Sammy??

[sammyo1]

Marcia, the pt claims that because the pressure would be more evenly distrubted it may not be as painful as wearing a bra.
What you are describing almost sounds like the abdominal support but perhaps abit smaller. Good thing you are so knowlegdable, I would have never even thought to be careful after taking it off. Boy I am so glad I have you to get some opinions & advice from. you are so valuable to me my friend. I am going to see what the surgeon says after viewing the pts notes.
I am alittle worried, woke up with that right hand numb & tingling so bad that it actually was darn painful, every time I would raise it, it would get worse. My whole upper back is so painful, both scapulas & everything in between. Could hardly use either arm this morning. Man this can really get to you, you know?
Pulled out one of my books from my MA class, looked over the diagrams of the ribs, seems like it is the 6-8 area & probably some in the upper chest, hard to tell in that location. The xiphold process located at the very end of the sternum gets so sore & tender, the slightest pressure is to much.
I'll tell you sucks to have to worry about the doctors pushing you off on another. I am concerned that even if he thinks there is a problem in the spine it will be a wait to get into another specialist. He is in an office where there are several ortho surgeons together, all specializing in one area or another. I am going to ask him if he can deal with the ribs, my gosh he is an ortho. It is just all getting to me. Tired of all the pain & worry. I swear every single day is different. I have started a journal again because of that reason, to try to help the PT, I explained to her how difficult it is because every day can be different & mornings are the worst, at times it is hard to remember when you are still half a sleep, heck so sore at times it is hard to even write. Ever get like that?
How is the teeth? My daughter got a kick out of the duct tape comment around the ribs.
Trust me I value you opinions & am keeping them tucked away, theis surgeon is pretty much waiting to see how everything goes as the shoulder heals, so I am trying to be patient. Of course I am going to look like a real idiot when he finds out I went back to work. It was not planned. More of an emergency type deal. I swear if I just left this couple hanging at this point I don't think they would do well. I know there are other people out there but I pretty much handle everything & no one else is going to do that. Took me along time to learn to deal with each or them & their illnesses, but I am going to have my sister pitch in, try to give her a crash course on what to watch for, at least know she will inform me of everything. I just hope they don't scare the heck out of her, they have alot ot things going on. I am realizing in no way am I going to improve with out taking it easy, period.
How many days are you going for therapy? & hows it going? Still wearing the sling at all?
Still icing? So focused on me I want to hear how your coming along. Talk to you soon. Sammy

[feelbad]

considering everything,focusing on YOU is kind of important right now,i am not as bad as you are sammy. those ribs HAVE to be screwed up,or the "connections' there in order for you to actually be feeling real pain in the xiphoid process? holy crap sammy. this really does NEED deeper evaluation,thats just not right at all. i didn't realize it was the whole entire ribcage that was the problem,i just thought it was all isolated in the back area. an MRI is now a must hon,really. this just is not right at all. i really can see why your PT people are concerned. its just too wierd ya know? something just doesn't sound like its actually where its supposed to be structurally. honestly sammy,i have pain and sometimes it does get kinda ugly,but you really sound very inflammed in there for some reason. and i personally,based upon your symptoms,really don't think this has anything to do with arthritis or the tendonistis,this really sounds like a structural problem to me.

in order to actually have pain in the xiphoid,you would have to actually have some level of pressure forcing upon it from the back? you know what i mean?it sounds like something is either too tight or not tight enough? just how do your ribs move? bilaterally in every way or is there any difference at all in your chest rise? or just the way your ribs look when you look at them in the mirror,or when lying down?

it would be to your benefit to go back and look at what areas were the problems per your MRI report pre op,and also to take a look at the op notes just to find out the areas where the bigger issues were(and more importantly what they actually did and did not do). if they don't include that subscap muscle/tendon in any way shape or form, something may going on within your spine. it would,like i said,really take a more detailed exam and eval with that MRI to really see what may be going on back there. either way sammy,you just really NEED that good look in there to see what in the heck is atually going on,espescially in the areas where surgical repairs were done. the way you were actually moving very early on in this during your sleep 'could' just could,have caused something to not fully go back together in some way or heal improperly? just some possibilities that could explain this horrid pain within your ribcage.

my pain is mostly right in that joint area and also right at the top of the upper arm for some stupid reason. i do have pain in my blades but that is from other things that were kind of there and casuing me problems way before the rotator surgery happened. these areas are from my c spine and upper T,along with having my right kidney kind of stuck partially under my right ribcage in the front. totally different reasons there ya know? yours just really 'sounds' much more structural,espescially with xiphoid pain?

