# DH & Shoulder Replacement Surgery



## Baymule

Today is the day! We have to be at the hospital at 2:00 for his surgery at 4:00. Nothing to eat or drink since midnight. This has been a long journey. We started with knee replacement surgery in 2015, but he failed his stress test and was sent to the hospital for heart catheterization, which he also spectacularly failed. The Dr was back out in  a few minutes to tell me that my husband had 95% blockage in 3 arteries. I said, well he needs surgery then doesn't he. The Dr replied, Glad you see it that way, let's wake him up and tell him. He could have dropped dead at any moment. He was admitted to the hospital and had open heart surgery 2 days later. This was followed by recovery and physical therapy. Then he had oral surgery. He finally got Knee replacement surgery August 2016 and once again, we went the therapy route.

He is now having his shoulder surgery. It pops out of socket all the time and I pop it back in. It is a constant source of pain and misery. This will be the longest recovery and therapy yet. The Dr said 8 weeks in a sling and no usage of the arm, except therapy. Naturally it is his right arm and he is right handed. We bought him elastic waist banded sports pants so I won't have to unzip his blue jeans for......well.....you know. 

He is dreading the long recovery, inactivity, and not being able to use his arm. I keep telling him how great it will be when he has recovered and he no longer hurts. His knee surgery was fantastic. He can actually run again and he can bend the new knee better than he can bend his other knee. Looking forward to recovery and wellness.


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## norseofcourse

Hope everything goes well!


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## NH homesteader

Hope all goes well, we'll be thinking of you up here!


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## CntryBoy777

Sure do hope all goes well, just keep us Posted with the progress....Thoughts and Prayers for a swift recovery. 
Btw, put a smile on DH's face and tell him I saw the video he was referring to...


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## frustratedearthmother

Absolutely have ya'll in my thoughts and prayers.  Rehab will be a witch - but it'll be worth it to get him back in good working order!  Hang in there, gal!


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## OneFineAcre

I hope everything goes well.  Prayers headed your way.


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## animalmom

@Baymule, please remember to take care of yourself during this time.  Won't do anyone any good if you are not 100%.  My thoughts and prayers are with both of you today and in the future.


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## animalmom

Ya know, I think this is one occasion where we don't really need pictures.  Ya know what I mean?  Just saying.


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## Hens and Roos

Hope all goes well!


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## Bruce

Has DH ever heard the phrase "busy as a one armed paper hanger"?
Well that will be him for awhile. I bet he finds LOTS of stuff he can do with only his left arm. Step 1 will be fun, learning to eat and write with the "wrong" hand. You can cut his meat just like you do for the younger grandchildren 

Also, you may recall that Senator Bob Dole lost the use of one arm in WWII, still going at 93. DH can do this for a few months


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## Mike CHS

Looking at the time your DH is almost ready to go into the surgery right about now.  Hope everything turns out perfect.


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## Latestarter

Probably under the knife as I write this. Hope all is well and nothing unexpected happens. Hope he heals well and fast.


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## Baymule

He had a rough night and is still in a lot of pain. But we get to go home tomorrow.


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## CntryBoy777

Sure glad to hear he made it thru okay....sorry for his pain and discomfort....but, with ya going home tomorrow that says a lot. Try to get some rest, it will come in handy when ya get home. I'm sure he will be more than Glad to get to some real vittles instead of that hospital food...tho, he isn't tasting much of anything with the pain....for both of ya


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## frustratedearthmother

Bless his heart...and yours too.  They need to stay on top of that pain, it's so much easier than to try and play catch-up.  Hope he can find some relief and that both of you can get some rest.


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## greybeard

I hope the recovery goes well. Gonna be a rough road, pending on exactly which procedure they wen with.
I need it done myself, and dr told me it is much worse than hip or knee replacement because with those two, the body's weight tends to help to hold everything in place, where with a shoulder replacement, the normal use of the arms and any weight picked up tend to want to 'separate things'. 
Good luck!!


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## Baymule

The therapy center told us that it would be a long process and it would be painful. So far, they got the pain part right. But he has been in daily pain for a long time, he needed this done.


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## Mike CHS

That old saying "growing old isn't for the faint of heart" always applies but getting rid of pain is always a plus.  Everyone is pulling for him (and You).


