Down but not out!

[Les]

Finally had to give in and get the shoulder fixed.   Post op yesterday and saw the video of the insides of my shoulder.  Eegads!  How did I manage to lift deeps right into the fall?  I am becoming the bionic woman, four screw stitches left in to be absorbed by the bone.  Doc said this will take 6mos to a year for it to all knit together.  Never dissuaded, the first comment out of my mouth as I looked at Ken, "guess you will be lifting the deeps this year!".   .   So for now, i will have to be content to wander out to the hives and watch the girls come and go on the warm days and catch up on some needle felting crafts.  Getting older ain't for sissies!

[Jen]

No Kidding Sistah! That's why I've down scaled to 2 hives and some nucs..  hang in there Les, our spring is about 6 weeks out.

[neillsayers]

Les,

You ain't a-kidding. When I was a pup I always wondered why so many old timers where grouchy. Now I know why- it hurts! Some are just better than others at grinning and bearing it.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

[riverbee]

"Getting older ain't for sissies!"

................

hey les............like neil said, best wishes to you on a speedy recovery!

[Bakersdozen]

Thanks for keeping us posted.  It takes time to heal.  Speedy recovery to you.

For someone of my sex and age, I do some pretty heavy lifting on a daily basis.  I can't do quite as much as I used to and rely a lot more on carts than before.  I am sure that helps when lifting brood boxes and supers.  Some of those supers aren't for sissies either! 

[Les]

Recuperation is coming along, achy most days but nothing ibuprofen can't handle.  Beautiful 50 degree day here and the girls were flying like crazy.  I had Ken crack the lid and pull out one frame to get an idea on whether or not we need to feed.  The frame we pulled was full and peeking down, it appears that their stores are in great shape and the population looks good.  Decided not to feed them at this point.  Keeping my fingers, toes and eyes crossed!

[Perry]

Sounds like you have things in hand, well done!

[Chip Euliss]

Pleased you're mending Les and I'm pleased your pain is manageable.  Turns out, I have to get my shoulder fixed on Tuesday.  Tore 2 tendons loose (fell when we were fishing this summer) and the repair requires those screws and the Doc said 6 months before I'm normal (I'm looking forward to that part since I've never been normal ).  He also said my arm would need to be in a sling that doesn't let me move it for 6 weeks.  I really hope it doesn't take that long.  How long afterwards before you felt reasonably normal?

[riverbee]

lol, who's normal chip?.................
please point me in the direction...........wait, naw i don't want to be normal...............

tore them out fishing and fell?  been there done that stumbling around rivers, not shoulders knees and hips............ darn! just use the other arm........

good to hear from ya les!

[Chip Euliss]

lol, who's normal chip?.................

I remember an "Abby Normal" from an old movie

[riverbee]

............
that's too funny chip! 
abby normal............if i remember.......... from mel brooks movie......young frankenstein?  something about dropping a genius brain and replacing it with someone else's named ABBY? !!!
that brain was 'abnormal'............

[Wandering Man]

Wife had rotator cuff surgery earlier this year.  6 weeks in the sling, then six months recovering.

We had recently started playing Pickleball when she tore her rotator cuff with her backhand.  It was already damaged, the hit just finished it off.  It took about 8 months for her to get power back.  She still does her physical therapy exercises everyday to keep things strong.

It's a long painful recover, but the surgery results seem to be consistently good.  Don't neglect your twice a day physical therapy!  That's the only way you'll get full use and range of motion back.

[Chip Euliss]

You got it River  

[Les]

Wandering Man, this is my second shoulder repair albeit worse than the first due to the fact I am older and
Mr. Arthur Itis has stepped up and chewed away at the shoulder joint.  Interesting how each doctor deals with recup differently. My doctor had me out of the sling at two weeks.  I have two passive exercises to do four times a day.  He might start PT at the six week mark.  It will be six months to a year before I am completely healed.  This is just a band aid for now, he said both shoulders are bone on bone and will probably need shoulder replacements when I can't take the pain anymore.  I will be the bionic woman because my hips are heading in the replacement direction too.  If you work hard physically all your life your body just wears out. But I'll keep plugging away till then.

[Chip Euliss]

AND my mom used to tell me that "Arthur" was the worst one of the "Ritis" boys too   Hang in there; isn't it amazing what the medical profession can do to make our lives better?

[Les]

Amazing?  Absolutely and thank God!

[riverbee]

hey les, hang in there, very true what chip said!  hard to say, but i guess somewhat of a pride hit for me, always thought i was invincible, could do anything.......two surgeries and i am humbled!!!

i am out 1 year from THR on the right hip, and 16 months on the left (THR)......what a haul!

i go to the ymca for a couple hours every day (and work with a trainer)  to get my muscles/mobility/flexiblity back in shape......bike, treadmill, weights, etc...lot's of non disney language, but i am getting there.  i won't have some of the flexibility with the hardware, but i have no pain! and some things i can't do as to not dislocate the hardware.....it won't keep me from wandering rivers and fishing!!!.............

last week i was able to hike up my leg presses , and i did 15 floors on a stair stepper contraption......doesn't seem like much, but it is to me!
used to hike all over creation in montana.....i will get there! the 'therapy' will also help with lifting hive equipment and hauling it around! 

keep us posted as to your progress!

[Les]

Chip, sorry I did not reply sooner.  Been on the move traveling from NYS to Georgia and now in Florida.  As I sit here typing, there is an ice pack on my shoulder.  My doc had me out of the sling in two weeks and I was doing very passive exercises.  At four weeks, he told me I could not lift anything and Ken was to pick up my arm and lift it above my head.  I was NOT to lift my arm by myself until I saw him again the beginning of April.  The shoulder itself does not hurt much but my bicep hurts continually and all of sudden I will get a stabbing pain from time to time.  My recuperation is much different than when I had my other torn rotator cuff fixed back in 2002, of course, there was more damage and arthritis.  Good luck with your surgery, hope you have someone to lift your hives for you.

[Chip Euliss]

Thanks Les.  I had the surgery on January 24th and they told me I had to wear the sling for 6 weeks.  They started the passive range of motion stuff at physical therapy a week after the surgery and they tell me now that I have my full range of motion.  I'm just starting some mild strengthening exercises.  Coming along ok and I'm fairly confident I'll be able to get my bee work done since it will be over a month before they come home.  Like you, I still get a bad pain from time-to-time but arthritis strength tylenol gets it under control most of the time.  The therapist says the achy stuff comes from the bone face where the tendons were reattached and the spur areas they removed from my ball joint.  I'm ready for it to go away but I am getting a little better each day.  My wife and I are leaving for NC in a few days and my therapist has given me many exercises to do while we're away.  Get to feeling better Les!  When I was young, I never understood why the older folks complained of aches and pains.  Now that I am one of those older folks, I understand all too well

[Les]

Got that right