Today marks ten weeks since my shoulder surgery. I’ve been in physical therapy for a total seven weeks, with approximately 4-6 more weeks before I’m possibly discharged.
To say that the recovery process has been longer than I anticipated is a gross understatement.
The beginning was rough, and thank goodness I’m past the hardest part. I can raise my right arm just slightly past 90 degrees now. And I’m close to being able to lift a wine glass to my mouth without looking like Igor. That’s progress, folks.
It is also with great pride to announce that I can finally put my hair in to a ponytail. All by myself. Like a Big Girl. Though truth be told, the amount of spinal crunching that has to occur to make that happen will probably keep my physical therapist in business long after the shoulder heals.
And thankfully, my husband no longer has to cut my meat or tie my shoes, things that made me feel completely inadequate and much like a preschooler.
I started driving about 5-6 weeks after shoulder surgery, once I was given the green light to take the immobilizer off full-time, which felt like I had regained some sense of normalcy. Though, just until last week, said driving took place mostly with my left hand, and I couldn’t reach over with my right arm to shift in to drive or turn on the windshield wipers.
The scars are looking better, though I’m not rushing to get in to a tank top anytime soon. My therapist gave me this contraption called a scar mold, which gets placed on top of my bulging incision and helps reduce the amount of swelling and puffiness around my scar. I also got the approval to use Mederma at my 7 week follow-up, so I’ve been slathering it on every day.
Because I can’t afford an entirely new wardrobe next summer.
Still, even with all of this progress and development, there are quite a few things that are painful or that I’m unable to do.
Some items of clothing I can put on but can’t take off. Well, I can take them off, but it looks like a scene out of I Love Lucy.
Having weight placed on that shoulder is more painful than actually moving my arm, which is fun to police when I live with small people who like to lean on seated adults. I can’t sleep on that injured right side at all, and up until this week, sleep in general was a bit of a pain in the ass. Now I can sleep on my left side and not wake up with a frozen shoulder. And, much to my husband’s relief, I no longer require five different pillows to prop me up in bed.
With that said, let’s play a rousing game of “What I can or can’t do 10 weeks after shoulder surgery,” shall we?
Within a month after surgery I screwed up and unloaded the dishwasher. Sure, it took 45 minutes, but once I let my family know I could clean, their help dropped faster than an engagement on The Bachelor
If you’re thinking of going through with shoulder surgery, I have three words of wisdom for you: Do your work.
Physical therapy is integral to your recovery. There’s no way I’d be where I am today without the aid of my therapist, who not only gives me exercises to regain strength and mobility, but also manipulates my arm in a way I’d never be able to on my own to help me get back to normal sooner.
I’m sure that in a few months’ time, I’ll look back on these feeble weeks as a faint, distant memory. The shock of the length of the rehabilitation has worn off, and now I’m trying to relax and trust in the recovery process of shoulder surgery physical therapy. Onwards and upwards, right?
Still, I wish I hadn’t rushed in to doing the dishes.
Have you ever had surgery? If so, how long did it take for you to completely recover? Leave a comment below to give me hope! And if you like what you’ve read, why not throw a click over to the Facebook like button, or even better, follow me on and !
Great info, I’m bookmarking this for any of my friends who should have any type of surgery.
I remember about 9 years ago I needed to have my gall bladder out. I had a 5 and 2 year old and the idea of having surgery did not at all appeal to me. My doctor knew it had to come out, now, not in the 6 months I suggested. So, he told me that I would be able to drive the next day. Liar, liar, liar!!! I was flat on my back for a few days and then slowly got back to normal. I know that he told me that purely because I would have insisted that I could live in agony 6 more months. I can’t imagine the rehab time it would take for a shoulder to heal. So glad to hear you are well on you way to the other side. I’m sure not being in pain will be totally worth it!!!
Kathy Radigan recently posted…Getting Possessed with Kathy and the Dishwasher: 6th Victim – Lisa and Ashley of The Dose of Reality
Ugh, Kathy, that sounds horrible! My mom had her gall bladder removed when she was in her 20′s and it sounded rough. But I’m sure if you’d let things go 6 more months, it would have been a lot worse. I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that I come out of all this feeling better than before. But I guess I’ll just have to wait and see. Thanks!