Surgery Tuesday

[Sparky]

This is VERY true with a DBT rupture and repair. It needs to heal up in the immediate term and it really is one of those things where pushing yourself can be more than just counterproductive--it can lead to a lot of complications and even re-injury. That's one of the hardest things to get your head around with this surgery--that it's a marathon and requires patience. Don't lift more than your surgeon clears you for and don't push harder than your PT advises/teaches.

Once you are past that PT phase and are released to do your own lifting/rehab, you'll get some general guidance on how to do that and how to ratchet it up. There is some "no pain, no gain" involved there as it will almost certainly be uncomfortable in spots and you do have to push through it. But you have to do it smartly, slowly, and it small bites. I remember going over to a lady at the gym when she was putting away a 20 pound curl bar and asking if she was done with it. She kind of laughed thinking I was kidding or picking up on her. I said, no . . . I am serious . . . I'm rehabbing a bicep rupture . . . and I proceeded to grit my teeth and sweat bullets doing reps with it.

It's a slow, painful, frustrating slog . . . but the nice thing is that you see small improvements every day and you'll feel much more back to normal in a few months.

I'm already struggling with not using the arm. Old habits I guess.

[Ramsker]

I'm already struggling with not using the arm. Old habits I guess.

Wait til you drop something or someone else does and you reach for it really quick with the repaired arm. That'll wake you up in the morning. Pretty much everyone I know who had the injury did that at least once.

[pickenup]

^^^What he said^^^
PT is important.

[flogger]

DNA tests have shown that most present day physical therapist have direct historical ties to angry Catholic Nuns and 15th century Spanish Inquisition 'investigators'.

PT can be rough but you can do it. Stick with it and fill us in on the progress. Best of luck and thoughts your way.

[OtterbatHellcat]

Yeah, it's a bitch, but you can do normal stuff...like "wiping", sooner than you would think. Buttoning pants and tying shoes....all that is a pain in the ass early on.

Hold hope, you'll be using your arm soon, just wait it out and do what they tell ya to do.

[OtterbatHellcat]

I did it....getting a pot to make spaghetti. The pot began to fall when I was grabbing it out of the cabinet, wrong arm "save grab attempt".

I think I went back to the couch and cried a little bit, and wondered if I had messed up all the work that was done.

Sparky......DON'T DO THAT!

[Ramsker]

I did it....getting a pot to make spaghetti. The pot began to fall when I was grabbing it out of the cabinet, wrong arm "save grab attempt".

I think I went back to the couch and cried a little bit, and wondered if I had messed up all the work that was done.

Sparky......DON'T DO THAT!

Yeah, I had more than one of those kinds of things. That jolt that runs up your arm is a real treat.

I was pretty sure I re-ruptured mine at one point. We had an emergency with our german shepherd and had to get him to the vet ASAP. He was about 70 pounds at the time and he wouldn't/couldn't jump in the back of my Xterra. Was a little panicked and I didn't really think about it and I picked him up. His weight shifted and there was a POP that I felt right at the repair site and it hurt like hell--my wife even heard it from 6 feet away. This was probably when I was supposed to be limited to picking up less than 20 lbs. The arm felt weird/painful and I said some choice words and drove to the vet.

By the time we got to the vet, the arm felt a little better and felt pretty normal the next day. I went to see the surgeon convinced I jacked it up and he examined it and said I was fine and had ripped up a bunch of scar tissue. Whew.

[flogger]

I know a guy, Harold the Hook, that has a false arm. He's was in residential construction management with a major homebuilder. One of a kind guy, really good. Anyone remember him?

Anyway, he had the typical shoulder strap setup and ended up tearing something in his GOOD shoulder that needed surgery.

Talk about a compassionate wife!

[OtterbatHellcat]

Besides the pain, I do remember hearing a noise too, I really did think I wrecked the repair at that time.

[Sparky]

Don't use the bad arm to pull the truck door closed.