visit to surgeon

[Olevern]

Heading out to visit the surgeon tomorrow early (three hour drive). Hope to hear he will schedule me for surgery to grind these confounded spurs off my scapula (shoulder bone). I sure do need some relief from this constant pain...can't shovel snow, shoot anything but .22's...can't ride my dirtbikes or atvs.....can't sleep at night....as they said in the 30's "I've got the miseries" :( Even shifting my truck is extremely painful, my wife and I are sharing her van (automatic).

[GT27]

God bless you brother,I pray that all goes well for you,which I'm sure it will.My advice "stay positive" and the main thing is talk to our maker...GT27

[1Shirt]

Sure it works out in your favor! Good luck!
1Shirt!

[Olevern]

Well, spent most of the day being poked and prodded and shot up with x-rays and whatever they have in those little caves they slide ya into.

As I figured, need surgery....spurs ground off and repair to a partially torn rotator cuff.

Unable to schedule the surgeon I want until mid Feb. so until then got a prescription for some narcotics to keep the pain in check.

No shooting, five pound lift limit, no repetitive movement (wonder if that includes this here typing?)

Have been typing and using the mouse with my off hand for weeks now, but with the new meds very little pain, so I have found I can type again. Guess I will have to learn to work the reloaders with one hand....but, then, what good will reloading do me if I can't shoot them?

Wonder if I can learn to shoot handguns with my left hand?......

Gonna be a long six weeks....and then I get to go thru a recovery period which will, at some point include physical therapy.

Getting old aint for the faint at heart!

Maybe I will be able to ride my dirt bike and street bike by spring, though...there's a goal to work for!

Just thought I would bring an update.

blessings,
vern

[smoked turkey]

Vern thanks for the update. Sounds like you have a ways to go before you are able to resume normal activity. Also sounds like the saying...."it is hard to keep a good man down"..applies to you. I pray that the time will pass quickly and that the Lord will guide all the needed medical treatments and that you will have a quick and total recovery so you can get your life going again.

[blackthorn]

Look at as an oportunity--- learn to shoot Left handed! Best of luck with the coming surgery!

[sleeper1428]

Well, spent most of the day being poked and prodded and shot up with x-rays and whatever they have in those little caves they slide ya into.

As I figured, need surgery....spurs ground off and repair to a partially torn rotator cuff.

Unable to schedule the surgeon I want until mid Feb. so until then got a prescription for some narcotics to keep the pain in check.

No shooting, five pound lift limit, no repetitive movement (wonder if that includes this here typing?)

Have been typing and using the mouse with my off hand for weeks now, but with the new meds very little pain, so I have found I can type again. Guess I will have to learn to work the reloaders with one hand....but, then, what good will reloading do me if I can't shoot them?

Wonder if I can learn to shoot handguns with my left hand?......

Gonna be a long six weeks....and then I get to go thru a recovery period which will, at some point include physical therapy.

Getting old aint for the faint at heart!

Maybe I will be able to ride my dirt bike and street bike by spring, though...there's a goal to work for!

Just thought I would bring an update.

blessings,
vern

Vern:

I don't know the criteria you're using to choose your surgeon but if I may offer you a suggestion, choose your anesthesiologist as carefully, if not more carefully, as your surgeon. I offer this suggestion based on the fact that I spent my professional career as an anesthesiologist where one of our standard adages was that "a good surgeon deserves good anesthesia while a poor surgeon requires it." Remember that during your surgery the anesthesiologist has your life in his/her hands and you are dependent on that person to look after your welfare from start to finish. And don't ever forget that the old "Captain of the Ship" concept, where the surgeon was in charge of everything that went on in the operating room, was discarded years ago and the anesthesiologist now has equal standing with the surgeon in every operating room in the US and in most countries in the world. So choose your anesthesiologist as carefully as you choose your surgeon and I'm sure you'll have an excellent outcome. Best of Luck!!

sleeper1428

[David2011]

Best wishes, Olevern! I'm afraid I may not be far behind you.

David

[xs11jack]

I am going to 'Offer' some advise. Just toss it out if you like, I won't be offended. Back in 1982, I was told I needed Adominal surgery or I would die. I did this: I asked my internist who he would pick for the surgery if it was his mother, he gave me a name, when I met the surgeon, I asked him the same question about an anesthesiologist. So that was my surgery team. It saved my life. I had come within a inch of dying and they saved me. May God bless Your choice and your surgery.
Jack

[Kraschenbirn]

Vern...

