"That is great news. I am getting mine done on the 15th December and it is great to hear from someone who has had the surgery and is crushing the rehab and return to the mats."
Best of luck to you, sir! FWIW, I'm now about 10.5 months out of a total replacement and can say that it was definitely worth it. While it's not really anywhere near 100% yet, it's officially surpassed where I was pre-surgery, and more importantly, there's no more pain in the joint anymore, since there's no more biological joint that has nerve endings in it. I don't expect that I will be 100% at the 1-year mark either, but my shoulder was in really, really bad shape, so this is to be expected, I suppose.
Just to chime in here on my (non-replacement) shoulder repair surgery, I'm 11 months out and in my daily life I don't even notice that anything bad had ever happened. I know I'm not at 100% yet only because I can't do things like reach out to snatch single legs on that side if someone is circling around to the back from front headlock like I can on the other, and I had to tap to a big guy hunting for americana. It was not locked in, he just had my hand flat on the mat and I felt it already. Better safe than sorry.
So it's pretty much official that my labrum repair was an unqualified success. I recommend having it fixed if you have a labrum tear, even though it sucks for most of a year. I was jealous of how much faster these replacement guys were progressing than I did at the beginning, but now I think I'm ahead of the curve!
One thing I have learned from several surgeries is that "healing is a skill." So, remember this reality as you go through the tough process and before you know it life will be back to normal or the new normal. Keep working at those skills that you can work and keep growing in positive ways my friends. We get better. Best to you. OSS
Surgery didn’t happen. I was prepped ready to go but the implant’s packaging had a hole in it and the surgeon couldn’t fit it because he could not be sure it was sterile.
"Surgery didn’t happen. I was prepped ready to go but the implant’s packaging had a hole in it and the surgeon couldn’t fit it because he could not be sure it was sterile.
I am back on Monday to try again."
Shocking that they‘d only have the implants once 😱
"Surgery went well today but the surgeon got a good workout doing it due to the amount of muscle mass I have."
How are you building muscle on a shoulder that needs to be replaced? I'm almost a year out from my surgery and I'm pretty sure Olive Oyl could still beat my ass in a shoulder physique contest.
"How are you building muscle on a shoulder that needs to be replaced? I'm almost a year out from my surgery and I'm pretty sure Olive Oyl could still beat my ass in a shoulder physique contest.
Glad your surgery finally went well though!"
A mixture of band work, cable rows, isometric holds, very light but high repetition dumbbell work and some land mine pressing.
All this was supported by liberal use of pain killers and TRT. One tip is to take Ompeprazole if you are using NSADS. It will help your gut health. Also drink kombucha and eat lots of vegetables.
Reduced pain meds to paracetamol and NSAIDS. Feeling pretty good now that I am off the stronger medication. Swelling slowly going down and getting a little mobility back.
I am hoping to leave the house tomorrow for my sanity.
Tomorrow will be exactly a week since surgery. This week I have reduced my pain medication to paracetamol, hit the gym to lift weights the last two days and taught a full lesson using the constraints led approach.
My mobility out of the sling is rapidly improving but I really am listening to my body. If tired I sleep and I never push into pain with anything I am doing at this point.
I have physiotherapy next Friday and I look forward to getting a new exercise prescription to get my teeth into.
9 days post surgery and the physiotherapist says I am healing very quickly.
So far no loss of grip strength or muscle mass which combined with what she described as rapid healing will probably be a mix of the exercises and Peptide stack I am using.
I now have some basic isometric exercises to add to what I am doing and will be back with her in two weeks.
14 days post operation. Scar healing nicely and only taking paracetamol twice a day. Only using the sling if the arm gets tired or at night to prevent me moving it around too much.
Rehab going well too. More mobility and starting to work on strengthening all the muscles around the joint mainly with isometric exercises.
Saw my surgeon today exactly three weeks from an anatomical full shoulder replacement and he is more than happy with the result. The scar is healing really well and my range of motion is good.
I am now allowed to drive and do not need the sling but may use it if the shoulder tires.
Exercise wise he is still cautioning against doing too much which echoes what my physio said last time I saw her.
Having said that most of the isometric exercises she has set me are feeling super strong and I have been bent over rowing 8kg with zero discomfort.
I see the physio again on Friday and it will be interesting to see what she gives me next.
Active range of motion both above my head and behind my back better than it has been in years.
The physio has decided to skip a number of exercise progression stages due to my speed of recovery. I am now on banded exercises and exercises to stabilise the scapular.
Next physio appointment is in two weeks and I intend a similar level of improvement by that appointment.
I am now coaching regularly using CLA and even able to do a few of my own demos. Definitely a way of properly drilling anything yet but give me a little time and I am sure that will be happening pretty soon.
I was hoping I would be at 100% by this time, but I'm not. I'd say I'm at about 85%. My surgeon and PT tell me that this is still normal, and emphasize that my activity levels and demands I put on my body play a big part in why I'm not quite there yet.
Here are some things I CAN do:
- bench press 190lbs (~86kg) for reps
- a cartwheel
- a head stand
- full range pull-ups with added weight
Here are some things I CAN'T do (yet):
- shoulder presses
- scratch my upper back/shoulder
- win the underhook in sparring on anyone bigger than maybe your average 11-year-old.
- get through metal detectors without some special attention
While I've been back to rolling for several months now, I haven't competed yet, but that's about to change, as I'm planning on a couple tournaments in March to help me get back into the swing of things. I'm not expecting amazing results, as I'm also still recovering from a hip replacement last May, but this will be an important milestone for me, psychologically.
Anyway, just wanted to check in and let everyone know some potential outcomes to expect, post-replacement.
