I am 34 years old with a history of shoulder pain and dislocation.  It started when I was about 18 or 19.  My nephew was a baby and he was getting ready to hit his head on a table.  I lunged forward in a recliner that was completely unstable and dislocated my shoulder for the first time.  Since then it has been relatively unstable.  I have been known to be resting my chin on my hand with my elbow on the table, give a good strong sneeze...and out that baby goes.    It would vary on how often, but needless to say the continued to happen and they continued to get worse.  I was, however, lucky enough to be able to put them back in place myself.  One of the more serious side effects lately is that I have an extremely tight trapezius muscle that will frequently knot up on me.  This causes excruitating pain and migraine style headaches.  Relaxing while driving makes the pain pretty bad because the shoulder will go a little lax and then when i go to move...it twinges really bad and after about an hour (which i drive to work each day and another hour home) I am ready for pain meds.

I had 1 doctor previously tell me that I needed surgery with no MRI.  I totally chickened out.  Another doctor wanted to do the thermal capsulization technique on me.  I lost my insurance and therefore cancelled the surgery.  This time, they did an MRI that showed a tear, said hey...lets do an arthrogram MRI (hurt like hell), and saw the "extensive labral tear.  There is a tear of the superior labrum, extending posteriorly and eventually to the posteroinferior labrum.  There is also blunting and irregularity of the anterior labrum.  Additionally, the anterior joint capsule is somewhat capacious.  The anterior capsule attaches on the gelnoid and a point 15mm proximal th the glenoid rim.  This is consistent with anterior capsule stripping." 

The actual impression from the radiologist was that I have a tear involving the superior labrum in the region of the biceps anchor, consistent with a SLAP tear.

So, now I have read some of what you all have had to say and I am totally not looking forward to this.  I have decided NOT to wax my arm pits, buy aerosol deoderant, and go European for a month or so.  It isn't like I have a boyfriend!  I am also going to purchase about a HUNDRED TV DINNERS!  I will also buy diaper wipes to make that part of life easier as I am right hand DOMINANT and it is my right shoulder.  DANGIT!  I did however decide to have a pedicure and a hair cut just to make that stuff somewhat managable as well. 

November 15th will come all too soon.  I hope that I have all the help I need because I am a single mom of two teenagers...Hopefully they will not burn my house down in there teenage debauchery while I am zonked out on whatever wonderful pain medication the doctor gives me.