Shoulder dislocation

[iradney]

Hey guys

So TTO (my husband) is very into his bodybuilding. Last week, he managed to dislocate his shoulder while benching

We got him to a physio who referred him to a very well respected orthapedic surgeon who specializes in shoulder injuries. Apparently he's pretty much torn all the ligaments and buggered up his rotator cuff, and the only thing keeping everything in place is his muscle. Which would explain why it keeps popping out again >.<

He's going for the op (they're going to use tiny cameras!) next week Thursday. Can anyone give tips for aftercare like how should he lie in bed (I'm already gearing up to sleep on the couch as I cuddle in my sleep and don't want to hurt him), should I get ice packs?

Also, happy healing thoughts please?

[dragon_wings]

No advise but hope he heals quickly. Cause ouch.

[Sparky]

I haven't had the same injury, but I had a broken shoulder and I had shoulder surgery (different occasions). Both times I found it much more comfortable to sleep in a recliner. It keeps the arm in a "neutral" position and prevents you from rolling over. Following surgery I only had to do this for a few days.

Ice packs? Are you kidding? YES. Good to have in any case.

Best of luck to him. And you.

[Elspeth]

Sounds a lot like what my Mom did to her shoulder. She got a reclining pillow from Amazon. it is a wedge, 45 degree angle I think. They told her sleep in a recliner also.

Good thoughts going your way.

[Sparky]

You know what? Call his doctor's office and ask to speak with a nurse. Ask the nurse these questions. Because she'll know what to tell you to expect.

Doctors never tell you. Doctors make surgery sound like a breeze. Nurses are the ones who will tell you what kind of aftercare to prepare for, but if you don't call them you won't have contact with them until the day before the surgery, if then.

When I had my shoulder surgery (bone spurs) my doctor made it sound so simple that I expected to have it on Thursday and be back to work on Monday. I called and asked to speak to his nurse, and I was told "Most people aren't off work more than two weeks." I had to make arrangements to take time off. I would have been completely unprepared if I hadn't called.


Face it. Nurses rock.

[pitmonkey]

Make up your own ice packs. If you have a vacuum sealer all the better. mix water with alcohol (4 to 1) and put in bags and freeze. If you use ziplocs double bag, if you have a seal a meal just remove as much air as possible and seal.

[Sapphire Silk]

Ortho is not my specialty. Is the surgery outpatient or inpatient. If the latter, ask to speak to a physical therapist.

If the former, talk to the nurses at the surgery center. They should be able to tell you.

[iradney]

Thankfully we have a truly awesome physio literally 1 mile down the road from where we live, so he's sorted for that TTO is going in next week, so I'm sending him a list of questions, and if push comes to shove, I'm pretty much hanging out at the hospital the day of the op until he's out of the OR, so I can pick a nurse's brain then

[Seshat]

I was about to say 'ask for a referral to a rehabilitation service'. If you already have an awesome physio, make an appointment with him/her. Give him/her a copy of all the info you've been given about the surgery, including a note from yourselves with the info you got verbally. (If you can give it to him/her in advance of the appt, great)

Let the physio manipulate your husband's shoulder carefully, to assess the damage for him/herself. She'll then be able to discuss post-surgery recovery, and rehabilitation physiotherapy.

A shoulder dislocation this bad is not something you just 'get fixed' and walk away from. Your husband should expect to have specific exercises for some number of months - I'll let your Awesome Physio be the one to say how long.

Talk with the nursing staff from the surgery, and with your physio, about post-op recovery. Plan for the worse of the two estimates, hope for the best. You'll probably end up in between.

[AccountingDrone]

Make up your own ice packs. If you have a vacuum sealer all the better. mix water with alcohol (4 to 1) and put in bags and freeze. If you use ziplocs double bag, if you have a seal a meal just remove as much air as possible and seal.

Meh, use bags of frozen peas. Get 3 or 4 bags, mark them so they won't later be used as food, works just fine. Or any other frozen veggie, but peas seem to hold the temp best for the 15 to 20 minutes per hour that you apply the cold for. Though we haven't experimented with lima beans yet...

[for what it is worth, I prefer the bags of peas over my ice brace. The ice brace seems to peter out after about 7-9 minutes, while a bag of peas keeps roughly the right temperature for 15-17 minutes.]

[Sapphire Silk]

Meh, use bags of frozen peas. Get 3 or 4 bags, mark them so they won't later be used as food, works just fine. Or any other frozen veggie, but peas seem to hold the temp best for the 15 to 20 minutes per hour that you apply the cold for. Though we haven't experimented with lima beans yet...

[for what it is worth, I prefer the bags of peas over my ice brace. The ice brace seems to peter out after about 7-9 minutes, while a bag of peas keeps roughly the right temperature for 15-17 minutes.]

That's a bit expensive for an ice pack, however, I agree it is the sort of thing that works very well.

I have a heating pad/ice pack I bought at a craft fair that is cloth and filled with corn kernels that will not pop in a microwave (I am not sure if it is feed corn or what). It is awesome: pop it in the microwave for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, and I have about 20 minutes of deep heat (in fact, I have to be careful not to burn myself). Put it in the freezer and I have about 20 minutes of deep cold (ditto frostburn).

I've had it about 10 years and use it often; it's taken quite the beating but still works great. And since it's not electric I don't have to worry about falling asleep and leaving it on too long.

[Seshat]

You can use almost any grain or legume (but not popping corn) for those.

Grab some cloth and make ones shaped just right for the places that ache on you. Small of your back, fitted to your favourite chair. Make one with a (microwave safe) belt, to wear on the small of your back when you're moving around. Make one for your neck and shoulders. Or one you can strap around your knee. Or ..

[iradney]

THanks guys. 3 more sleeps til he goes in. I'm nervous as the last op he had, he woke up (big guy - 6'10", 250 pounds and metabolism of a really really fast thing). I dunno if the anesthetist he had then was just a moron or what. So I'm staying at/near the hospital until the op is over. If he wakes up during that op, I will ruin that anesthetist. (Dad's an anesthetist with over 3 decades of experience. I KNOW people )

[kpzra]

Make sure he tells them about coming around during the surgery last time. Everyone is different in how the react, so there in no guarantee what will happen. I've woken up/been aware during all the surgeries I've had, but I have bad reactions and my heart likes to get wonky so they don't like to put me really deep.

[iradney]

Heya! The op went well - he told the anesthetist about his last experience, and this chap made sure he didn't wake up during Doc told him once he was in TTO's shoulder, it was one of the worst cases he'd seen in a while, but he fixed it up real good. He's home now with a very unwieldy sling, and some good meds.