UP-DATES ON SURGERY

Hello, I got behind with updates on my journey with the surgery on my right shoulder rotator cuff repair.  I had a Pre-Op visit to the Hospital where my  upcoming Out-Patient surgery would be performed on December 21, 2020.  At the Pre-Op visit to the Hospital, I didn't see my surgeon that day.  The check-in nurse took a blood sample, checked my temperature and went over my medications I am taking.  No one could come and stay at the hospital with me because of the pandemic.  The nurse made sure someone would drive me to the hospital and just drop me off.  

I had a Post-Op visit to my surgeon two weeks after surgery on January 5, 2021.  When I left the hospital my whole shoulder area was covered with a bandage.  I couldn't see or actually didn't even try to see where the surgeon had went in to do my surgery. No explanation on what the surgeon did.  He had told me he wouldn't know exactly until he got in there.  The hospital gave me no instructions on how long to leave the bandages on.  I also had my right arm in a sling sitting on a pillow.  No instructions given about that either.  I was told to get up and get dressed and they were calling my brother to pick me up.  I was kind of out of it.  The nurse handed me papers to take home and read.  

I get home and try to read the papers and undestand all of them.  The papers read to leave the bandages on for 24 hours, but I don't quite understand if that means 24 hours from surgery or what.  So I call my surgeon's nurse to see what she has to tell me.  She says to leave leave the bandages on until the next evening that would be the evening of  January 6, 2021.  Still nothing about how long to wear the sling and pillow.  The pillow is very hard to get used to.  The surgeon doesn't know the hospital didn't give me any instructions before sending me home.

Long story short, I was suppose to continue wearing the pillow and the sling until the surgeon told me different.  I had to sleep sitting up on the couch or in a recliner, that wasn't explained to me, and wear the sling and pillow day and night.  The only time I was to take it off was for exercise 5 times a day.  I took the pillow away by the second day or so.  I slept with no sling the first few nights.  

Even now after my 6 weeks visit, I continue to have to sleep sitting up on the couch or in a recliner with the sling.  The surgeon told me I could get rid of the pillow.  I tried a night or two after getting rid of the pillow to lay on my back in my own bed on pillows. The first night was great.  The second or third not as good.  I finally went back to the couch.  Now I am back in the recliner and sleeping better.  I still have to wear my sling day and night for protection of my rotator cuff.  I am not to being putting any weight on it yet and definitely no pushing and pulling.  

My therapy continues for another 4 weeks (the month of February) with more exercises added, and more actual therapy from the therapist.  The instructions for exercises in the generic instructions sent home from the hospital that I was given, come to find out some weren't actually for me to do at home myself. I asked my therapist if I was suppose to be doing all the exercises he puts me through at home.  He said no they are only for there. The only ones I need to be doing at home are my motion exercises for my shoulder and elbow.  They are to keep me from getting stiff.  My elbow gives me a lot of pain.  It did even before my surgery.  I have to take it out of the sling for a little bit each day, or I cannot stand it.  

I am sure this isn't that interesting to some of you who might be reading this.  As I said from the beginning this blog is for me.  For my mental stability.  If you get bored reading about me all the time, skip those  posts and move on.  I won't know who reads and who doesn't unless you tell me.  It won't hurt my feelings.

May God continue to bless all of you who are reading my blog.

*STARLIGHT*