planning post surgery

[withm]

Surgery was on Monday. I have a row of 8 staples down my shoulder about where my bra strap should be. They did manipulation under anesthesia first, and said when they had my arm up over my head they heard a pop! I'm thinking what did they break? But I guess that's how they break up the scar tissue and adhesions. Then they did a shoulder decompression and removed the bone spur that was pinching the tendon. The good news is that I ought to be doing really well in a couple of months. The bad news is that I ought to be doing well in a couple of months. Got the dressing removed today, start PT on Monday - that's really going to hurt - and get staples out on Wednesday.

Your tips have really been helpful - pillows especially. Also realizing how much you do that you really need two hands for - to cut your meat, open the bottle of percocet, tie your shoes, or even just to arrange your covers in bed. Both my orthopedist and physical therapist are avid cyclists so they understand my drive to be back on the bike - but might have to settle for the trainer for a while, but not until I get some range of motion going.

This week I can take my arm out of the sling for short periods, and can now take a short shower, but motion is pretty much limited to dangling my arm and making very small circles. One step at at time.

I'm very thankful that my sister and brother in law have been able to come and take care of me this week, and drive me to surgery and post op appts. She is not so grateful that she might have to cook our very small Thanksgiving dinner. We may go out but that just seems so wrong to me.

One of the greatest "tips" was to have a batch of bread dough in the fridge. What a treat. I showed her how to shape the loaf on Sunday when I still had "use" of 2 arms, but she's a little reluctant to do the next loaf. She doesn't enjoy cooking as much as I do I guess, but we'll give it a try.

They will leave on Friday, and another sister will come for the weekend. Then I'm on my own. Hopefully I'll be able to drive by then. PT is only about a mile from my house so theoretically I could walk if I needed to. I'll probably try working 1/2 days next week. I'm very grateful that my boss is OK with this. The beauty of working for a small family oriented company that's really slow right now.

Thanks for all the tips and suggestions. And if anyone else has good ideas to get through the next couple months I'm all ears.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Martha

PS in the meantime - it hurts. A lot. Enough said.