3 months out!
Wow! I seriously can not believe it has been 3 months since my partial shoulder replacement. Overall time has gone fast, although it does feel like a long time since I have been able to do lots of things (I guess it kind of has though since there were lots of things I couldn't really do before this surgery too...). I knew from the beginning it could take up to a year to get full motion and feel more "normal", and there are guarantees. A year is a long time! Working on patience...
Motion has not improved a ton since my last post (at 2 months out)- which has been mildly frustrating. My last flexion measurement was 143 deg. There are days I think it maybe gets further, but then I look in a mirror. Ha! It has days where it is tight if I do more or new things with it. I feel like it is getting stronger, being able to add in more band and light resistance and trying to get some of these muscles to remember how to work again. I technically don't have many official restrictions at this time- but can only do things that my motion allows and doesn't cause pain.
Workouts have been good, getting in about 5 days/week now, mostly from home, and still mostly bike, lower body, and core this past month. Started some light jogging and using a safety bar squat for the first time last week. The jogging was good (just 1 min jog 1 min walk for 20 min on a treadmill), didn't really hurt my shoulder...but it was very tight the next day...and my feet were super sore! Still a pretty long time until workouts look anything like they used to.
I can do a lot of my normal actives now which is good. Can cut food and carry some things (not heavy things) with my right hand now. Little things that were either impossible (or not allowed) or hard are getting easier, like using both hands to pull up pants! Haha. Can use a curling iron but not my wand normally yet (I never realized I hold them so differently from each other!). Sleeping is much better, in my bed and can lay on my right side pretty well (and it lets me know if it doesn't like it). Looking forward to one day walking my dogs again!
I have been working at the gym some, which a lot of that is doing Instagram, designing shirts, orders stuff for the store...but still coach a couple classes and gymnastics. I have not gone back to my job as a PT yet...that happens tomorrow! I have taught people how to move most of my life- and all of my professional career. So having an arm that doesn't move well is frustrating. It's hard to not be able to show people things that I was once able to do well.
The mental battles continue to be just as hard (maybe harder?!) than the physical! Small progress everyday!