Karen, I also had another SLAP repaired during this surgery, along with that other stuff. How far are you postop? How are you doing?

Spike, sorry about your frozen shoulder. That totally sucks. When is your MRI?

My pneumo is pretty much resolved because of the last chest xray and also, I breathe so much easier! I have an appt the day after tomorrow with the physician's assistant to take the stitches out, I definitely will ask her if it is related to the pneumothorax. I think it's muscular, but you never know. I noticed that when my shoulder was full of air and crunchy anteriorly, it sure was hurting much more than with last surgery, like a thousand knives plunged and twisted at the same time.

Chykcha,

I am at week 18. I still need to get the last bit of range of motion. I am about 145 degrees raising my arm and 60 external rotation. I still can't get my arm behind my back but from what I understand that takes a while. Now that it is feeling better I am doing more with my arm and have to be careful not to push it. In the past few weeks, I have done too much without even knowing and felt the effects later. My strength is increasing every week. I see the doctor next week so it will be interesting to see what he says.

I am glad to hear you're doing well. Keep us updated as to what your doc says.

Cheers,
H

I'm travelling through Europe right now and have very little access to the internet. You won't believe how much I'm paying to check in right now! It's so worth it though.

I'm in awe as I catch up with this thread! Crash carts?! Whew!

I never really realized how accountable we are for our own health until I hurt my right shoulder. I was being seen my a doctor in upstate NY for my left shoulder as I felt it was getting worse again. That's when I fell and hurt the right one. I had an appointment for my left about a week later and told him I wanted to switch the plan and have him look at the right one as it really hurt and I felt that I had done something to it. He wouldn't do it. He also said I had a SLAP tear of my left and following surgery I would be in a cast for 6 weeks, followed by a year long physical therapy session. I was so put off that I decided not to do the surgery.

After a year, my right had got the point that I decided six weeks in a cast wasn't so bad. I went to a different doc, James Alfandre in NY. He worked quickly to diagnose SLAP tear and said 4 weeks in a sling. Totally different recovery. A cast for six weeks? I think the last guy was in the stone age, thank god I didn't go through with it.

Lessons learned. Ask a ton of questions, research, research, research, and find a good doctor, physical therapist and team to work with.

Hope everyone is doing well...
Andy

I want to be traveling through Europe!!!!! Take me to Europe!!!!!!!!!! Where are you, Andy? We came back from Europe/ Middle East a week before my surgery. You probabaly already suspect it, but I love traveling and am super jealous of you.

On another note, while you are responsible for your care, the health care professionals are there to guide us, explain things, and hold tremendous deal of power in the relationship. I think that since they are the experts, the bigger part of responsibility for the outcomes is theirs. The truth is, that out choices depend on how the information is presented to us. Wouldn't you agree?