I have some imaging CD's

[JenniferG]

I'm so sorry to hear this news.

Are you going to speak to the chiro? I am concerned about his future patients. He's doing something wrongly and needs to know what damage he's causing.

Hope you can get your shoulder fixed soon and that it heals smoothly.

[loves to skate]

Rohrer,
I am so sorry to hear this news also. Rotator cuff surgery is a piece of cake. It is the recovery that is difficult, but as they say here in the South, "get er done"! I think this Chiro needs to be reported if he won't listen to you. Maybe he needs to be sued to make him wake up and realize he is doing damage to his patients. Another good reason not to go to Chiro's.
Sally

[rohrer01]

Thanks for all of your encouraging comments. I was looking at my MRI report and all of my rotator cuff muscles and tendons are okay, except some minimal tendinosis of the supraspinatus tendon. Tendinosis is a chronic condition not to be confused with tendinitis. Anti-inflammatory medication doesn't work on the pain from it. When it gets bad enough, they dissect out the worst part and sew the muscle back to the good portion of the tendon. I suspect that this is what caused my "initial" pain. So, IF I end up having surgery for this, it won't be rotator cuff surgery, per se.

The real problem is what's called a HAGL lesion, which is the inferior glenohumeral ligament (the one that holds your humerus - upper arm bone - to the shoulder socket). It's torn completely away from my humerus and is retracted, leaving me with a joint that wants to dislocate. There is also a small separation of the labrum (cartilage that attaches to part of the scapula that forms the "socket"). After looking at shoulder anatomy online for literally hours today, it looks like the labrum is in the area where that main ligament attaches to the socket. But the ligament is torn off of the arm bone. Ugh!

ligaments = hold bone to bone
tendons = hold muscle to bone

They have to drill away the original attachment site on my upper arm bone (humerus) in order to reattach the ligament. When I looked it up, several sources said it depends on certain circumstances whether or not it can be fixed arthroscopically. Otherwise it's an open surgery. Double UGH! I don't know how they will fix the tear in the labrum.

There's also a couple of other things in this report that I don't quite understand. Hopefully they are minor.

For some reason this surgery scares me worse than the prospect of spinal fusion. I don't know why. It may be because I've always had in the back of my mind that I will someday need a spinal fusion and have come to terms with it?? This shoulder thing has just been sprung on me and is very painful already. I've heard people say that shoulder surgery is the most painful surgery they've ever had. =(

I haven't talked to a shoulder surgeon, yet. Maybe they will calm my fears and this isn't really as bad as it sounds.

As far as the chiropractor goes, I haven't told my primary care provider about the actual damage, yet... He was livid, to put it mildly, when he examined my shoulder. I know he's going to call the chiro, especially when I tell him about my friend. I had to hold him back as it was before we knew how bad the damage was/is.

The really sad thing is, this chiro is a REALLY NICE PERSON with very good intentions. I hate to bring horrible things upon someone so nice. But... this can't go on. People are getting seriously hurt to the point of requiring surgery. Sigh... nice =/= qualified.

I should have kept my mouth shut about the "sore" shoulder.

...and to clear the air as to why I went to the chiro, again, when I don't even think they can help with anything... I had to sign a pain contract with the pain center that I would follow ALL of their suggestions for pain otherwise they could refuse to treat me. When my epidural didn't work last September, the doc told me to try chiro again. Then when I got hurt, he asked me "Why did you go to a chiro?" I said, "You told me to!" It really was messages passed between me and the doc through the nurses, so I don't think he remembered telling me that, or else the nurse just made it up. Anyway, to uphold my end of the agreement, I went. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

[rohrer01]

Okay, this whole shoulder thing has been dragging out. I went to one shoulder specialist and he was confused by the report vs. my symptoms. The MRI shows a very loose, open socket with a torn ligament. My symptoms suggest frozen shoulder. Soooo, he wanted me to go back to PT again for 8 wks and come back for an evaluation. He and the PT guy thought dry needling might help loosen things up. I said no, I'll get the trigger point injections there instead. The only difference is dry needling is without lidocaine and trigger point injections use lidocaine or other numbing agents. So then the ortho shoulder doc wanted me to get a second opinion, exchange ideas, then come to a decision.

