karen,
Thanks for your encouragement. I was suprised my OS did not do a tenodesis when he went back in and found that my anchor at the bicep attachment was unstable and had not healed. I have tramadol so I should just start taking it so I won't be miserable but I think there is something to be said when you need strong pain meds 12 weeks out of surgery you know? I debate everyday whether to go back to my primary doctor and ask for a referal to another OS but my current OS is supposed to be one of the best around and based on how I felt the first two weeks out of surgery I can't argue that. I was doing great until the PT had me do more agressive stuff and from that day on it has never felt the same. I just get frustrated because I don't feel like they truly know what I am going through and I truly don't think that this is going to heal on its own and be fine in a month based on my previous experiences with this. I really like the PT I went to but I wonder if maybe they were too aggressive too early on or something. I guess I will never know that. Thanks again for your support.

Tennisgirl, Here are my thoughts, you do have a good OS, that is apparent from how you felt 2-3 weeks out of the operation, but I agree the method used by your PT with the band was too much and may have pulled the anchor especially with the pop you heard and felt. Schedule another visit with your OS. Have a heart to heart, tell him you know it is not just the biceps. Tell him it is not his surgery but your shoulder. Talk with him about performing a painless diagnostic ultrasound or going back in to examine the repair if he cannot do this. Talk with him about the fact that you are a scar downer and do not heal like others and about the mishap in therapy. He is use to working with young male athletes and they do not have these failures after surgery. Remind him of the first surgery not holding and remind him about the scar tissue he felt while trying to insert the cortisone. Talk with him about doing a tenodesis or tenotomy. I would insist on having him inject you with PRP(your own blood) during any susequent operation and personally I would not have any other surgery without a CPM(continuous passive motion) machine ranging the shoulder for a few hours a day at home in leiu of PT. Finally get a huge bottle of the enzymes like Zymitol and take them everyday after surgery and use ice alot. Take a very conservative approach to any progression like lifting in therapy, but be persistent with ranging. If he wants to give you another cortisone shot kindly decline. Ask him for the post-op report and
tell him you will be seeking another opinion. That is a mouthful,
but honestly I believe the combination that will make going forward possible. Sharon

tennisgirl and karen,

do i ever feel like i am in the same boat as you. i'm 25 and have been thru 5 shoulder surgeries in the past 6 years. 1 successful right capsular shift and followed by 4 nightmare left shoulder surgeries. Initially had SLAP/bankart/capsular shift (dislocation skiing), then another surgery to remove scar tissue and MUA (deltoid/rotator cuff scarred together), followed by SAD/bursectomy and most recently biceps tenodesis in march 09. since the first surgery in 2005 i have never regained full range of motion with the exception of external rotation and have pain at all end ranges of motion. since the biceps tenodesis, i get severe pain at the front of my shoulder where the biceps anchor is and have not been able to regain strength. if i even touch the anchor or put any pressure, i get severe stabbing pains. my PT thinks the anchor did not heal. i see my OS again on the 24th and he will most likely order an US of the anchor. my biggest concern tho is why i have never been able to get range back. My OS isn't sure and my PT is at a loss. we do know i produce excessive scar tissue, which i think is the issue. I have scarred somewhere outside of the view of an arthroscope that can't be seen.

i'm so sick of dealing with this, i have basically been going to PT for 7 years straight and have never been discharged. my life used to revolve around playing sports and being active and i've stopped doing it because i don't want to do any thing that will aggravate it more and have pretty much been taking tramadol for 5 years with the exception of the past couple weeks, i stopped taking it cuz i don't want to have to rely on them. it just seems like a never ending battle.

Leanne

I hope all of you can find some much needed answers soon. I cant imagine your level of frustration. Best of luck and take care

Sskylor- Thanks for your advice. I just don't know how to be that assertive to ask for things when I go to the doctors. I know I need to be and I say that I am going to before I go but then end up letting them do whatever to me including 5 cortison shots at this point. I may take a friend with me next time.

ljansen- Thank you for sharing your story. I too get horrible stabbing pain in the front just from touching it. I have been on some type of pain med too for what seems like years now and I hate taking medicine. Does the tramadol give you headaches? I seems to get headaches after I take one for four or so consecutive days. This weekend I pulled out the muscle relaxers they gave me after surgery and took one both friday and saturday nites and I sleep great and don't have the not in my shoulder area anymore so that has been good. Have you went to the same PT each time? I like my PT but i would be curious to see another persons approach to this. My OS did x-rays last time I was there but he said everything looked fine. They have never done an ultrasound but I know that I will not put myself through another MRI arthrogram since the last two didn't show anything when infact I had a mess going on in my shoulder. anyways, best of luck with your appointment on the 24th. Let me know what they find.

diverbree- thanks for your support. Hope your shoulder is feeling better.

tennisgrl,

yes, i have found that the tramadol gives me headaches if i take it too much. i try to switch back and forth between that and the muscle relaxants at nights. I have been to the same PT after every surgery with the exception of the first surgery I had on my left, which is what makes me think it was right after that surgery that something went wrong or scar tissue formed somewhere and they just haven't found it. I had a capsular shift on my right, and am back to 100%, so it makes me think had i had my same PT my left shoulder woudn't be in such a mess. My PT specializes in shoulder rehab (especially stabilizations, which i initially had), so i trust her fully, but she is at a loss right. she has even had the other PTs look at my case and no one can figure it out, why i am not able to regain ROM. regardless of procedure i am right back to where i was after that initial surgery. during that rehab, i was immobilized in the sling for 6 weeks and my PT barely had me moving, so i think that is what did it, expecialy with my tendency to produce a lot of scar tissue. i am like you when I see the OS, i always forget to bring up most things i want to say. as soon as he asks me questions, all of mine are gone or i don't get the chance to ask. it's very frustrating. i've search hi and lo through medical journals to find something and the only thing i can come up with is posterior capsular contracture of some sort. we'll see what he says in a few weeks.

before that, i have to do a wrist arthrogram MRI next week to also deal with my broken wrist and possible torn cartilage