It gets worse!!

a reply to: JAGStorm

The PTs I had were trained by my cousin's husband, and he is one of the best in the biz.

It's very important to find a good one. It's the sort of thing you almost have to research before you begin.

a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

I don't usually say anything to your gripes at FCD, but I will this time. Have you ever had shoulder surgery of any magnitude?

If not, then back off. It actually is a long and unpleasant ordeal, especially when it deals with your dominant arm. You're dealing with a bunch of issues related to your recovery: protracted loss of function, pain, doubts about regaining said function, pain, unpleasant physical therapy, pain, lack of sleep, pain, slow healing, pain, etc.

No, it's not cancer recovery, but it takes its own toll. It helps to be able to talk to others who have gone through similar stuff.

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: JAGStorm

The PTs I had were trained by my cousin's husband, and he is one of the best in the biz.

It's very important to find a good one. It's the sort of thing you almost have to research before you begin.

I totally didn’t research because it was my first time.

a reply to: JAGStorm

I made that same mistake my first time. This time, I couldn't afford not to research it.

I completely understand though, because I thought they were all the same. I was seriously wrong!

If you get completely better from the cuff surgery, you will be the only one I know that actually did. Most people just accept the new norm. Same with back surgery, it helps keep the severe pain down but is never back to normal.

Knee replacement is a little better but hip replacement is never the same but at least it allows people to get around more than before.

I did not have any of those surgeries, but know quite a few people that have. Being sixty five, I have had lots of friends that had things wear out. Glutamine helped my ankles and knee pain, I guess it keeps inflammation down and helps with the senovial fluid that lubricates them. It will not fix full blown worn out joints though, but makes it better for me. I had no idea it was going to fix that stuff, I was doing it for my gut and my legs benefitted the most. My gut is slowly starting to get back to normal though, but I just take a small supplement. It also helped reduce the quick drops in blood pressure caused by my hypoglycemia, something I never expected it would do, I don't need to carry around a pop or water every where I go anymore, that is kind of nice.

You will need to start working it in PT and from what a few friends told me it sucks but it does get better, just not like it used to be before they needed the rotator cuff surgery. I know you can get through it but I also know that complaining is something us guys need to do to vent.

originally posted by: JAGStorm

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: JAGStorm

The PTs I had were trained by my cousin's husband, and he is one of the best in the biz.

It's very important to find a good one. It's the sort of thing you almost have to research before you begin.

I totally didn’t research because it was my first time.

Yeah, the first time I had PT, I was supposed to be there for a neck issue, and they were more concerned about my shoulders. So I spent all my PT time working on my shoulders. I ended up with neck surgery. I was a little dissatisfied with that result.

Now, down the line it turns out that I do have issues with my shoulders. They told me at the time that if I didn't keep my shoulders strong that the joints were loose and unstable and that it would cause me problems down the line. I didn't keep my shoulders strong. Am I down the line? Well, I've had a frozen shoulder in each shoulder, and I had to have surgery on the right along with a SLAP repair and nerve decompression at the same time. So maybe I am. I will say that I am working on keeping my shoulders strong though.

a reply to: rickymouse

Oh, it isn't back to 100% like it was before, but I can move it and that's what counts. I still have soreness across the front top, but that's where they re-attached the bicep tendon and cut out most of the scar tissue on the frozen shoulder. I had a membrane there that's supposed to be tissue paper thin and mostly see-through that was so scarred it was opaque.

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: rickymouse

Oh, it isn't back to 100% like it was before, but I can move it and that's what counts. I still have soreness across the front top, but that's where they re-attached the bicep tendon and cut out most of the scar tissue on the frozen shoulder. I had a membrane there that's supposed to be tissue paper thin and mostly see-through that was so scarred it was opaque.

It isn't bad if the person does not have to use it much I guess, but the people I know who had the cuff surgery said they do not have the rotation and as much strength in that shoulder as they had before the shoulder went bad. It did get a little better, it just was not nearly as good as it was before they started having problems. I suppose they wore it out and that is how it goes. The one guy had his almost five years ago I think, I saw him last summer and I asked how he was doing and we discussed it in the grocery store for a few minuted, he is a whiner when he gets hurt...I think that is a guy thing. He did say it helped though, but he was expecting it to be almost as good as new...it was not.

I remember the warning the old people kept telling me, not to overdo things....I ignored it when I was young, and all those risks gave me some problems later on. That is life, when you are young you feel indestructible. I have fallen off ladders, scaffolding, and a low roof into a snowbank in my lifetime. I actually have had my share of accidents and even a broken bone in the foot and hand sucks for the rest of your life, they heal but give you pain occasionally decades later. The two hernia patches I had put in also are not as good as new, but it did help. I used to be strong, but hernias happen when you abuse your body. Same with my back, it is damaged in three different locations, and my joints are kind of wore out too, but at least they aren't as sore anymore....which makes me overdo things even more now.

I changed the kitchen faucet yesterday and am sore in both shoulders from twisting under the sink in the cabinet. I got it done, but I will be sore for about three days probably, my neck is pretty achy too. I had a pillow over the edge of the cabinet bottom so that happened. Makes me think I should have not put the center brace in the cabinet or that I should have made the center removable so when I worked under there I could take it out....oh well, I should be good for the rest of my life now under there.

a reply to: rickymouse

Doesn't matter if you're young and perfectly healthy, or old and decrepit, replacing a kitchen faucet is one of the suckiest jobs a person can ever do!! Hands-down, it is the worst home related job I can think of! Exactly as you say; getting into the cabinet with the divider in your way, and trying to negotiate the ledge down onto the floor, is the most awkward and uncomfortable job there is. That, and you're holding your hands and arms above your head for long periods, and straining your neck to see. It's pure awful and torture. Doesn't matter if you're healthy or not, you're going to be sore afterwards. Period! (that is, unless you're some kind of a midget contortionist with freakishly long arms and tiny hands with pliers for fingers! )

I think I'd rather dynamite the kitchen before doing another one (and I've done several). That job just flat-out sucks!

