[David Jones]

I hurt my right shoulder March of 2019. Weeks of various testing follow with no real result other than visible inflammation in the scans. It took a scope procedure (#1) to determine that I'd popped some cartilage off of the humerus. No real fix possible in that procedure, so Dr. Young cleaned up the area and backed out hoping the area would develop a scar tissue. Nope. Then, some weeks later, surgery (#2) to replace most of the head of the humerus. After a while, it started a new hurt and I'd lost some movement and it was determined that the sub scapulary muscle moved during the surgery had come adrift. The fix was out of Dr. Youngs wheelhouse, so after consulation he turned me over to Dr. Ponce. Dr. Ponce did a reverse shoulder replacement (#3) Feb 4 20 because the rotor cuff muscle wasn't useable anymore. Things seemed better, the shoulder was working really well (still does) then it was determined that the new shoulder was infected with a crappy little infection named P-acne. Not good. P-acne will eventually loosen the non factory parts among other things. Picc line installed and large doses of antibiotics daily for 3 weeks. Since then, weeks ago, oral antibiotics, twice a day. Yesterday, after visiting with the Dr's it's determined that the infection is progressing (painful as hell) and that, if it's not better by the 1st part of July, I'm going back on the surgery schedule. The fix? Remove the new shoulder parts (will be #4) and clean the area. The description of the cleaning makes me shudder. Close back up, with no shoulder reinstalled. New picc line for a new round of antibiotics. 4-6 weeks of that. After the all clear is given, a new surgery (will be #5) to put new parts back in. Depending on how things line up.....late Sept or Oct, maybe Nov? to actually start healing.

[tom s]

I feel for you!I had rotator on my left shoulder a few years ago that went well and has been like 100%.The right one is not great but not bad enough to go in and do anything.Im going on 76 and just dont want to go under the knife in less I blow it out.I still ski so that is alway a risk.Good luck with the process.Tom

[Region Warrior]

OUCH!

[David Jones]

Originally Posted by Region Warrior

OUCH!

I'm waaay beyond tired of that part of it!

[boltbuster]

David...
I'm so sorry that the 'fix' has become such an ordeal. Keep the faith, man. But I must admit, your experience is spooking me. Just recently, my right shoulder has been aching. I separated both the vertical and horizontal a-c ligaments (two mishaps, 20 years apart), so the collarbone is basically held in place by the muscles. I was just wondering if my shoulder doc was going to be back in business, but after reading your post, maybe I'll just take a few more Alleves and be extra careful for a while. You hang in there.
Kerm

[geeteeohguy]

David, hang in there. I feel for you. I had the right rotator cuff repaired and a tendectomy performed in 2016 and got lucky with rehab and no infections....and have been getting cortisone in my left shoulder for 3 years, trying to delay surgery. Medical issues suck and can really be depressing. Hang in there and we'll all hope for the best.

[David Jones]

No amount of external cleaning/prep can eliminate the P-acne possibility. It's possible to get it on the way in from a hair follicle. With most shoulder repairs, it's really not an issue but for some reason, the reverse shoulder replacement is substantially more likely to have it as an issue.

I encourage those having shoulder/joint issues to get them fixed.

[fyrffytr1]

Prayers sent for a successful procedure, quick and complete healing.

[The Champ]

Makes my permanent bulge on my right side after they carved out the core muscles on that side during my 3rd (and hopefully last) cancer operation sound like a breeze. Scar tissue from cancer operation #1 in 2006 went crazy and they had to remove the rest of my right kidney, resect my liver and carve out the core muscle that the scar tissue attacked.

I've lived with 24/7 pain since 2006. Twice I've had to stop golfing for 12 months (1st and 3rd cancer operation). Operation #2 I golfed 27 holes 10 weeks out of surgery. Funny, I can swing a golf club without any pain at this point. But if I crawl under the GTO to change the oil, I'll have to eat some Tylenol (I can't take anything else for fear of kidney damage).

Hoping for the best for you David!!!

[77 TRASHCAN]

I'm with Phil!!! Praying for the Supreme Healer to get the job done!!!

[Firedup6975]

Ohhhhhh David sorry to hear this hope you get this sorted out. Can you maybe try acu puncture?

[Greg Reid]

Damn Dave, sorry to hear of your troubles... and it's your shifting arm! I'll say a prayer for you.
I have been having right shoulder pain for at least half of my life due to an injury back in the early 80s.. The last 10 years, it's been both shoulders. I was foreseeing myself being almost disabled in the near future without some solution and it was near impossible for me to raise my left arm over my head.
Tumeric has been near miraculous for me. I know that your situation is different and I doubt it would help at this point but for anyone just suffering from normal age related shoulder degeneration pain, it has given me probably 90% mobility back.

[David Jones]

Greg, no doubt the "shifting arm" aspect of this deal has weighed on me a bit. Once I clear the other end of this, there should be no issue. I did get the car out for about 50 miles late yesterday, that was nice.
No hammering, or anything like that ever. No lifting more than 25 lbs over my head. Some limited range of motion reaching to either side. Having lived with the reverse replacement since February, I'm impressed with the result......if I can just get rid of the infection. That might happen between now and early July, but the Doc was doubtful since I've been on the meds now for about 4 months.

