So, here I am. Two and a half years post injury - sorry for the lack of posting, but to all of you out there wondering, it is a really good sign. It means I've been busy doing other things and that my shoulder is no longer on my mind 24/7! Yay! You will get here too!!
I have been doing very well recently, and "recently" for me is the past 6-12 months or so. It honestly took about a year and a half to start to feel like "me" again. The pain slowly subsides, and the inner happier me slowly took its place. Biking and hiking are no problem, a few modifications to the bike (raised handlebars, shocks, and wider tires) made it much more comfortable on my shoulder and it's all good now!
My range of motion is very good and I can attribute that to hours and hours of brutal physical therapy. It hurt like nothing I can describe, but it is so important to do everything that is asked of you from your PT. And also, I had a fantastic PT that massaged my scar tissue, again it hurt like the dickens and I wanted to jump out of my skin but it made all the difference a day later. Each time she did it I was sore like crazy for a day and then noticed great improvement in my movement. So, if you have a similar injury definitely ask about massaging the scar - I know they have to wait a certain amount of time because you don't want to hurt the healing process, but when the doctor & PT say it's okay to do, I strongly suggest it.
I do still have some pain with certain activities (unloading the dishwasher and folding laundry for example). And recently it hurts with little things like holding a coffee cup or getting a piece of paper off the printer at work. It is something about the lifting of my arm in front of me that hurts - I can lift it to the side with no problem, no pain. But repetitive motions in the front hurt a little, and sometimes more than a little, the surgeon thinks the metal is probably pinching a nerve. So, I have decided to have the hardware removed. Surgery for hardware removal is happening this Friday November 22nd. It's not something the doctor told me I absolutely had to do, and I think I could get along okay not having it taken out. But I decided that since there is still pain where the hardware is concerned, and I have consulted with two very good surgeons and both suggested having it removed, I am going to do it. I'll try to remember to post again soon with an update on that! What I can tell you is that it is outpatient surgery and no restrictions on movement, no sling at all! The only restriction is a weight limitation of 5lbs for 2-3 months to give the bone time to fill in where the screws were and get strong again. And no biking during that time, which is why I waited until Fall to have this done! I don't mind not biking from Nov to Jan! :)
Good luck to all of you going through the same recovery, it is not easy, and you are not alone. I remember feeling like my family and friends just didn't get it, and it's because THEY JUST DIDN'T GET IT! Not their fault, as you know, until you go through an injury like this you can't even begin to relate to it. But there are people out here who know exactly how you are feeling and how very difficult every second of every day is. So, hang in there, it does get better!!!!!!
