My Experience

I had a skiing accident resulting in bone spurs, a torn rotator cuff and arthritis. This happened about ten years before my surgery. Eventually, the pain simply got to the point that I couldn’t ignore it any longer.

Initially my doctor told me that I needed the surgery but I chickened out and took a couple of cortisone shots instead. These worked like a miracle but allowed me to do more than I should have, resulting in potential additional damage and ultimately a longer recovery. I had the surgery about 12 months after the initial visit. The procedure lasted longer than expected due to the additional damage that may have occurred as a result of the increased mobility I felt after the shots.

The pain after the nerve block wore off was quite significant, however, the doctor gave me a cocktail of Oxycontin and Percocet that allowed me to cope well. About three weeks after the operation I started physical therapy which I went to three times weekly for three months. It was painful but there is no way I would’ve been able to make a complete recovery without it. I’d say that it took me a solid six months to completely recover functionality and 12 months to get to the point where there was no longer any pain.