OUCH! YOU’RE HAVING ROTATOR CUFF SURGERY - BLOG #12

Week Four. Wow, I’m in the 4th week now. I must say that time has not been passing slowly, which is something I worried about. For all of those Type-A independents out there or people who live alone, you really do need to start to test new ways to do things without that other hand. I can’t emphasize enough how much my pretend day helped me get ready for my surgery.

As I get out and about, I occasionally meet others who have gone through this surgery. I ask them for tips from their journey. One friend reminded me that a back scratcher has many uses. Not only is it wonderful for reaching all those fun places that itch when you know you can’t reach them, but she also used it to pull the lever on her recliner so that she could sleep in the chair at night. I’ve used mine to drag things closer to me that I didn’t feel like getting up to get, and of course, it’s always good for pulling socks off when you can’t quite reach them.

Another idea was to use a loofah on a stick when showering. This allows you to scrub your back, of course, and other hard-to-reach areas, including the underarm of the arm you can move around.

Small things that I’ve done naturally to adjust my world are beginning to make me pay attention to them. One of my favorite helping things is my teakwood shower bench. When I get the shampoo or conditioner out of the bottle, I can use my right hand tucked by my side to squeeze it out into my left hand, and then just drop the bottle on the bench for me to put up later. If I feel like I’m having any problems, I can just turn around and sit down. Remember, don’t take any risks! That bench can hold everything and keep me from raising the restricted arm to a place where it shouldn’t go.

Another thing to practice ahead of time is using towels. I figured out that I can wrap my hair with a towel, lean against the shower wall with my head, and use it to help me hold the towel in place while I finish that final twist and flip over my head.

Another thing I’ve just remembered is taking your earrings out before surgery. This includes earrings, nose rings, belly button piercings, all that stuff that had to be removed before surgery. You need to make a plan for getting things put back in after you return home. I asked my daughter to come by and help me get them in. And about week two, I had her come by and take them out, clean them, and we left them out for a week before putting them back. If you’re used to taking those earrings in and out every night, you might want to find a pair that you can comfortably wear 24/7. But even then, you might need to change them out for another one at some point or have a few days without wearing them. And this week, I found that I had a slow gain in range of motion due to my wonderful PT exercises, and that at least I can now put my earrings in and out as long as I’m mindful about raising that arm.

And speaking of PT, this is the first week where the exercises I was given caused some pain. Just beginning to move them a little in certain directions not only causes pain but definitely starts out with an “I won’t move” shake. Those muscles are really not happy about moving at all and would be quite happy if I’d never moved them again. But I’m faithfully doing my exercises three times a day because I want to win. But listen to your Physical Therapist and be sure that you are only doing what you’re allowed to do! You don’t want to start back over at this point.