I feel your pain!

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: rickymouse

Doesn't matter if you're young and perfectly healthy, or old and decrepit, replacing a kitchen faucet is one of the suckiest jobs a person can ever do!! Hands-down, it is the worst home related job I can think of! Exactly as you say; getting into the cabinet with the divider in your way, and trying to negotiate the ledge down onto the floor, is the most awkward and uncomfortable job there is. That, and you're holding your hands and arms above your head for long periods, and straining your neck to see. It's pure awful and torture. Doesn't matter if you're healthy or not, you're going to be sore afterwards. Period! (that is, unless you're some kind of a midget contortionist with freakishly long arms and tiny hands with pliers for fingers! )

I think I'd rather dynamite the kitchen before doing another one (and I've done several). That job just flat-out sucks!

I feel your pain!

It isn't bad when you can mount the faucet and strainers into the sink and then drop the whole unit in place....a full sink replacement. Just hook up the flex hoses onto the valves and hook up the drains which are way forward. But then there are the stainless steel sink clamps which suck...nex sink will be a big heavy cast iron unit if I have to put one in...just calk into place.

I have put lots of kitchens in over the years and like you said, they all suck. A plumbing company would charge two hundred bucks labor to put in a faucet, and I tell you, I will pay to have it done next time. Plus, the valve needed to be replaced, they will charge another thirty bucks for that. It took me about two and a half hours total to finish it and someone who does it all the time and is younger could do it maybe in an hour, but plumbing companies charge you a hundred to a hundred fifty bucks an hour now and they charge one way travel time. I guess nowadays I don't think a couple hundred bucks labor is bad for that, I would probably be charging sixty bucks an hour building and remodeling now and when I was bidding jobs eighteen years ago I was bidding the work at thirty five bucks an hour. Plumbing contractors made quite a bit more than builders around here all along.

Doctors make a lot of money these days too, it used to cost fifty bucks to go to the walk in or sixty to go to a doctors appointment which lasted way longer, now it is a hundred fifty bucks minimum to go in there and if it takes over ten minutes they tend to have extra charges for something, the insurance company pays maybe one twenty five.

Yet the cost of stuff from the store is not that much higher than years ago, but the quality of the tools has declined, the only nailguns and specialty tools available years ago were contractor grade....well, come to think about it it used to be a buck a pound hanging weight for my half cow and now the cheapest you can get a half is three bucks a pound hanging weight around here. So good beef has gone up considerably during the last twenty years too. Which I do not mind, farmers need to get decent money for their products.

a reply to: rickymouse

Most recent one I did was our kitchen remodel. In that case I was able to mount the faucet (in the quartzite counter) before we put the granite undermount sink in. So that install was simple, but I pity the poor fool who ever has to change the faucet! (It won't be me, I can tell you that!) The sink weighs about 160 lbs and it's a deep well apron (farm style) sink, so that thing ain't movin', and there's very little room behind the sink between the cabinet wall and the sink. I did install long water leads on the faucet so those connections were accessible, but the actual faucet ring itself would be a major PITA to get out of there, even with a basin wrench. Plus, the only basin wrenches you can get anymore are the crappy el-cheapo kind. I used to have a really good heavy duty one, but it disappeared somewhere along the way. Connecting the plumbing under the sink was a non-issue. One thing I did do, which I really appreciate now, is got a cabinet without the divider between the doors. That is nice! I did this consciously (cuz I hate those things!).

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
Whenever I come into PT, my PT will find me and ask how I felt after the last session (they're really very good). Up until recently, I've been saying "okay, sore or major pain". Last week or so I've been trying to power through it, so today I told her "I want to go play tennis, right now!" (she quickly demonstrated that was a really bad idea, but I was just kidding).

This girl knows how to find that one single point which will buckle my knees, every time, and then she homes in on that one spot. Says they're "knots" (I guess I have a lot of 'knots'). Then she proceeds to torture me for a bit more, then see how far I can flex, and then sends me off to this other dominatrix who just loves to beat on me (but she has to work from a list from the DPT).

It's getting better, as I've said, but Wow, this takes a LOT longer than I thought it would!!

Anyway, thanks for the response...it does help!

I was about to write about possible knots in your shoulder, other healthy shoulder and along the back around the spine region. Reads like you are in good hands but basically your wife can help you too.

Let her search for little hard knots then you guide her to the spot where it really hurts. Attention it has to be a knot, not a nerve point but you will know the difference. Once she homed down on it, she needs to apply slight pressure. YOU need to breath slowly and deeply. Try breathing into the direction where the knot is.

I've loosened knots that snapped audible, followed by terrible screams of pains but they all were happy afterwards because it get's better very fast. If the person that put's pressure on the knot is reactive enough, it helps to put flat pressure on the spot and release it slowly. It dampens the pain by putting a signal on the nerves in the region of the pain. Like a base line that drowns out a bit of the pain. Not much but it lessens the shock.

I learned a lot from Chinese practices.

Get well soon


Add to clarify: She uses her thumb to put pressure on the spot, after your scream of pain, or during, she needs to put her flat hand on the spot and put slight pressure on it to weaken the pain for you.

You just relax and power through. It helps to warm up the spot with those giant vibrator plates or with some heating cream.