Met my orthopedic surgeon about getting my torn right shoulder's rotator cuff operated on. He said I was good to go, but I expressed fears about not being able to get out of chairs/up from toilets since I wouldn't be able to push off with my right arm. That, and a few other right-arm-related concerns as well. He concluded that I probably shouldn't have the surgery after all. Oh, great.
Instead, I'm getting steroids injected in the joint. We'll see if it works. Give it a week.
@insomniacviolin The best non-surgical option for me (can't remember what it's called, it involves extracting my blood and re-injecting it) isn't covered by my insurance. Sigh.
@leejackson Beware the steroid shots. Shoulder may be fine but I know some people that had them who ended up worse.
My grandfather has knee problems. Got steroids and went from using a walker to a wheelchair.
A coworker had back issues. She got steroid shots, gained weight, and this multiplied the pain. Two months later when the shots wore off the weight stayed.
Personally, I think steroid shots are a great option for healthy young people. They're less effective for the old and infirmed.
@leejackson I'm #NotADoctor but my advice would be to go back to your doctor and have the surgery. A few weeks or months of having to be careful about using that shoulder to get out of chairs, etc. in my mind is a far lower risk than the potential complications from the steroids.
Ask around and see if others *in your health* and *at your age* and *with the same shoulder problem* actually got better from steroid injections.
@danielbsmith I'll be 60 in November. My problem with the chairs is that I can't simply "be careful about using" it to get out of chairs - I absolutely HAVE to use it to get up from chairs. So, since I absolutely CAN'T use the arm for 4 months after surgery, I'm screwed. Surgery cancelled. My only options are to get the shots, or to get a second opinion from someone who'll put me in a hospital for 4 months with people to help me get around.
@leejackson Then decision made. I wish you well and I hope you get every positive benefit of the shots and none of the negative ones. 👍
@leejackson 🤔 I know you're probably sick of hearing this, PT and OT would have helpful input and exercises at this point before surgery ever being done. Also depending on insurance, there's actually several options available for recovery.