yet another thing broken

Well my dear friends, I have injured yet another body part. A few months ago I was having a great day (so rare and so treasured) and went on a bike ride. Well I ended up having a nasty spill and hurting my shoulder. I was a good girl and went to the local urgent care who said it was a minor AC tear and to wear a sling for a few weeks and all will be fine...and it was until about a week ago. Well my shoulder started hurting a little bit when I moved it the "right"way and this pain has steadily gotten worse until I finally called and got into see an ortho doc today. He thinks I may have damaged the ligaments (well we will call them that for simplicities sake) and said I will need either intense physio or surgery and intense physio.

I have an MRI on Friday and a follow with him on Monday so wish me luck!

 

Hi Ekkorose,

I'm so sorry to hear about your latest injury. I used to be a senior national level competitive swimmer. In my ten years of racing, I essentially destroyed both shoulders. I've had multiple shoulder surgeries, including 2 surgeries to repair and stabilize stretched and torn ligaments (in both shoulders).

It's definitely worth trying the PT first. Unfortunately, when it comes to ligament and cartilage damage (both of which I've had), there is a pretty good chance that PT alone won't fix the problem (as was my case). But if you can avoid surgery, then that's fantastic. I don't want to scare you, but major shoulder surgeries are really tough & the recovery is long and slow. After each of my surgeries it took me about a year & a half before I started feeling anywhere near back to normal (although I certainly had my share of setbacks along the way). That being said, now, 4 years after my last surgery, my shoulders are great. I still have limitations & restrictions, but in general they are rock solid and nonpainful.

You might think about getting a second opinion from an orthopedic surgeon that specializes in shoulder surgery. Shoulders are tricky joints, so you really need someone with a lot of knowledge and experience. I don't know where you are in the US, but you can usually find such specialists at teaching hospitals, etc. Although I saw a regular orthopedist after my initial injury, I ended up having all my surgeries done by a well renowned shoulder surgeon in NYC. After 4 years and many surgeries with him, I can't even begin to imagine how long my journey would have been had I stuck with my original less experienced general orthopedist.

Sarah, if you do end up needing surgery, please feel free to email me, etc. I can give you a pretty good idea of what to expect & tips about what you should having to help you along post-op. I'm no doctor, but I've had a lot of experience as a patient.

Good luck with your PT! You're in
my thoughts & prayers. Please do keep us up to date about what is happening with your shoulder!

Hugs,
Skeye

Post Edited (skeye) : 8/16/2010 9:40:57 PM (GMT-6)

Ekkorose, darn it! It figures doesn't it, have a good day, try and enjoy it and Bam! I hope they can figure out what needs to be done and get you fixed up. Keep us posted. Take care.

   Dear Rose,

     Goodness, just what you didnt need right now! I am so sorry! Are you able to control the pain some what? Goodness, I sure hope you get the answers you need from the MRI as soon as possible. Hand in there and know you are in our prayers here!

*warm hugg*
     dani