Day 1, SHOULDER SURGERY DIARY

In the last six months I have had my both shoulders repaired by laparoscopic surgery. Less than 24 hours ago, I had my right shoulder repaired. These were outpatient surgeries and I was home within six hours on both occasions.

NERVE BLOCK
I received a block before both surgeries. The ‘interscalene nerve block’ totally numbed my arm and lasted less than 24 hours. I did not have any complications with this block that was administered by the anesthesiologist. Be prepared for when that block wears off. It has now been 24 hours since my surgery, and the pain has gotten worse because the block has completely worn off.

MEDICATIONS
Take the pain pills before the block wears off. You will need to keep a notepad by your pill bottle. Trust me, you will not remember what time you took your pain pills. You can also set the alarm on a cell phone to remind you when to take the next one.

NAUSEA
My doctor prescribed some pills for nausea also. These have been a lifesaver for me. The pain pills make me sick to my stomach (and also very itchy). The nurse told me I could take Benadryl for itchiness if it gets really bad, but the combination of pain pills and Benadryl will cause major drowsiness. You may want to ask your doctor to prescribe Zofran for nausea if you get sick to your stomach very easily. The combination of pain pills and antibiotics can cause a sick stomach.

THE ANTIBIOTICS
You might be prescribed an antibiotic too. Speaking of antibiotics, I refuse to take Quinolone antibiotics. They can have a side effect of tendon damage. I took Levaquin on two separate occasions last year and now have tendinosis in both shoulders, resulting in shoulder surgeries on both shoulders.

AT HOME
At home, after surgery even simple things can be quite difficult. Things you might not have thought of, like carrying things, getting dressed, opening pill bottles. If it was your right shoulder, you will have even more challenges if you are right handed.

DOGS
If you have a dog that might jump on you it could be a big problem (especially if it is big dog). You might want to have a friend take care of your playful pup for a few days. I happen to have a six month old German Shepherd. She has not learned to stay down yet. When your arm is immobilized in a sling it is very difficult to stop a dog that is coming at you.

COMPRESSION STOCKINGS
My doctor requires patients to wear compression stockings for three days. Even with two arms these are not easy to put on. They are also not too comfortable. I believe that the pair provided by the hospital are for folks with very skinny legs. CVS or Walgreens sell compression stockings in larger sizes. If I had known that I had to wear them I would have went and bought some in advance. They are for thromboembolism prevention, before, during and after surgery help to prevent blood clots. Some doctors don’t require that you wear them, however.

HELPFUL HINTS
Take advantage of the speech to text on electronic devices.

Important: Keep a note pad next to your pill bottles. Write down the time when you take your medicine.

I didn’t think to ask the doctor to go over how to put on the sling. This sling is quite a contraption. I was on medication when they put it on me, so I don’t remember how it went on. I looked at it before I took it off to change clothes and was pretty sure I’d remember how to get it back on, but I was wrong. If you have a digital camera you may want to take a picture before you take it off to change clothes.

This was from my surgery 6 months ago: