OUCH! YOU’RE HAVING ROTATOR CUFF SURGERY - BLOG #2

Let’s start at the beginning. Preparation.

One of the best ways to prepare for this surgery is to have a “pretend” day. Pretend you’ve already had the surgery and can’t use the shoulder, arm, or elbow on one side. Be sure to do your pretend on the side that you’re going to have the surgery on. If the surgery is on your dominant side, you’ll learn the limitations of what your non-dominant hand, arm, and elbow can currently do for you. Make this a pre-surgery challenge. Focus on strengthening that side, as well as expanding those capabilities.

While you’re practicing, figure out how to sign your name, type on your computer or phone, maybe dig into dictation options on all the devices and programs you use. Most devices these days have a way to dictate what you want to say, just like asking Siri how to do something on a phone or telling Alexa you need information. And while those skills come naturally to some people, not everyone is able to use the dictation on their computer because they don’t know the commands. It’s time to learn a new skill.

Get up in the morning and start your pretend day with how to get out of bed. Follow that by moving through your normal day. Shower, brush your teeth, eat, talk to people… all the things you would normally do each day, but now you only have one hand to use. This is going to quickly call out things you need to think about before surgery.

• How will you cope with getting out of bed?

• Can you take a shower all by yourself?

• What about drying or styling your hair?

• Can you put on makeup or shave your face?

• Watches, rings, and earrings are things that you might need to skip for a bit.

And then there’s eating. You can’t cut up food with a knife and fork, so you need to think about food. I find that sometimes a spoon is a much better tool than a fork when I’m trying to eat food with my non-dominant hand. Yes, I’ve returned to my childhood days of when the spoon was my favorite mealtime friend. (Hey… no judging!)

While you can put things in the dishwasher, you probably can’t wash the dishes. If you don’t want to eat out for every meal, you’re gonna have to find a way to have foods that are easy to pop in the microwave, toaster, or maybe even a toaster oven to heat up. Cooking ahead takes time, so start early. Friends and family might offer to bring food, and if you live with someone else, maybe they can take over the cooking and dishwashing. (Bonus?)