i have pushed and prodded many a xiphoid processes over the years just looking for the CPR landmark in scenerios with real people and doing this on patients when CPR was needed,it is simply a piece of carteledge and nothing more ya know? to have pain when you are pressing down would really require actual pressure pushing on it,perhaps even from both sides leading up to the sternum? do you know what it is i am trying to say here? to find that source of pain,you really need that good look at the back. if i were you at this point i would just really really push hard for that MRI. there would be no sense in continuing on with PT if there actually is some level of problem,espescially possible structural issues,that would not really be doing anything for you except to keep aggrevating and inflamming the areas and casuing you lots of uneeded pain.

i am glad you are now trying to shift off some of this responsibility with your patients to someone who can better physically handle it right now. this seriously is making things much worse hon,it just does. taking the time now will actually KEEP you employed in the future. trust me sammy,you do NOT want to end up like i am,wishing i could work again. you need to find out just what IS going on back there before doing anything else. something just isn't right back there,and your PT people already know this and i am willing to bet,your surgeon does too.

alot of what we feel after any given surgery is what was actually being worked on and how it impacted other areas. your surgery,depending upon what EXACTLY was done or left,may be the reason for what you are feeling or it may not be,you know what i mean? this is why it is so crucial for you to really see the op notes and that MRI of the pre op rotator and summary of what was wrong. then obtain the new MRI but on those three areas i mentioned. this would be a good comparative study for at least part of the MRI with the old one.

honestly sammy,sometimes YOU just have to play detective to try and explain things in your own body(this comes down to plain advocating for yourself). i did after my sp cord surgery and evrything was just going crazy on me. i had to learn alot about neuroanatomy and also spinal cord injury just to even begin to explain the 'new' me. i just know WAY too much now becasue of all the crap my son has gone thru and trying to explain why my body just is the way it is now too. it does help to know this stuff,espescially when speaking with your surgeon,and your PT people too. knowing your very own conditions is just crucial to get the best possible care in this day and age.

i did some checking about that subscap yesterday and given the way it runs,this could be a potential issue if it was worked on hon(it would appear that this actually runs from top to bottom from right under the supraspinatus way on top(my injury) to way down towards the bottom of the ribcage right behind the side of the inner blade). i would highly recommend doing some basic research on the rotator tendons/muscles and the overall structures and how they actually connect with the ribcage and where. you just really need to understand the connections in any problem areas you may have going on,espescially in your type of post op situation.

believe me sammy,i am just glad that we are going thru all this together and can compare notes here. i am happy that someone else can actually benefit from the crap i have had to go thru. that does make ME feel a little better if someone else doesn't have to deal with what i did just becasue i wasn't aware of something,ya know? you just learn as you go. i am only doing PT once a week(but doing the excercises and the pully at home) and thats working okay for me so far. i knew going into this if i did go back to this same wonderful PT guy that he did book quickly,but its going okay so far.

i just really would push for that MRI and get the op notes and go thru them so you actually know for certain just what was done on you. you just really NEED to know whats up at this point in order to not just hurt yourself further,you know what i mean? its a must for you right now. just really "know" your inury or pain process as best you can,it does help tons,believe me.

keep me posted hon and PLEASE take it easy sammy. marcia

[sammyo1]

Marcia, I went into to therapy today with my little list of questions for my pt & she was out sick. Ended up with some guy who looked very nice & kind, not. He is not working on me again. Although he made some good recommendations I have no interest in letting him near me in the near future. He said my whole pec area in the chest was looked swollen, very tight & I was sore today so you think that would have given him a clue. I did mention the whole rib thing & he did say it could be from the shoulder but he interesting enough ask what area & what exactly did the surgeon do? Boy I am in one bad mood. No relief, that constant ache, you know. My ribs throb, even the chest area can do that, man did I have the muscle spasms,my whole breast hurt all the way into the ribs around the back to scapula.
I am the proud owner of my own set of pulleys, although what I went through today was not worth getting them. He did not work on me anything like the other therapist. I really appreciate her now.
I have not heard from anyone back yet in regaurds to helping at work, everyone needs money & wants a job but at their conveinance, what the h*** is wrong with people.
My ribs look kind of like they are bulging in that perticulair area, I think it is like maybe 6-8, not positive guessing. She did notice some issues in the back but most of my pain is in those ribs & yes you can see a nice bulge there alot of the time. Hurts like crazy, but after reading your post you have got to have some major pain yourself so you would know what that is all about. I am not sure how they are moving, she noted it right away.
I did find a binder but I am showing it to her first to double check. This guy today he just kind of said grin & bear it, & try not to breathe to deep because it must hurt, Idiot. I have done that on & off for 3 yrs & everyday for the last year. Crazy how each therapist is diiferent, ya know, different approaches & all. I could not go through todays therapy on a regular basis, I would be in ER. He wants me to take motrin for two wks straight throughout the day to get the inflammation down, my stomach will love me.

