Shoulder Update....It's Bad.....

[Pig Vomit]

Sorry I've been MIA. Been a bit rough for me lately.

Went to shoulder arthroscopic specialist, who said there was nothing he had to offer me as I pretty much have zero cartilage in my left shoulder. He referred me to an orthopedic surgeon who specialized in shoulders.

The surgeon told me my options are:
1. Leave it alone and lift light weights and high reps if I can tolerate the pain.
2. Get a shoulder replacement, in which case I could expect less pain but I'd still be limited to high reps and low weight.

So....in short....my days of being a big and buff 60+ guy are over.

I did get a cortisone shot, which, just like every other cortisone shot I've received, did absolutely nothing. We will see if insurance will authorize a visco injection.

I'm giving the light weights and high reps (25-30 per set, and I should not go to failure) a try, but even doing that my shoulder pain seems to increase. I'll keep going with it as the recovery time for a shoulder replacement is LONG, but I suspect the replacement surgery will be coming sooner rather than later.

In other news....my PTS has been kinda out of control lately....still sad over my friend's suicide....and worry about another friend who has been battling depression for awhile who was in a fatal OIS (couldn't be cleaner) recently....followed by one of his three dogs dying...and a week later a second dog dying. And then lots of additional triggers last week along with my back going out BAD. So I've been a bit of a mess, but I seem to be doing a little better today.

[Glycomann]

Rough week brother. Bone on bone is not fun. One of my knees is BOB. I work around it best I can.

[Genetic Freak]

Don't push it, get it repaired. Might be a long time to recover, but at least you will be pain free (hopefully) when all is said in done.

[paramuscle]

I had mine rebuilt. They cut an inch off of my clavicle and rebuilt my AC joint and I got a nice scar running all the way up and down my shoulder. I went to straight dumbbells. Stopped using any bar at all for anything relating to chest and shoulders. It took a while but I’m back better than ever. I can’t say that about the other surgeries I have had as they did the best they could but the shoulder is tip top.

Hopefully you find the same experience. Get it fixed and work your way back into it. You may find it worth having done. Not saying ours are the same or anything but I didn’t get stuck doing light weights for the rest of my life.

Good Luck brother.


~PM

[Genetic Freak]

Originally Posted by paramuscle

I had mine rebuilt. They cut an inch off of my clavicle and rebuilt my AC joint and I got a nice scar running all the way up and down my shoulder. I went to straight dumbbells. Stopped using any bar at all for anything relating to chest and shoulders. It took a while but I’m back better than ever. I can’t say that about the other surgeries I have had as they did the best they could but the shoulder is tip top.

Hopefully you find the same experience. Get it fixed and work your way back into it. You may find it worth having done. Not saying ours are the same or anything but I didn’t get stuck doing light weights for the rest of my life.

Good Luck brother.


~PM

Same procedure for mine, but my AC joint wasn't that bad only a few minor tears, so the repair there was probably minor compared to yours. I was actually lifting (not killing it) 6 weeks post surgery.

[jipped genes]

Yeah man, I hear a lot of people wait to get that stuff fixed and wish they had not. It is gonna happen sooner or later I guess so why not ASAP?

Then when done you can get back to being pain free. Amazing how being without pain can change a outlook on life into peaches and cream.

Best of luck bro in whatever you choose.

[Rock Diesel]

Good luck in either direction you choose to go.

I know a few guys who have gone through the surgery and all said it turned out better than expected. Same opinions from all, they're glad they did it when they did.

[Pig Vomit]

Thank you, everybody, for your input. It is MUCH appreciated. It is heartening not to hear any nightmare stories, but if you have them, I want to hear them! I like to have as much info as possible from other lifters before making a big decision like this. My tentative plan is to schedule a big European vacation for fall then have it done shortly afterwards. The pain is considerable, even with light weights. The thing that gives me pause is that for the most part, when I'm not moving it, it doesn't hurt. But when it hurts....it HURTS.

[Genetic Freak]

Originally Posted by Pig Vomit

Thank you, everybody, for your input. It is MUCH appreciated. It is heartening not to hear any nightmare stories, but if you have them, I want to hear them! I like to have as much info as possible from other lifters before making a big decision like this. My tentative plan is to schedule a big European vacation for fall then have it done shortly afterwards. The pain is considerable, even with light weights. The thing that gives me pause is that for the most part, when I'm not moving it, it doesn't hurt. But when it hurts....it HURTS.

Yep. Mine hurt so bad I couldn't lift at all. It was like this for about 5 years. Then when I could no longer pull my bowstring back and it hurt to cast my fishing pole, I decided it was time to get surgery. Never should have waited that long. I just kept throwing physical therapy at it, which did nothing.

[mailboxkillR]

I've had my shoulders put back together and cleaned up 2 times on the left and once on the right. They say shoulders are the worse I am just over 14 weeks with a knee replacement and it feels far worse that any of my shoulder ones.

With the replacement are they talking about doing the reversal one where they switch the place where the ball and socket are? I've heard of great success with that procedure.