I vote "yes" on the nerve block. My surgery was later in the day so I spent the night in the hospital. Woke up in my room at about 9:00 p.m. and didn't feel a thing. Went back to sleep til 3 a.m. when I awakened for an IV of antibiotics...fell right back to sleep. Woke up at 7:00 a.m. and still had no pain. Went home at about 10:00 a.m. and at around noon the pain started. I was so thankful that I got a good night's rest before coming home.
Good luck!

I vote "yes" on the nerve block. My surgery was later in the day so I spent the night in the hospital. Woke up in my room at about 9:00 p.m. and didn't feel a thing. Went back to sleep til 3 a.m. when I awakened for an IV of antibiotics...fell right back to sleep. Woke up at 7:00 a.m. and still had no pain. Went home at about 10:00 a.m. and at around noon the pain started. I was so thankful that I got a good night's rest before coming home.
Good luck!

Are there any other products I should consider like a better sling or something to help make sleeping more comfortable other than what the'll give me when I leave the hospital? I know that any time I've needed crutches, the set they gave me was never very comfortable. So, I don't know if that's also the case with slings.

If you did buy one, what kind do you recommend?

By the way, I haven't been told whether I'll be in a sling or a full immobilizer. My injury is relatively minor compared to some of you it seems, but do you know if most people start off on an immobilizer then graduate to a sling?

I'll add mine to the list (I'm looking at surgery #2 so this is on my mind). these lists helped me so much.

advocate in pre-op for anti-nausea drugs if you've ever had issues with anesthesia (imagine having to throw up with an arm in a huge sling)

make sure you have food to eat that doesn't need to be cut - I was bummed when I realized I had to ask for help cutting my food for that first meal

by all means get the nerve block

I didn't sleep in a recliner, but I did make a channel for myself with pillows so I wouldn't roll around in bed too much

I live by myself and after my mom flew home (so nice of her to come take care of me for the first few days) I asked friends to come over - they brought food and helped with the dishes etc. don't be afraid to ask for help.

take your pain meds as prescribed - they're there for a reason and there's no need to suffer through pain in that first week - your body needs to heal

don't do what I did and think it's ok to hop on a plane for an impromptu weekend out of town 10 days post op. wow that was dumb - I was in a lot of unnecessary pain.

I bought a package of gauze squares to stick in my sling where the sling rubbed on my wrist

get an extra-too-big-for-you zip up sweatshirt if you live somewhere that gets chilly so you can zip it up over your sling

don't injure your other shoulder 9 months post op like I did

learn to love that gunslinger - I stuffed my house keys in the crook of the elbow (not INSIDE) and basically used it as a prop

I stocked up on netflix movies (increased my maximum rentals for those first 2 weeks)

go for walks as soon as you're able - even going around the block will help in those first days post op.

don't freak out if you get depressed - it's natural and is often a side-effect of vicodin/other opiates

remember that you're having the surgery because you need it. my first op left me in much better shape than I could have hoped for and I'm glad I did it

I would like to add a few things for the list to have before surgery, slip on or velcro shoes, and for the shower situation if you are concerned about getting the sutures wet, I used glad press and seal wrap. It sticks to the skin just don't have the water blasting on it.

I have a problem with tape but found the press and seal great for the shower.

Practice with the opposite hand before surgery. Bathroom things are something that most people don't mention and don't think about until after the surgery.