Meanwhile, I go back to my PCP and tell him what is being said and done/not done. He agrees with the injection route and administers them.
So the trigger point injections made it MUCH worse. So whatever information that gives them. My range of motion decreased and my pain increased.

Today I get my second opinion with another ortho shoulder doc. He's really nice and personable but not listening to me. He insists it's frozen shoulder and gives me yet another steroid shot in the shoulder. That's #3 within the last three months just in the shoulder. I'm supposedly allowed ONE more in the shoulder within a year. He's not hearing that I'm telling him my shoulder dislocates during the night if I roll on it and has to pop back into place for the pain to subside. He told me I can't have symptoms of shoulder stiffness and instability at the same time. I'm thinking maybe it's inflamed and stiff from popping out of socket so much throughout the day. But never mind what I think. He told me to forget I have the HAGL lesion and that it will never cause me a problem. Huh?

So I'm supposed to go back in six weeks for another steroid injection, meanwhile stretching my shoulder. It doesn't stretch. It gets to a certain point and feels like it's going to dislocate and just plain hurts. Yes, I may have symptoms of frozen shoulder. I don't know. But what the heck? I feel like my appointment in August is going to be another waste of time.

Meanwhile, the GREAT news is, my lower back suddenly quit hurting. I think it's a new exercise that I'm doing on the Wii Fit Plus game. I'm not going to complain. It hurts once in awhile, but not to the degree that it did. I could barely walk in the morning, and getting up made it hurt worse. I got plenty of rest. Maybe that's what it needed, too? I played the game on days that it didn't hurt as bad. Now it rarely hurts. So I'm cutting back on my pain killers (oxycodone), but honestly this shoulder is what's keeping me on it now. Well, my neck, shoulders and upper spine are starting to hurt more, the more I cut back. But it's Botox time again this month. So I'll see if that doesn't resolve that problem. I hope it will, then I can just take a pain pill when my shoulder is out of control (which is most of the time). I'm frustrated about the shoulder to no end. So much so that I feel like screaming!

[loves to skate]

Hi rohrer,
I am so sorry you haven't been able to get to the bottom of your shoulder problem. I can imagine how frustrated you must be and of course sick and tired of the pain. I wish I had an answer for you. Anyway,I am glad that your back is feeling so much better. If it isn't one pain, it's another, or so it seems. You will be in my thoughts and prayers.
Sally

[rohrer01]

Hi rohrer,
I am so sorry you haven't been able to get to the bottom of your shoulder problem. I can imagine how frustrated you must be and of course sick and tired of the pain. I wish I had an answer for you. Anyway,I am glad that your back is feeling so much better. If it isn't one pain, it's another, or so it seems. You will be in my thoughts and prayers.
Sally

Thanks, Sally. The same for you. You have your own stuff to deal with, too. Did you get your labs back from today, yet? I hope all went well!

[rohrer01]

Heart trouble

Okay, so I already have an arrhythmia in the class of SVT's. That's not new news. Here's the kicker. I've been having angina-like symptoms and have been put on nitro. I've had to use it twice and it instantly relieved the chest pain. So I go and see a new cardiologist, who orders a CT/angiogram (yes, now I'm full of radioactivity AND radiation). It comes back perfect except for this little snippet of information:

"some what deformed configuration of heart due to underlying scoliosis but essentially normal cardiac structures."

They say that scoliosis of my degree doesn't affect the heart in any way. Well, maybe it's because I have such a high curve? Either way, here's the proof. Scoliosis in the 40* range DOES affect the heart. I just thought you all might want to know this for yourselves.

Have a great day! er...night.

