More tips on surviving shoulder surgery

I have a few more tips to help you get through shoulder surgery. Actually, these tips could apply to getting through any type of surgery.

1. Physical therapy is the key to success.

I can’t emphasize this enough. When I was researching recovery from shoulder surgery, this is the one piece of advice everyone had. It is so true. I am so grateful for my awesome therapy team at ATI Physical Therapy in Wellesley. Andrew, Kaitlyn, Mike and Selena have been godsends.

Keep all of your physical therapy appointments – even if you don’t feel like going. Consistency is key.

Follow the instructions of your therapist. If they say you shouldn’t do something, don’t. In the early days of my recovery, my therapist said I should not even carry a coffee cup in my right hand.

Do your home exercises. It is kind of like the dentist, they will know if you don’t do your exercises.

Physical therapy is a process. The first several visits were sort of easy. I started out with a heat pack. Then the therapist massaged my shoulder. And then I just lay on the table and the therapist gently moved my shoulder. The visit ended with a cold pack. Kind of like a spa treatment.

Hah, we are over the easy part. Now, the therapist tortures, er, I mean gives me, exercises to do that feel very uncomfortable. Just keep telling yourself that this is good for your muscles.

2. Recovery is as much a mental game as a physical one.

I love to exercise and I love to push my body. This is not the time for that. I need to focus on rehabbing my shoulder and this means gentle exercises that, on the surface, don’t seem to do anything. But that is what is needed for my shoulder to heal.

3. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Mr. Ken and my dear friends Lisa and Judi, have been life savers during this time. I can’t drive with only one good arm and although I don’t go many places, I did need to get to doctor appointments, physical therapy and the food store. Hah – I even had to have Mr. Ken cut my food for me. Once again this is impossible to do with one hand.

4. Find new hobbies to pass the time.

With only one working arm, being on the computer was out. It was also hard to read with my arm in a sling. So I came up with some new hobbies.

**House on Amazon Prime.

So what if I am 12 years behind the times. I love this series. For those of you unfamiliar with the series House, it is about a brilliant, but socially inept doctor who can figure out any kind of medical mystery.

**Jewelry making.

I love silver jewelry and I love pretty, colorful beads. So I ordered several of these from Amazon. And the I realized I couldn’t really make jewelry with only one working hand. Oops.

What tips do you have for surviving surgery?

Physical therapy image is courtesy of kbrookes under Creative Commons license 2.0.

Mental game image is courtesy of Andrew West under Creative Commons license 2.0.