quote: SET - I'm curious about the pain ... how much did you experience? Did your doctor indicate why you were an "atypical" case - were there complications?
Hi Mary -- ha ha (laughs nervously)... I don't want to scare you or anything, but the pain was tremendous. After my MRI, my doctor thought that my only problem was the impingement (I too didn't have much pain before surgery, although my arm didn't seem to heal with just PT and cortizone), but during the surgery he found that I had a partial (almost full thickness) tear. I woke up from the surgery expecting 6-8 weeks to full recovery only to hear that I had three to six months! sigh
The pain was about a 6-8 on a scale of 10 for probably about five weeks (and an 8-9 when my PT was pulling on it in therapy!), and the worst part is that the pain was chronic. I was in a sling for the first four weeks (they will tell you to expect to be in a sling day and night for about that long). Then, one day during my fifth week of PT, the pain became less noticeable... and then it started to go away. They say that once you're over the pain you don't remember it, and I now believe that because that time is sort of a blur.
Anyway, all is now returning to normal for me -- I'll hit the six month mark on October 16. The pain is still there, but I only notice it sometimes. I can now do "real" workouts (except for dips, planks, etc.). And I can even sleep on my side! (If nothing else, this experience has (re-)taught me to appreciate the simple things in life -- like being able to put my hair in a pony tail or drive a car. It took several months to do either!)
I don't know if my experience is atypical or not. My doctor didn't tell me it was. The only reason I said that is that you'll hear that you'll be back to normal after about three months and completely healed after six, and I wasn't (although to an outside observer, I probably looked/look that way). Plus, when I went for my first month follow up with my doc, he asked me if the pain was less, and I told him it was more... so I inferred from his question that perhaps some people experience less pain than I did. I hope you're on that end of the spectrum!
Anyway, I wish you an uncomplicated surgery with a speedy recovery. On the good side, the scars are very small -- although I have four of them, a couple look like freckles! I will send you good thoughts and well wishes through cyberspace and hope that your experience is very different from mine (and yes, it really could be!).
SET
PS I'm glad to hear Princess is doing well. I'm sending her good energy and well wishes too!
(((((HUGS to you both)))))
