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QUOTE:
Re:Please, can anyone answer this question? 1 Hour, 28 Minutes ago Karma: 0
Surgery is scheduled for 2nd week of July.
Our baby's due date is 11/20/08.

EZA WROTE:

In your opinions, will I be able to pick up a newborn 4 months out of surgery with torn labrum and torn rotator?

Thanks for your help!
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It's probably easiest to create a new thread for a new topic
question rather than post a new question under another person's thread because things tend to get cluttered easily and your question can be missed.

Congrats on the new baby coming.

I haven't had surgery yet, I'm scheduled for the 26, next thursday.

I'd say that it's definitly something you and your wife will need to sit down and evaluate regarding the pro's, con's, and options.

Personally, I would rather get the surgery over with before the baby comes, rather than afterwards but you could consider some of these things.

1- It would be over and done with and some healing would have occured by 4 months.

2- Baby's don't weigh much or do much the first few months, so it's not so much physical activity that is a shock after having a baby, it's often more getting used to changes in lifestyle, and scheduling sleep around baby care.

3- Mom's going to need help during childbirth and afterwards and
that would be a factor in considering. I think it would be more difficult for my husband to have surgery, leaving me with a baby to care for in addition to having to care for him right out of surgery.

4- You would have an informed handle on your prognosis by 4 months I would hope and be active in physical therapy.

5- There are lots of things to do in preparation for baby's arrival.
Are you and your wife pretty much set up, so that you can take time to recover from now until the baby is born?

6- Do you have a plan for unexpected things which can happen when the Baby is born- such as help from extended family who might could come help out if you are unable to do much activity with your arm by then?

Lot's of things to consider and only you and your wife can really decide what is best for you.

It seems people heal at their own pace from what I have been reading here and also, often times surgery brings unexpected results varying.
Some people have come through and posted that their surgery wasn't as involved as their surgeon expected it to be and they were well on their way to rehabilitation fairly early on, and others have gone in feeling like things were pretty cut and dry on the procedure only to find out that surgery ended up being more involved due to extensive damage found during arthroscopic view.

Definitely, I think reading the posts of others here helps to get a well rounded idea of how things basically unfold, before, during and after surgery and offers a good support system with ideas for problem solving on the road to recovery.

Wishing you the best,

Angie

EZA, Though it will ultimately be up to you and your wife, even with all the problems I've had, I would do it before for some of the same reasons mentioned by Hopeful. How long afterwards will you wait if you decide not to have surgery now? I'm not 4 months out yet but could pick up and care for a small infant, except for my therapy times. The only problem I could see would be if your wife had an early delivery before you had 8-12 weeks to heal. (I just remember when my kids started crawling and getting heavier I don't know if I could have kept up). Also, if your wife had a C-section you would need to be a lot more help for the first couple of weeks so only you will know how that would work. Hope you can get back-up from friends and family if you decide to get done before the delivery in case of emergency. Also I can only imagine what it would be like to have a toddler run and dive into your shoulder. It was hard enough to keep friends and family from hugging me after I took of the immobilizer so no reminder for them Good luck with your decision. There is never a "good" time to be laid up from surgery.

Angie,

Thanks for your insight! I appreciate the thorough response. My wife and I have discussed and we feel like now is the right time. It will be very difficult for both of us. (probably her more than me)

It seems selfish to do this now, with her being pregnant an all, but she makes the same point that there will never be a good time and the older the child gets the less I will be able to have the surgery.

She has been very supportive. Both sides of our family have committed to helping us through it so I'm just going to get it done.

You have given me some great points to think and talk about with my wife. Again, thanks for your help!

Aric.

Brandy,

You are right also. I cannot imagine waiting and then having a little one crawling, walking, running, climbing on me...etc.

It would be extremely difficult to manage that in the pain I'm going to be in and with only 1 arm. lol.

I appreciate you taking the time out to give me some advice.

Regards,

Aric

Congratulations on the baby! Everyone seems to have some different outcomes as far as recovery time. I had my slap surgery and rotator as well on 4/9/08. My grandaughter arrived on 6/2/08. I am able to care for her at this point. Have not had any problems helping. I am able to hold her, feed her and change her (haven't tried bathing her yet) I was told before I had my surgery that I had a rotator cuff tear and I would be completely recoverd between 6-8 weeks. That was my reason for going ahead with my surgery. ( So I would be able to really spoil her good. ) Bad thing was, the joke was on me. Seemed to wake up afterwards with more problems than I went to sleep with. I really don't think you should have any problem holding the baby. I'm sure that you are a lot younger and physically fit than I am. I wish you all the best, I really think it will all work out for you. By the way, I was out of my sling completely at 4 weeks, had 3 anchors also. PT was started on my 2nd week after surgery. Not much fun, but the baby coming made my stay on track and motivated. Just a little bit down still, pain hasn't subsided like I thought it would. Beginning to think this is just what it is. A BUMMER. In the end it will be your decision, no one else can tell you exactly what it will be like. Sometimes strange things happen, so do what your instincts tell you. If you listen to your heart you will find the right answer and everything will fall into place. LOL

I came over here searching to see if Aric- aka EZA had
stopped by.
I suddenly had this feeling that his surgery was today,
but then I came over here and re read the post and I notice
that he wrote that his surgery is scheduled for the 2nd week
in July and not the 2nd of July.

I'm so dippy these days. le sigh~

Well, EZA
We are thinking of you and stop by and drop us a line before surgery if you get a chance.

And don't forget after surgery to write us when you can to let us know how things went.
Having the opportunity to chat with people here who have been through all of this surgery and post op stuff has been such a life saver for me, and also helped me to feel not so alone and disconnected.
Wishing you the very best!