Underwent surgery for similar (same?) shoulder problems eight days ago...rotator cuff damage, bone spurs on the scapula and clavicle, etc...and had my first session with the physical therapist this morning. Only advice I have to offer, at this point, is to follow your surgeon's instructions explicitly, exercise as directed, and take your pain meds as prescribed 'cause you're gonna hurt some for the first few days (after the surgery). So far, though, I seem to be doing okay and...according to the PT...my range of movement is actually somewhat better than typical for only a week after procedure. She gave me set of starter exercises to perform twice daily and, after a post-op exam by the surgeon day after tomorrow, will begin my actual recovery therapy next week.

At this point, there's not much else I can tell you but, as I'm gonna be about six weeks ahead of you in recovery therapy, don't be bashful about droppin' me a PM if you feel the need for a little 'been there, done that' support.

Bill

Btw: You CAN lube/size boolits and reload (if you've got your cases resized in advance) using only your left hand. It takes a little getting used to and it's kinda slow going but it can be done. I spent most of my spare time the last two weeks before surgery casting up a generous supply of boolits for all my guns/calibers and prepping every loose case in the workshop. Now, I'm beginning to work my way through the piles....just a couple hours a day but it helps keep me occupied.

[smokeywolf]

Olevern,
If your pain pills are opiate based as are most, eat your prunes or drink your prune juice. Vicodin, Hydrocodone, Norco and the likes anesthetize your colon and you'll get stopped up.

xs11jack,
Sounds like good advise. I'm going to remember that.

smokeywolf

[Olevern]

Thanks, all for the advice. Not going under until mid Feb. and on pain meds until. Holding my own but can't wait to get this over with. Have to have help taking a shirt or coat off and can't shift my own truck so sharing my wife's van.

I will check with the surgeon about the anesthesiologist. Makes sense to have the best when your life is in their hands.

blessings
vern

[Goatwhiskers]

Vern, my wife has had rotator cuff surgery on both sides, her orthopedist is one that starts PT a week after surgery to maintain flexibility. Fun part was her therapy was 3 days a week, the other 4 days I was required to do the same procedures on her at home. Payback is fun! She is 99.9% of normal. Just do what they tell you and you'll never regret it. By the way, this is normally done as an outpatient procedure. GW

[DLCTEX]

Hang in there brother! Prayer said.

[sleeper1428]

I am going to 'Offer' some advise. Just toss it out if you like, I won't be offended. Back in 1982, I was told I needed Adominal surgery or I would die. I did this: I asked my internist who he would pick for the surgery if it was his mother, he gave me a name, when I met the surgeon, I asked him the same question about an anesthesiologist. So that was my surgery team. It saved my life. I had come within a inch of dying and they saved me. May God bless Your choice and your surgery.
Jack
Jack

Excellent advice on determining both the surgeon and the anesthesiologist to manage your care. The thing you want to avoid is relying on the reports of patients who have been operated on by a given surgeon. The patient interacts with the surgeon before and after surgery but has no idea of what goes on during surgery. After a career spent as an anesthesiologist, I have to tell you that really excellent surgeons are few and far between, so much so that there's another old adage that goes, 'there are never enough surgeons, just too many people doing surgery.' Some of the slickest, smoothest talking surgeons I ever met were also some of the worst surgeons it was ever my misfortune to have to work with. Many of them are slow and treat living tissues as if they were tenderizing a steak or making sausage! So your suggestion to ask your internist who he/she would want to do surgery on a member of his/her family is the way to go and believe me, the surgeon who you are referred to will know which anesthesiologist is the best at his/her chosen specialty of Anesthesiology. And having been an academic anesthesiologist for many of my career years, I can tell you that the capability and expertise of anesthesiologists varies as greatly as does the ability and expertise of surgeons. That's why I made the suggestion that one's anesthesiologist needs to be chosen as carefully as is one's surgeon.

sleeper1428

[popper]

Had the same thing years ago. Do the pt for sure. Mine is starting to bother me again but at least I'm not one armed anymore