Want the Good news???...or the Bad news?? REALLY BAD day!

a reply to: DBCowboy

I'd give this more stars if I could. Good PTs are the key along with you following their instructions.

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: DBCowboy

I'd give this more stars if I could. Good PTs are the key along with you following their instructions.

My physical therapist introduced herself as #cking Bitch, my first day.

I just looked at her funny and she smiled and said, "You'll be calling me that every day".

She was right but I would worship at her feet because she was that damned good.

originally posted by: DBCowboy

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: DBCowboy

I'd give this more stars if I could. Good PTs are the key along with you following their instructions.

My physical therapist introduced herself as #cking Bitch, my first day.

I just looked at her funny and she smiled and said, "You'll be calling me that every day".

She was right but I would worship at her feet because she was that damned good.

I can see it now,Oh thank you bitch! may i have another please bitch!

Disk i wish you luck. you gonna need it. Shoot and I thought i was having it rough with the pnumonia.

a reply to: DBCowboy

I never complained about anything mine ever did or asked me to do, and I thought I was hiding my discomfort pretty well. There were three of them where I went and I worked with all three depending. One day, the one guy was working me and he asked me how I was doing during a passive stretch session. I said I was fine, but he looked down and said, "Oh, I can see those fingers tapping pretty good. I think we're probably about there."

I didn't realize he'd picked up on my tells that well. I used to start drumming my fingers as it started to hurt and the more I drummed, the worse it was hurting.

a reply to: ketsuko

They know the "tells". I've a torn rotator cuff and an impingement know and my therapist knows without me even saying a word.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

No jokes aside.

Yes, yoga is your friend. At the beginning, mere postures. As you graduate, you’ll want more.. and more stretches!

The body is a rubber band. It’s all connected.

Stretching your body (properly after warming up) is the key to success!

You will feel better my friend. Take this advice!

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

How did it happen, you mentioned you had something wrong with your rotator cuff a while back, but it sounds like it just got really bad. I suppose I do not have to ask, you have cattle on a farm. I thought it was your left rotator that was bothering you before, or was that someone else. I must know four people around here who have problems this year with their rotator, the guy I get our side of beef is one of them, another friend who works construction also had his go out. One guy I know screwed his up falling off a roof shoveling snow last winter, it got better somewhat but he needs surgery and he is putting it off.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Ouch does not sound good, what the hell you up to that you bicep muscle is torn or in the wrong place even. Wrestling and got caught in a shoulder hold? Fall of your house while shoveling snow or something ?

When you cant wipe your own arse. You know your in trouble. Well, maybe, time to get one of those fancy water spout toilets. I see somebody posted the butt buddy toilet add already.

originally posted by: Trueman

originally posted by: schuyler
Sorry, bud. I was feeling sorry for myself because I'm dealing with a kidney stone at the moment, but your situation sounds far worse.

There is one ancient andean herbal medicine called "Chanca Piedra" (Stone Breaker). You might want to research that. It's easy to find online.

I use that. Whenever I feel a little tight when I pee, I take the capsules for a few days and I tend to feel better.

Thanks everyone for all the replies!

There have been a lot of questions so I'll try to answer them the best I can with this post. If I miss one just remind me and I'll answer that too. Answers to questions:

1. What did I do to cause the injury? - It actually happened in two stages. The first event was pretty dramatic, and the final straw was the dumbest thing you can imagine. I'd had some pain in my shoulder for a while, but the first time I "injured" my shoulder I was jumping over a 5.5' foot corral panel to get out of the way of a charging steer. I put one foot as high up as I could and threw my other leg over the top. Right then the steer slammed into the panel which sent me flying. I couldn't really get my arm fully extended to break my head first fall so I kind of landed on the outside of my elbow and then crashed into the ground on my right shoulder. My shoulder hurt but I could still function. I figured I just strained some muscles. This was early last spring.

The final straw was the dumbest thing imaginable. In early September I was pulling on the ripcord of a stubborn weed whacker which wouldn't start. It suddenly started mid-pull and my elbow went backwards unrestrained. I heard something snap, and I went to my knees. I knew my shoulder was pretty badly injured then. After that it's just gotten worse, but I've still managed to function (sort of).

2. Pain - While this might be an asset, it is also a curse in some respects. I have an extremely high tolerance for pain. Even my doctors are usually shocked, as was the orthopedic surgeon yesterday. His first comment after looking over the MRI's and X-rays was how he couldn't even believe I was standing there at all. He asked me to do a number of movements and tests and wondered out loud if he was even looking at the correct MRI's and X-rays because it shouldn't have been possible. Even as I sit here and write this today, I'm not in any particular pain. I can use my right arm pretty much normally, but there are certain motions I just can't do well because I have no strength and there's pain. According to the doc these motions would cause most people to go straight to the ER immediately. To me, they're just uncomfortable. Sleeping is probably the most difficult, but I don't sleep much anyway.

3. Being left handed - This one is really hard for me. Really hard. Part of the reason is #2 above. Over the years I've had other injuries (lots), my back in particular. I compensate for those injuries by doing something a different way. I can only bend and twist in certain ways, and all those ways are to the right. I didn't realize this so prominently until I started to try to use my left hand and arm for things. My right hand, arm and shoulder are everything, and the thought of being without them is almost overwhelming (hence the 'religion, yoga, zen' comment).