[NeighborsComplaint]

Sorry to hear this . Way too many complications as a result of surgery. I dislocated my shoulder in my late teens when my motorcycle slid on some gravel. I remember the pain and looking down and seeing my are twisted near 180 with my palm facing forward and my thumb where my pinky finger was supposed to be. I reached up to rub my shoulder and it just snapped back into place. It was nearly a year before I could fully raise my arm above my head and reach across to my other shoulder. Had a flare up a few months ago after sleeping on that side and felt that popping again as it was trying to dislocate when moving it. I had to take it easy and sleep on the opposite side until it felt better. I'm the opposite. I won't do surgeries until I can't put up with it any longer. I had an arthroscopic repair on a knee (torn meniscus and a small cyst on the femur) and wound up with a nasty MRSA infection. I didn't realize how serious it was until I went in for IV antibiotic at a specialist who outlined the treatment and said "We will do everything possible to try and save your leg".

Hope all goes well.

[David Jones]

I've had a number of surgeries since I turned 50 and have never had an issue really. Distal bicep tears in both elbows. Biopsy through the base of the neck. Chemo port install and removal. Various kidney stone procedures.

This shoulder though? It's fought me the whole way.

Following insurance company guidelines, many of which required senseless xrays or testing and took a couple of weeks to wade through.
Missing cartilage that didn't show up during testing.
Dr's taking the holidays off.
Me (?) tearing a rotator cuff muscle off after the second surgery.
Starting with a new Dr in a different hospital.
The new Dr taking 2 weeks off to lecture on the reverse shoulder replacement procedure and vacation in Hawaii and the traffic jam of patients that built.
P-acne infection being found.
Covid making it hard to see both the shoulder doc and the infectious diseases doc called in to oversee the P-acne removal.
Near certainty of procedures 4 and 5 because the antibiotics apparently aren't working.

[Region Warrior]

Wasn't gona bring this up but since reading about others..
Forget the term, but have some kind swelling in neck vertebrae pressing nerve 2 yrs now.
Could be from past injury, their not sure...
Pain in shoulder and really bad in in forearm. When flares up cant use arm to drive. Gets that bad. Slight numbness in side of face and hand nearly 24-7.
Have to lock fingers and write with wrist if that makes sense.
Sometimes hand just opens up while holding or wrenching something.
Actually the more physical and longer the work, better it feels. But soon after...Arrhh...
500ml of Gabapentin helps, but will need to go in to hopefully fix.
Neurosurgeon consultation wasn't what I wanted to hear, so been putting off....

[David Jones]

Originally Posted by Region Warrior

Wasn't gona bring this up but since reading about others..
Forget the term, but have some kind swelling in neck vertebrae pressing nerve 2 yrs now.
Could be from past injury, their not sure...
Pain in shoulder and really bad in in forearm. When flares up cant use arm to drive. Gets that bad. Slight numbness in side of face and hand nearly 24-7.
Have to lock fingers and write with wrist if that makes sense.
Sometimes hand just opens up while holding or wrenching something.
Actually the more physical and longer the work, better it feels. But soon after...Arrhh...
500ml of Gabapentin helps, but will need to go in to hopefully fix.
Neurosurgeon consultation wasn't what I wanted to hear, so been putting off....

Many times, putting things like that off just make it worse or prolong the pain.


Really consider getting it fixed.

[carcrazy]

Hoping things go well for you. You've had a rough road.

[Region Warrior]

Originally Posted by David Jones

Many times, putting things like that off just make it worse or prolong the pain.


Really consider getting it fixed.

Thanks.
May have no choice.
Trimmed bushes and tree limbs all weekend.
Chain saw no prob. Heavier bush trimmer really set it off over night.
Took 2 hours on meds before could use hand yesterday. Can barely write or even print yet this morning...

Good luck on yours.

[David Jones]

Shoulder surgery #4 is March 9th.
I've worn out 2 doctors, so doctor number 3 is taking over. Dr Young was the first surgeon and did the scope (early 2019) and the humerus replacement. When the rotator cuff muscles detached, that made a reverse replacement needed, Dr Young turned me over to Dr. Ponce. Dr Ponce did the reverse replacement Feb 2020. Soon thereafter an infection was discovered and I've had IV antibiotics and then oral antibiotics since. As I picked up the last of my years worth of oral antibiotics and need to start thinking about another plan, I get a letter from my hospital that Dr. Ponce has moved his practice to Columbus Ga. Not good. Enter Dr. Brabston. I meet with him Monday and he says the only option now is a 1 stage "revision". I described a 2 stage revision in the opening post and quite frankly that scared me to death. Dr. Brabston says I'm no longer a candidate for the 2 stage, the bones have grown into the appliance parts in a "textbook" fashion and unless he has no other choice, he wants to leave them alone. He'll take the removeable parts off the implant and either clean or replace them as needed. The internal area gets a good scrubbing and then he puts it all back together. I also get a picc line and will take 6 weeks of IV antibiotics.
A lot of googling says that a 1 stage revision is good 93% of the time, so we'll see how the dice roll....