To all of you, i'll share my story. I've had pain in right shoulder since I was a fast-pitch softball catcher in my 20's - I speculate it was a bad throwing motion. That didn't keep me from war and all sorts of sport over half the globe for 40 years.
Then about 9 years ago in Pakistan, I suddenly couldn't lift the right arm. I could pull. I could row. But I couldn't push or lift. Back home I had a test; the cartilage had gone..it was bone on bone, I was one-handed having to shift the Jeep with the left hand. I opted not to wait - immediate shoulder replacement; I mean - what was I waiting for...a miracle?
Oct 2008 I had the operation. It turned out by not waiting I only needed the ball, not the socket. The surgeon said, "Now it's up to you." I had that operation not to be one-armed and I'd be damned if being a lazy ass would keep it that way.
I started physical therapy 3 days later. I worked out 7 days a week, for 1.5 hrs/da dividing the workouts into two sectors - flexibility (the far most important) and strength (you can always build strength). In 5 months I picked up a 5lb weight and put it on the top shelf, 5 mos 2 weeks I threw a ball 70'. 6 mos...I went through firearms training which included Remington 870 12ga. I can lift that right arm straight overhead and twist it then take the wallet out of my left pocket behind my back.
The moral...1) joint replacements work - I can throw, play golf, shoot as I never did before, 2) don't futz around - fix it; 3) If you don't want to put in the work to finish what your surgeon did, go back to eating McDonalds.
Last edited by Argo44; 02/15/17 12:22 AM.