4. Religion/Yoga/Zen - I was only half joking when I made this comment in the OP. I realized last night that, mentally, I am not in the right place for this. And, it kind of also comes down to the pain thing from item #2 again. Historically, I've been able to just power and grit through about anything. Just rub some dirt on it and keep going. This time I can't...and to be quite honest, it scares me. My mind is in the wrong place, and one part of me just wants to give up (which is totally contrary to my nature). My wife is my soul mate and my best friend, and she's also the most positive person on planet Earth. She tells me not to worry, it'll all be fine and she can do all this stuff. I love her dearly for this, but there are some things which just require raw power, or danger, that I'm just not okay with having her try to do. God forbid were she ever to get hurt (or worse). Somehow I know my life will be different on the other side of this whole ordeal. Getting from here to there I just don't know how to do, hence the wondering aloud about finding the inner strength to get there.

BTW - And for some of those holier than though thou' comments, I never meant to imply that I was asking God, Buddah or a yoga instructor to make anything easier or less painful for me. I was only wondering where I would find the inner strength to cross this bridge.

5. Current state - It's a toss up as to which is harder, this one or the left handed part in item #3. In my current state I can pretty much do everything I need to do, and this is the hardest part. I just have to be careful and take it slow. After this surgery my ability will be 10,000% LESS than it is right now. So I have to go way backwards in order to go forward. This is contrary to my core being, I never go backwards. It's like my antithesis. But the problem is, this won't get better. It will only get worse, and I know this. So I've got to do it...somehow. I just don't know how.

Sorry for the long post. Hopefully I answered your questions. One last thing. Yesterday, the doc said my other option would be to just go straight to PT now and try to get the most I can get out of the remaining structure. He recommended against this, and I agreed, but he had to throw it out as a formality. I hope I'm making the right decision.

As things stand, I will go under the knife at 7am on January 11, 2021.

Best.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk


I’ll pray for you and your family. My wish for you is quick healing and some financial help as well. A go fund me would help!

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
The "bad news"...my right shoulder is destroyed. Plain and simple. Three of the four tendons in the shoulder are torn, one of them completely severed. My bicep is in the wrong place, and my whole shoulder is just completely cratered. Total Rotator Cuff destruction, completely destroyed.

Ouch! So sorry to hear this...

Strong recommendation...

Mega-dose MSM and good quality Multi-Collagen product, combined with mega-dose Vitamin C (necessary for proper MSM and Collagen absorption/utilization).

The mega dose MSM will dramatically help with the pain, and the combination will dramatically speed healing.

Believe me or not, but it is inexpensive to try...

a reply to: tanstaafl

What is "MSM"??

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: tanstaafl

What is "MSM"??

WebMD description here.

Aka 'organic sulfur', made from DMSO (another miracle substance that should be in everyone's health arsenal).

ETA: best brand is OptiMSM, best source is from MSM-MSM.com.

Be sure to get the one without any fillers, like this one.

I buy it in at least 10lb batches (last time I bought 50lbs because enough people wanted to stock up) and share it with family/friends, much better price.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I don't know about the MSM, but I did do lots and lots of homemade soups with lots of bone stock full of collagen (broth set up like jell-o in the fridge). I've heard collagen is really good for those types of injuries, so we just kept boiling the heck out of poultry carcasses and beef marrow bones, pig's feet, and assorted other things in batches and making soups and stews out of them.

You can drink it straight up too.

I am so sorry to hear you're having such a struggle going through this, but you really are going to have to bite the bullet and get yourself put back together. You're never going to be happy otherwise from what you're writing because you'll be left with two minimally functional limbs.

As for the yoga, it might be a good thing from what you say about the injuries to your back and stuff over the years. It might help you get more function back to your left if you work through some of those older injuries. And if you can work it while leaving your right alone, it might help your frame of mind to see improvement going in all areas.

The other thing is to watch that pain tolerance. You're going to have to accept that just because you don't hurt or feel all that painful doesn't mean you can do it. If you've been told not to -- DON'T. Not even a little bit is OK just because it doesn't hurt all that bad. Trust me ... my pain tolerance doesn't sound as legendary as yours, but it's pretty high and I had to stop myself more than once.

Are they going to have to do open shoulder or will they be able to do arthroscopic?

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Get ahold of me. I have some Zen to share...but you already have it....peace brother....

PS FCD: Nothing fades away...only changes the "constant". And you've already begun your metamorphisis

Hey FdClay? It'll take my switching to my laptop! Ltr...get back Jo-jo!

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Pain - While this might be an asset, it is also a curse in some respects. I have an extremely high tolerance for pain.

Yes a curse...
I was having "weird" head sensations and neck sensations, no pain at all.
Dr. tried two times to put me on..............................Antidepressants.
Dr. said I didn't need to see an orthopedist as it was just muscular or in my head from stress.
Keep in mind I have zero symptoms of depression!

I'm hardheaded so I made the appt on my own with the orthopedist.
Turns out, it is a slipped disk with fracture!

i feel for you man. Being seriously injured is the worst thing ever. At least can walk with messed up arm though.

I've torn my acl twice and meniscus once. Thats the worst cause i am just getting through one of those acl tears and was on the couch for about 6 months. Im walking now but still can't do the things i love like snowboard or mtn bike or rock climb.

I've broken my ribs multiple times. More months on the couch. I tore by rotator cuff when i was 16. I didnt have reconstructive surgery cause it wasn't as bad as yours. Bu It didn't stop hurting and falling out of place for about 10 years. It's not a fun.

I shattered my right elbow and that was probably the worst pain in my life but an easier recovery than all those other broken bones. I got 16 screws and 2 plates in my elbow to hold it together. Still hurts when i throw a football of lift heavy things. That was 19 years ago.

this last acl tear nearly pushed me over the edge. smoked an ungodly amount of weed to keep me sane.

good luck recovering. i don't know what church would do. Try to learn astral projection. Probably the most spiritual experience you can have.

a reply to: booyakasha

Church? It's not necessarily the church itself so much as learning to foster that spiritual connection. Some people do that in church. I foster mine more personally, but it does help to have the spiritual to lay those burdens on and something deeper to connect to.