M - So I had me some shoulder surgery

On July 25th, my dear bride awoke with me around 0400hrs to shuffle me off to Northwest Surgical Hospital for what we both perceived to be a little minor outpatient surgery. It's been a week now and I'm frustrated by my progress yet realize I have NO CLUE what my progress should actually be. Living predominantly one-armed for about 10 days now has been quite an adjustment. To be sure, I have not enjoyed it. :-)

I am thankful though for good health insurance that makes something like this possible for us. Hopefully all the pain and inconvenience I was experiencing in my left shoulder prior to surgery will be gone and will warrant the pain and inconvenience I am now experiencing...insert whiny sound here.

Here are some pictures from during the surgery. I took my camera to the hospital, got the nurse/surgeon to agree to take pictures, then forgot to take it with me to the operating room. Fortunately they were kind enough to take these two pictures. Click on each picture for a full view.

























Here is a picture of what I call my shoulder diaper. I had to wear it for 72 hours after the surgery. It was nothing but a big gauze pack taped securely over the 3 points where the arthroscopic instruments were inserted.










Here is the 'waterproof' shoulder concoction created by my bride using Press-n-Seal from the kitchen and waterproof tape from Walgreens. This is required in order for me to shower.









Here is my torture chair where I'm 'supposed' to spend 4-6 hours every day. If that sounds impossible to you, it is! It does nothing but raise my arm up, bring it back down, then rotate it out and back again. The big blue thing on my left shoulder is a pad through which ice water circulates and is connected to a special ice chest with a pump inside. The thing hanging around my neck is a pain pump that slowy injected numbing medicine into the surgery site for the first 72 hours. The medicine was delivered through that tiny little tube hanging out the bottom of it. Pulling out that tiny little tube was an adventure. I could feel it moving around deep down inside my shoulder. It either really hurt or really grossed me out (or both) because I was pretty queasy afterward.










My poor kiddos, especially my Noah, have found themselves to be quite bored at times without their daddy play buddy. Noah knows I'm really bored too and built a car track around my chair to keep me entertained as the cars went round and round.. He did it when I was out of the room to surprise me. Noah took this picture.











The doctor said I probably need to have the this same operation on my other shoulder in the coming months. Perhaps the truly most difficult part of this surgery has been my supremely naive expectations that it would be NO BIG DEAL. In reality, I had alot of bursitis, essentially NO cartilage, and my shoulder bone had fused to my collarbone. I'm not entirely sure I understand how that's possible but that's what the man said.

Here is a short video clip from various parts of the surgery. Dr. Calvin Johnson was kind enough to narrate it and hand me the DVD in the recovery room. This is one EXPENSIVE MOVIE my friends!