I never thought I was out of the ordinary til I saw my orthopedic surgeon last April. I have very loose ligaments that gives me quite a bit of flexibility (get your mind out of the gutter!!!). This has caused my right shoulder to continually fall out of the socket, and in doing so, causes extreme pain & inflammation that then impinges my rotator cuff. I started PT in April & started getting steriod injections, today being my 3rd in 7 months...and the doc said no more for 12 months.
Normally, a trauma causing this condition could be fixed with surgery, with great prognosis...but b/c mine is due to my loose ligaments, there is a 60% success rate...and today he said he didn't want to operate until I did 12 months of PT...and I have done 7 already without much improvement.
I have regained most of my range of motion and strength...but the pain gets unbearable, and results in numerous sleepless nights b/c of the it...and many days filled with pain.
I can't take normal NSAIDS (to reduce the inflammation) b/c they all really irritate my stomach...due to taking them for way too many years...the military thinks Motrin is the wonder-drug cure all! So, I am kind of at a loss. I was taking the mass dose of Tylenol allowed w/ some relief...but I really don't want to destroy my liver before I am 30.
People have joked that they can smell me coming b/c I am always wearing or putting on Bengay, but I really don't know what else to do. Heat helps much more than cold...but I am just really frustrated.
The doc also told me that this is something I will grow out of..."I never see 30 or 40 y/o with this problem." So, I told him my concern with wanting children, but not wanting to tear my rotator cuff in the process of caring for them...and he said that the problem will probably increase with pregnancy b/c the hormones cause all your ligaments to become more lax...WTF!!!
So...he didn't want to give me another injection b/c it can increase the risk of tearing my rotator cuff...but I told him I just need to get through the next week of clinical...then no more heavy lifting and I promised to be back in 6 weeks for another check up.
Sorry, just needed a "woe is me" moment.
Monday, October 27, 2008
My super-bendy curse
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5 comments:
I had a coworker who was constantly popping his shoulder out. He would go to the ER, and then come back like nothing ever happened.
This sounds very painful!
Eeeewwww....sorry about that. I am right there with you on--not the shoulder but I have a bladder defect of a 70 year old woman--how crazy is that?
Hope things go well and the shoulder improves!
It makes me hurt just thinking about it!!
OW! Do you have to pop it back in place all the time?! So do you want the surgery when the 12 months is up?
I have a "whale" of a liver, my surgeon told me after my gastric bypass. I have migraines and daily headaches, so I had to take stuff like every day...I MISS my Excedrin Migraine...tylenol is ALL I can take...rrrr. Really need my nuerosurgeon to find something that works for me!!LOL
I have never had it not go back in place...you can just pull it out very easily. It doesn't sit in the right place in the joint. I am up for the surgery if there is a chance it could help b/c the pain is getting to be too much. And since I am only 26, I really don't think I should have to live in this much pain!
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