[rohrer01]

I went to the orthopedic doctor today for my shoulder. I'm having surgery on September 5th. He's not going to repair the HAGL lesion (ligament torn from the bone), but is planning on snipping the tendon to the long head of my biceps to allow for more range of motion. It's expected that I'll lose about 10% of the strength in my arm. I hope it's not noticeable. He'll also be cleaning up any scar tissue he finds and fixing anything else he finds in there. I'm only hoping that my shoulder doesn't start dislocating worse than it already does when he "fixes" it. He's afraid of fixing the HAGL because it's difficult to do and recover from AND he's afraid of causing a reduction in range of motion. BUT, if I start having dislocations, I'll have to have it repaired later. I hope it's one stop shopping for me and my shoulder gets better without having to have a round two.

[Susie*Bee]

Dear rohrer-- thanks for letting us know the latest. That sounds like a good plan. I take it yours is from an injury-- from the chiro??? One of my daughters had problems with dislocating shoulders-- she played basketball and had to sit out a year because of it. Trauma (emotional)... but it had to do with loose ball and socket in some people.

I will certainly pray that this is a "one stop" surgery for you and will alleviate your problem. Best wishes-- you are one special person! Hugs, Susie

[Susie*Bee]

Dear rohrer-- thanks for letting us know the latest. That sounds like a good plan. I may not have tuned in completely before-- have you had dislocation problems in the past? One of my daughters did-- she played basketball and had to sit out a year because of it. Trauma (emotional)... but it had to do with loose ball and socket in some people. She managed mostly.

I will certainly pray that this is a "one stop" surgery for you and will alleviate your problem. Best wishes-- you are one special person! Hugs, Susie

[Susie*Bee]

Dear rohrer-- thanks for letting us know the latest. That sounds like a good plan. I may not have tuned in completely before-- have you had dislocation problems in the past? One of my daughters did-- she played basketball and had to sit out a year because of it. Trauma (emotional)... but it had to do with loose ball and socket in some people. She managed mostly.

I will certainly pray that this is a "one stop" surgery for you and will alleviate your problem. Best wishes-- you are one special person! Hugs, Susie

PS-- You are really a strong person. I know you will come through with flying colors. I will pray for peace of mind and strength to face what is ahead as well. I know you are anxious. Shoot, I am anxious because I am having a colonoscopy tomorrow and I have to do the prep today, plus I have a migraine! Small potatoes, as they say. Just remember how strong you are and that the Lord will help you through this. I have known people who had shoulder surgery and they were fine-- just sore. My preacher did a couple of days ago.

[rohrer01]

Thanks Susie!
Actually I have a very large socket and loose shoulders. That's why they can't figure out what's really going on. I am really concerned that they don't want to fix the HAGL. I think I had some bursitis and tendonitis (eventually tendonosis). The chiro finished me off by dislocating my shoulder and causing the tear and subsequent inflammation and possible scarring. The doc finds it hard to believe that a chiro could have done this. He wasn't the one living through that traumatic adjustment. I can't prove it, but that's my theory. I'm not scared about the surgery, though.

[jrnyc]

hey rohr
just saw the date for your surgery....
thoughts and prayers will be with you the entire time...
no one wants to need surgery....but since it is necessary,
perhaps September is a good month...
the weather will get cool enough to not suffer from extreme
heat, in case you are allowed to get out and walk around while healing.
i hope the surgery goes smoothly and the recovery is uneventful...

jess...and Sparky

[rohrer01]

Thanks, Jess.
It's a same day surgery, so I'll be going home afterward. I'll be able to go out and walk. The shoulder is a long ways away from my legs! LOL

Honestly, I thought more people would be interested in how a moderate curve like mine can squish and deform the heart. My question for that is IF I ever have surgery and room is made for my heart, will it try to expand to normal shape? If so, will the valves malfunction because they are deformed to fit the deformation of the heart?

People have always said that there's no real risk to the heart <100^o. I'm seriously doubting that theory right now even though I'm okay and my heart function is good. What would happen if I wanted to be an organ donor and donate my perfectly healthy deformed heart to someone with a normal chest capacity? Just some thoughts.

[mabeckoff]

I hope that all goes well with the surgery and that you get some relief

Melissa