Now you see why I am in such a rotten mood, no one in my family wants to talk to me & that is fine with me. I will try to start the pulleys tommorrow at home. How do you like them? he says it will help the healing got speed up. After all the motrin he wants me to take I should not have a problem (ha). Crazy.
He explained how there is a huge scab under there trying to heal, lovely.
He also said I should have less painful movement by now, I explained everyday is different & I often have a delayed reaction, do something now & pay later.
He thinks the stiffness & ability to move first thing in the morning can be the arthritis to, & he asked does a hot shower help, which it normally does, feels great. He was kind of getting on my nerves, you know how some therapists second guess the doctor. I let him know the surgeon thus far has reminded me that this is a long recovery & not ot freak out. I do not like a therapist who ignores what a doctor says to a patient. I value their input but it can get confusing to the patient. I told hime I may have to ask the surgeon for something for the muscles, he more or less said "well he is done with the surgery, so he probably won't give you anything else, he did his job more or less" well I am still suffering here so what the heck.
Got to tell you I get fed up with everyones opinions, I am nervous enough about all this pain & recovery crap. I will probably end up with more tests, but I am hoping to see some improvement with therapy. I still can hope, you never know. We will see. Man what a day. I will ask my PT about the myofacial stuff next visit, along with a couple other things. Might as well get my moneys worth & ask away, heck I learn more from your therapist (ha) Sammy

[feelbad]

i have my PT a littel earlier than normal today so i will have to get the heck off this PC here really soon. yep,the PT place and the people you see really DO matter,alot. i have found this out along the way with having variuos PTs and rehabs and had some of the best and the worst. the place i referred to last year,the womam was a flippin joke and spent about ten out of the alloted 30 minutes with her hands actually on the TP problem areas. not at all like i had with the PT while i was in a rehab hospital after my spinal cord surgery or the wonderful guy i have now,absolutely no comparrison there.

i really do think getting that MRI ALONG with also,at some point here also obtaining that stellate inj would be your best bets as far as trying to pin down the generators here. this is the first time you actually mentioned having swelling? this too could be a sign of a more SNS involved type of pain syndrome too. may or may not be,you are so inflammed in there right now hon,it really would be very hard to say either way ya know?

i agree,ask as many questions of your 'regular' PT person,they are there for you ya know? you DO need to know this stuff in order to do the best possible rehab and make decisions too.

i saw my surgeon yeasterday and he told me i am much further along at this point than he expected becasue of all my other crap going on up there. he said he was pleasently suprised. i am to continue seeing my PT guy and around the 1 of may,he wants me doing some level of lifting or "pulling' with those bands thingys? just to gain back more strength. but he said everything looked great right now and my ROM is really much better than he expected. i know it is all due to actually being able to have the myofascial release done. it really does help alot sammy. it just helps 'release" the over tightened fascia that actually is covering all your muscles and tendons. with the inflammtion you have had going,i am willing to bet that fascia is really pulled up tight right now,and probably has been for quite some time even before your surgery. this is just something you really need to speak to your PT person about. it really helps hon.

i cannot remember if i told you about this one med called cytotec? this med was made specifically for people who have to be on any type of NSAID therepy. taking just one cyto with your motrin really helps to prevent stomach issues(even ulcers) from happening. this worked amazingly well for me many years ago when i had to take the 800mg motrin? my neurologist actually Rxed it for me. this really helps your stomach alot. either thator find out if you can take zantac one hour prior to taking your anti inflammatory. this was what i had to do when i HAD to take cipro becasue of a possible infection(that wasn't) in my knee post op? i couldn;t take just about any real anti B by mouth without suffering horribly in my stomach for it for days and days. the zantac one hour before really helped. you need to check with your pharm tho just to make sure it wouldn;t interfere with absorbtion. just some good suggestions for ya that have worked for me.

well,i gotta fly here. please keep me posted hon.marcia

[MountainReader]

Sammy and Feelbad,
I hope you don't mind that I posted on your thread. I know you have both been going through alot after your surgeries and that you have other things that are complicating your recoveries. (I really do wish you both well as you go through your healing process.) The question I have for both of you is if your doctors or PT's have ever actually told you what a "typical" time frame is for healing from shoulder decompression?

I had my subacromial decompression on April 3. I started PT on the 8th and am scheduled twice a week. My PT says I am on track. (Whatever that means.) My doctor (who is incredibly good-specializes in shoulders and works on lots of athletes) didn't even do an examination when I went for my one week follow-up. He just showed me the picts of my shoulder from during the surgery and explained what he found and what he did. He said he was pleased with how things went. Again, this really didn't tell me anything about what to expect during the healing process. The only thing I really got out of him was that I should be able to begin bowling again when the fall leagues start.

By the way, the thing I am liking best about my PT is the time he spends 'stretching' my shoulder. He spends about 15 minutes gently 'pulling' and manipulating my shoulder while I have it relaxed. He stops at any point it is painful so he isn't doing anything to make it hurt. I really think it will help build my range of motion back quicker. I am living for the day I can move my arm up behind my back again. I haven't been able to for about 14 months. Got to have something to look forward at the end of going through all this.

Well wishes,
Mountain Reader