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## Baymule

I sat up last night after he finally went to sleep, pushing the morphine button every 10 minutes so the pain wouldn't wake him up. He is much better tonight, but still hurts.


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## OneFineAcre

speedy recovery


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## babsbag

Hoping he breaks all the records in recovery time but at the same time takes it easy and lets it heal. (something I am terrible at).


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## Latestarter

Hope the pain subsides quickly for him. Hope for a quick (relatively speaking) heal and recovery.


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## CntryBoy777

Bay you are a real "Trooper", the DH is in Great hands...sure hope the pain subsides to a much more manageable level very Soon. Glad he was able to get some well needed rest. Don't forget about yourself tho, you could use some too. I know he'll feel better in his own bed and with your cooking. Hope ya have safe travel home, and a really quick recovery.


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## Baymule

We came home this afternoon. He has been sleeping in the recliner sofa we bought just for this surgery. Recliners have right hand levers and his right arm is ensconced in a sling. So we bought a recliner sofa and he is peacefully sleeping on the end that he can use his left hand to open the recliner mechanism. Wanna hear something funny? Both of us hate this %^%& sofa. It looks good, western style with big brass head nails, but our individual recliners have high backs that cradle our heads and no recliner sofa even comes close. Oh well, it is serving it's purpose--keeping him comfortable.

We have an appointment on Wednesday for evaluation to get started on physical therapy. He is eager to get started.


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## NH homesteader

Being home makes a huge difference. Hoping for a good recovery!


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## CntryBoy777

See ya always find a purpose and put it to use, Bay...it really isn't to Surprising...just look at that Barn. 
Glad he is getting some rest....and you need some too. Sounds like it is going as well as can be expected....Thoughts and Prayers are still with ya.


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## promiseacres

Glad he is doing well.hopefully things continue


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## Bruce

When I read you bought the recliner sofa specifically for the surgery I was going to joke that he had been trying to convince you to buy one for years and finally had to resort to shoulder surgery to get it. 

Guess that joke fell flat on its face! Sorry you had to buy something you hate, maybe when he is better you can sell it and get some of your money back. 

 for both of you.


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## Ferguson K

Glad he's home!


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## Baymule

I am the one who insisted on the new sofa. We looked all over town and finally bought one. Once we had it awhile, we just didn't like it.


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## CntryBoy777

How is the DH today Bay?....hope he is still able to rest some....


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## Baymule

Today was his 3rd therapy session. He goes 3 times a week. It doesn't look like a lot, but he is tired afterwards and takes a nap....sorta. On Monday, his first day, afterwards we went and picked up 3 pigs. When we got them home, we were hungry and tired, so I gave them water and left them in the trailer over night. He napped while I cooked a late lunch/early supper. We ate, then we both crashed and napped.

Today, after his exercises, the therapist had DH lay on a table while he gently moved his arm around. The therapist, Jack, targeted specific muscles, massaging them, while he raised Dh's arm. He was able to raise DH's arm higher than he has been able to raise it in years. We are greatly encouraged that after he completes his therapy, he will have a greater range of movement than he's had in many years.

I have been on the tractor a lot this week, moving wood chip mulch around. Power line contractors are in the area and they have dumped more than 20 loads of mulch on our property. We are spreading the mulch on the bare sandy dirt in order to keep the dust down. It is eating DH's guts out that he can't do anything, so he consoles himself by telling me what to do, how to do it..... which of course I ignore, we wind up yelling at each other and he stomps back to the house.


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## Devonviolet

I'm glad to hear your DH is making progress! It's been a long road, for him.  Our prayers continue, for continued improvement.


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## Bruce

He can rearrange the chips in a few months when he is able to get back to work.

It is great his range of motion is doing so well just 3 sessions in. Sure makes it easier to keep going when you see that sort of progress.


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## Baymule

Bruce said:


> He can rearrange the chips in a few months when he is able to get back to work.
> 
> It is great his range of motion is doing so well just 3 sessions in. Sure makes it easier to keep going when you see that sort of progress.


He has OCD tendencies......I know that he will be out there raking his little heart out.  He gripes at the chickens because they scratch at his driveway-he put mulch over the crushed concrete. Now he can't repair their damage. 

