We spend a lot of time on this blog presenting technical information about diagnoses and treatments. It is refreshing, once in a while, to let a patient tell their own story. Here's one we received this week from a man who lives 900 miles from Seattle.
ONE PERSON'S VIEW ON REAM & RUN SURGERY
I don’t really know where to start so we have to begin with,
“why”, are we thinking about the drastic measure of surgery? Can we limp along
doing the basics or minimum activity to believe we are still maintaining
activity doing what we enjoy doing and only at a less aggressive pace.
“WRONG”, most of us were gifted with shoulders that did
exactly what we wanted, when we wanted and how we wanted. It was really a great
time and who thought it would ever end?
Here come our 40’s and everything is going great. Kids are
in school and we make sure they are playing all the sports or at least one
sport year around rationalized by I wish my parents would have done that for me
when I was growing up and on and on We can eat what we want have a few
cocktails and all of our joints are working how they are supposed to when we
want. We are going to the gym when we want, work hard and feel good, skiing
trips, construction work, digging ditches, framing houses, kayaking, water
skiing, cycling, working in the yard, building home projects, washing and
waxing the car etc. are all still on the list of activities we can do and enjoy
without much bother. Sure every once in a while we are a little sore but
nothing a couple of ibuprofen wouldn’t take care of.
Holy cow I can’t believe I am now 50! Where did the time go
and why are kids saying, “boy that person is really old I think they are
thirty”. I think I throw the baseball as hard and long as I used to, the reps and
weight I used to pump at the gym has gone down, my workout schedule is less
cardio and the interval schedule between sessions is getting longer, I can’t
run as fast and long as I used to as my knees are really starting to bother me
when I am done working out my shoulders are also starting to stiffen up and
make little sounds that I am not used to.
So far I have had rotator cuff surgery to get rid of a few
spurs but nothing too serious. Arthoscopic surgery was done on my knees for
torn meniscus, so I thought I was in good shape and had little to worry about.
"“Arthritis”, how did I get that?" I asked the orthopedic
doctor when I went in for a checkup due to joint pain? That would explain why my
joints were starting to hurt more during or after exercising activities or
strenuous working activities? I was told the cartridge was wearing out and it
was getting to be bone on bone for range of motion.
Now for the decision! Shall I have a conventioinal total shoulder put
in or go the other route I have heard called Ream and Run”, surgery technique?
There is a more scientific name but it was easier to remember, “Ream and Run”.
A conventioinal total shoulder is an easier surgery to have
in that the recuperation time is shorter and as long as I kept the heavy stress
off of the shoulder I should have no problem, but the conventional total shoulder
uses a plastic socket which is at risk for wear and loosening with heavy use. Recuperation time is supposed to be around six-12 weeks which did not seem bad.
The Ream and Run surgery is a fairly new technique and is
supposed to be initially more painful with a recovery time of six-twelve months
but the result would be a shoulder I can abuse to the maximum and it would
outlast me. Decision easy! I wanted to start doing the sports, activities and
all strenuous exercises I did before my joints started to wear out.
Being a fairly new surgical procedure a person’s options of
where and who they have do the Ream and Run surgical procedures are limited. I am 61. I
chose the doctors at the University of Washington to do my surgery because they have performed over 500 of the Ream and Run procedures. I had the
Ream and Run surgery which was an answer to my prayers. I was dressing myself
the second day and lightly and I do mean lightly started stretching exercises
for my shoulder. I started going to the gym by myself shortly after surgery
and started to notch it up a bit daily.
I do not care what anyone says, exercising should only be
done five days a week. If a person exercises seven days a week they will get
bored and tired of their routine. There were five exercises I enjoy and
include; the pulley hung on something high enabling me to sit down stretching
out each arm for 30 second intervals four times stretch as high as you can go
then try to get one more notch, the pull down bar where your arms are at a 30
degree angle doing three reps of ten, use the same bar putting your hands in
the middle of the bar also doing three reps of ten, the rowing machine and the
last exercise is up to you but has to be an up down in front of you as your
shoulder is not ready for side motion exercises yet. Remember you have to start
light but must increase weights as soon as you can.
It has been three months since my Ream and Run surgery and
use 50# weights at the gym my shoulder was ready for side motion exercises three
weeks ago, (light, arm circles than 2# weights etc.). After three months the
conclusion is my shoulder that was operated on is now stronger than my other
arm and the only time remember I had surgery was when I think about it.
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You may be interested in some of our most visited web pages including:shoulder arthritis, total shoulder, ream and run, reverse total shoulder, CTA arthroplasty, and rotator cuff surgery as well as the 'ream and run essentials'
You may be interested in some of our most visited web pages including:shoulder arthritis, total shoulder, ream and run, reverse total shoulder, CTA arthroplasty, and rotator cuff surgery as well as the 'ream and run essentials'
