past Thursday, I am functional out of my sling. I don't have the full range of motion back, but there is little pain left at all.

I have my Rehab evaluation appointment coming up on Monday 27th and that should be the beginning of about 3-4 months of rehabbing and restrengthening the shoulder.

I am glad to be mostly functional so soon after the surgery. I am decidedly careful with it (no lifting, reaching, etc...) and the Doctor seemed to be quite pleased at my progress.

Can't wait to see how much strength and range I can get back after the rehab.

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This must be Thursday. I could never get the hang of Thursdays.

Glad to hear it went well. Work on your therapy eve when you don't feel like it, and it will make your recovery go much better.

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I met this six-year-old child, with this blank, pale, emotionless face and, the blackest eyes... the devil's eyes. I spent eight years trying to reach him, and then another seven trying to keep him locked up because I realized what was living behind that boy's eyes was purely and simply... evil

Yeah, glad it went well. I'll definitely second the physical therapy thing. It will hurt, but it will be worth it when your shoulder works like you want it to.

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This cold and dark tormented hell
Is all I`ll ever know
So when you get to heaven
May the devil be the judge

Glad to hear things went well with the surgery Foamy. Hope you make a full recovery =)