It is really good news that his range of motion has increased, especially since the surgeon told me after surgery that he was disappointed in DH's range of motion. While DH was still knocked out, the doctor moved his arm around and it was limited.


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## CntryBoy777

Oh, that is so wonderful to Hear, Bay!! I've been wondering how his progress was going. It sounds like he is coming along above expectations, too. I'm sure it is that excellent care that ya are giving him....


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## NH homesteader

I'm really glad to hear good news! That's got to be painful and incredibly frustrating for him, not being able to do much.


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## Bruce

He mulched the driveway? For what reason? People usually put crushed rock down so they can limit the amount of wet junk after a rain. Seems mulch would do just the opposite.


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## Baymule

It was crushed concrete with uneven footing because of different size "rocks". The wood chips made it smoother and easier to walk on. Plus it holds down the dust.


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## Bruce

Been a long time since you've updated on DH's new shoulder. How is he doing???


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## Baymule

This is his last week of therapy. Before surgery, he could not raise his right arm any higher than his shoulder, he couldn't hold his arm straight out. He could not comb his hair, reach his left ear or reach behind his back to tuck in a shirt.

His therapist has worked him very hard. Jack has laid DH out on a table, stretched his arm out, and pushed it up, leaning his weight on DH's arm. The therapist has pushed DH to the limit and beyond. It takes a couple of days before the pain subsides and by then, it is another therapy day. It has been so worth it. Now DH can reach his left ear, he can shave, comb his hair and do a myriad of things that he hasn't been able to do in a long, long time. He is thrilled with his new freedom.

The therapist, Jack told him that he can now start using the tractor a LITTLE bit and using the rake a LITTLE bit. Saturday, before the storm hit, we both worked in the garden. He operated the tractor, dumping wood chips on sandy areas and I raked it out. Then I operated the tractor, taking loads of wood chips to the garden, where he raked them out. About 1 1/2 hours and I told him he was done and made him quit. He was so glad to feel useful again, but he was tired. Over the summer, we will slowly ease him back into the swing of things and in a year's time, he should be able to do what he wants to.

Bruce, thanks for asking.


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## Mike CHS

I'm glad he is seeing that much progress.  As long as he has been down the stamina is going to take awhile to build up but you obviously know to keep him from doing too much.


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## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I'm glad he is seeing that much progress.  As long as he has been down the stamina is going to take awhile to build up but you obviously know to keep him from doing too much.


Yeah, yell at him and start swing a shovel.....LOL .....not really-I don't swing the shovel


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## Latestarter

It's funny when they both get to yelling... Never seen him win over Bay though   She's a "natural force" to be reckoned with. Being on the receiving end is NOT on my bucket list!


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## Baymule

Today our dear neighbor Robert, came over and the two spent "guy time" rolling out a 200' roll of non-climb horse wire and stretching it. The H-braces were already in place from our last fence building spree. The farrier was here trimming the horses, so when that was done, I went to investigate what they were up to. Robert was doing the heavy stuff, but BJ got to cut down a small tree with the chain saw. That made him happy! They had the wire stretched good and tight, so I hopped in the Kawasaki Mule and we went to get some T-posts. I pounded Maybe 10 T-posts while BJ eyeballed them to make sure I had them in line nice and straight. By that time it was 3:30 and we called it a day. BJ favored his rebuilt arm and didn't do anything stupid, he is tired, but happy. He said he did something useful today. We are on track to finish the outer fence on this place!


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## Mike CHS

I know exactly how he feels and I know he has to be feeling good about everything.


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## Baymule

I just want him to wake up and not be in pain. He has lived with it for so long,  he deserves a good life and I just want him to not be in pain. His shoulder used to pop out of socket almost daily and I would pop it back in. In the 2 1/2 years we have lived here, he had a triple bypass, oral surgery, knee replacement, prostate surgery, and shoulder replacement. He's feeling pretty darn good about now...


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## Mike CHS

I grin every time you say how good he feels.  I think I might have mentioned before but 30 some years ago I spent a year and a half in a wheel chair and was told I would never walk again.  That didn't work out that way obviously so I truly can relate to his progress.


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## promiseacres

Glad things are going well!


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## NH homesteader

I have been wondering how he has been recovering. Glad to hear he's doing well!


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## Bruce

Sounds like PT is a good job for a sadist  (well, a compassionate sadist )


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