Shoulder update – one year later

It’s been about a year since the hook plate & four screws were removed from my shoulder and after a recent email asking about my experience I decided it was time to provide an update on the experience and where I am today.

The surgery and recovery after my second surgery was far less painful and eventful from the first one – although apparently I tried to get up & go for a walk in my medicated sleep post-surgery and it took a few nurses to hold me down & put me back in my bed.

The scar looks like somebody used a dull knife to cut me open – but keeping in mind that the doctors cut the same spot for both surgeries, it’s not surprising that it looks uglier than you’d expect. Having said that, it’s my first scar and I like it – it adds character and provides for a good story

What i liked the most post-surgery was that my shoulder was perfectly straight, re-aligned and there was no “bump” which is common for people who have had shoulder separations. Although I’ve been told that i could have rehabbed my shoulder without surgery, the reality is that once they went in they found a muscle that was torn and wrapped around my bone and there were bone fragments from my rotators cuff. Being very active, I believe having a great surgeon gave me the best chance for a full recovery & long term mobility with my shoulder.

Within 6 weeks of my recovery i hit a golf course and everything was fine – although I had a burning sensation after the round likely from the scar tissue being torn / moved around.

Unfortunately I also noticed the next day a slight bump on my shoulder where it was straight before. This is not uncommon and it’s hard to predict when it happens… but in retrospect golfing 6 weeks after surgery may have not helped my cause. The bump now goes up & down to the point that sometimes you can barely notice it while at other times it looks like i have a goose egg poking out.

Although disappointing, i have full range of mobility and don’t feel restricted in any way in terms of day to day activities or in any of the sports I participate in.

Having said that, last summer was the worst year of golf i’ve had in 10 years. I lost 25% of my distance off the tee and with my irons and the early season erratic play never really got better. My surgeon wouldn’t clear me to hit the gym & lift weights, so what I had was a body that was out of sync and out of balance.

Finally this winter I was cleared to start lifting weights again and I joined a local gym & hired a personal trainer. Within two months I’ve lost a lot of fatty weight (about 15 pounds) and put on muscle. I’m running again and feel like i’m in the best shape in several years. Although i’ve only been to the driving range once so far this year, i’m looking forward to getting back on course in a week when my father comes in for a week long visit from his stint in China.

Having gone through two surgeries and nearly two years since the original accident would I do it over again the same way?

There is no question that the pain I experienced from the initial surgery and the discomfort I had leading up to the second surgery was like nothing i’ve ever experienced before. It was many times more painful than the actual injury and I can’t believe that what i went through qualified as day surgery.

My advice to anybody about to elect for similar surgery is that you focus a lot on pain management post-surgery and ensure you have the right plan for recovery.

One thing I learned through this process is that once the pain takes over it’s nearly impossible to get ahead of it again. I was popping T3s and Percocets like candy to try to get ahead of the pain as it felt like somebody with a knife on their heel was grinding their foot into my shoulder. I nearly put myself back in the hospital with a drug overdose as I convulsed & had extreme stomach pain one night after having one too many T3s.

Having gone through this experience also re-enforces my outlook on life. Why put off something for “later” when you can experience it now. I can save every penny I make and hope to be healthy enough to enjoy some of it in my sixties, or I can strike a balance and enjoy my life now. I do have savings and two properties – so don’t think I don’t have a long term plan, my point is just that you can’t control many events in your life so you might as well enjoy the ones you can.

With that in mind, I’m planning my next trip. Japan, Singapore, or a return ski trip to Chile this summer are all being considered.