I had my first followup with my surgeon yesterday. He said I did not have a torn biceps tendon, but he’d needed to do some cleanup of the biceps attachment around the shoulder. The rotator cuff was torn worse then he’d expected from my MRI, and that was what made my surgery more involved. But all went well and the long-term prognosis is good. I’m now cleared to do light motion down low, including typing, which is a relief, no more leftie hunting and pecking. For the first six weeks rehab is light exercises like the pendulum (let the arm dangle and passively move the arm so the ball-and-socket joint gets some motion). I can also actively move the lower arm at the elbow with no weight.
I have nine incisions. Three were smaller and I got the stitches out, the other six are a bit larger and the stitches come out next week.
BionicOldGuy 
I have a question! How to ask…. Your rehab takes a lot of work – similar to the work an alcoholic or addict has to do to “heal” – on all levels I imagine – mental, emotional, physical and spiritual How much support are you receiving along the way in your rehab? In addiction rehab – support is paramount for success. How much support are you receiving or is your ability to go through such complex physical healing a result of your own inner strength? Does your support include a belief in a Divine consciousness? Like those in 12 Step programs believe in a Higher Power?
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I’m glad you didn’t ask me this until I was cleared to type :). But these are great questions that will require some reflection and also make me open up a bit, which is a good thing. I’ll give fairly short answers now because I think the topic of finding the strength and support to get through rehab deserves its own blog post.
The key thing for me in having a positive attitude in rehab is how I view it when I have a setback and am again back to square one. Is this just because “shit happens” and I am just unlucky or clumsy? That would be discouraging. Then I’d just be Sisyphus pushing the rock up the hill knowing it was just going to fall back to the bottom again. Or is there some reason this happened, some lesson I can learn from it, and come out of rehab better for it? It is crucial for me to believe in “it happened for a reason” and not “shit just happens”.
My main support is from Karen, my wonderful wife of 45 years who goes back into caregiver mode when I’m rehabbing. I am the one with advanced education in the family, but she has the common sense. She is unconditionally supportive, but will come down on me like a ton of bricks if I need it. For example, I tend to “push the envelope” when rehabbing, erring on the side of doing too much. She’ll rein me in as needed. That’s especially important this go-round because with healing the fragile rotator cuff you have to go really slowly and patiently or will definitely delay healing or even have a worse outcome. I also have good support from family and friends offering encouragement. I also find that being positive and showing gratitude to all who help me, whether they be professionals, family, or friends, helps me stay happy through the process.
The analogy with rehab from addiction is very apt, although I think their journey is tougher because they have to heal underlying emotional or psychological issues. Otherwise, you may fix the problem just on the surface but become, as AA puts it. a “dry drunk”. I have great respect for 12 step programs and have friends and loved ones who have benefitted from them. I am not a participant in any formal rehab program that is analogous to 12 steps but I’d consider it if a relevant one existed. Personally, a core unshakeable belief for me is that there is a higher and lower aspect to our personal consciousness, and that cultivating the higher aspect is key to happiness. I also personally believe in some sort of Divine consciousness, or, as Dr. Amit Goswami puts it, the Universe is “self-aware”. Our connection to this Divine consciousness is through our higher personal consciousness. This is my take on Huxley’s Perennial Philosophy, which he argued is a core belief common to all religions. But I also think people who are skeptical of Divine consciousness can still be happier by cultivating the higher aspect of their own nature, even if they interpret that purely as a psychological exercise.
I will give these questions a great deal more thought and do a blog post about the psychological aspects of rehab in a couple of days. Thanks again for the stimulating questions 🙂
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Glad you’re on the mend.
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thanks!
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I am glad recovery is going so well. I am also pleased with your positive thinking… It is always our stepping stone for whatever comes our way. Sorry i am a bit late, please forgive me.
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Thanks!
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