If you have had this surgery, how long before you could shoot 223/AR?

My surgery was a week ago last Thursday I had a reverse shoulder replacement done, this is where they saw the ball off the arm and the socket off the clavicle, then attach a new ball to the clavicle and socket to the arm with what looks like lag screws … after the pain block wore off the next day iand the pain got away from me I’d rate the pain an 8-9 out of 10 … believe me, I didn’t let that happen again! Now I’m just taking Tylenol.

Of course this is my right shoulder and I’m right handed … so I’m pretty much useless (before the surgery practicing weak hand). My wife took off for 2 weeks to take care of me and take me to my dr appointments but won’t take me to the range … a week probably would have been sufficient.

Before the surgery I was no longer able to even shoot a 22LR rifle or pistol

Hopefully you’re feeling better. Almost everyone I know who has had shoulder surgery said it was the most painful thing they have been through. It’s a very complex joint for sure.

Not having this but other orthopedic surgeries, please let it heal completely before stressing it. I was in my early twenties when I was improperly instructed to just start using a limb that had major reconstruction from a fracture. The bones began to migrate as they finished healing and left me with permanent issues.

It might be helpful to get a chart of free recoil for different calibers and use that as a guild to help determine what and when to try different firearms.

I watched a surgical video of reverse shoulder replacement and said quite loudly "FUCK THAT!"

I went with two and a half years of weight lifting and PT and still need a reverse shoulder replacement, but I'm holding my own for the moment.

Having had both knees replaced, all I can add is do the PT. All of it and then a bit more. Use ice and pain meds when needed (i.e., don't be an idiot and tough it out - pain is actually telling you something is wrong).

When I saw the thread title I asked myself, "what, they swap the left and right so your arms extend backwards?"

What makes the surgery "reverse?"

quote:

kimberkid
.. they saw the ball off the arm and the socket off the clavicle, then attach a new ball to the clavicle and socket to the arm

i.e. the positions of the ball and the socket are transposed.

My 82 year old unsteady mother is having this done Thursday and I can’t tell you how much I dread it. I think she is vastly underestimating how hard this will be. We’re just really hoping that rather than sending her home next day that she demonstrates she can’t get up and down or around safely and they send her to a rehab hospital for a while. She already told the doctor that she doesn’t like opioid meds but would take Tramadol, which may be inadequate. Doctor talks to her like she is a healthy 30 year old male…

quote:

Originally posted by architect:
When I saw the thread title I asked myself, "what, they swap the left and right so your arms extend backwards?"

What makes the surgery "reverse?"

Read Bill, The Galatic Hero and you'll understand.

quote:

Originally posted by Eponym:

quote:

kimberkid
.. they saw the ball off the arm and the socket off the clavicle, then attach a new ball to the clavicle and socket to the arm

i.e. the positions of the ball and the socket are transposed.

That makes way more sense than replacing a good shoulder joint with a bad one.

Hoping you have a speedy recovery Kimberkid.

quote:

Originally posted by MelissaDallas:
My 82 year old unsteady mother is having this done Thursday and I can’t tell you how much I dread it. I think she is vastly underestimating how hard this will be. We’re just really hoping that rather than sending her home next day that she demonstrates she can’t get up and down or around safely and they send her to a rehab hospital for a while. She already told the doctor that she doesn’t like opioid meds but would take Tramadol, which may be inadequate. Doctor talks to her like she is a healthy 30 year old male…

OMG Melissa. I sure hope you can talk sense into her about going to a rehab hospital as it will be the best for everyone and reduce the risk of infection. I don't like opioids either but often there just are no other options. In 2021 I went to the ER with extreme abdominal pain and they ended up giving me fentanyl because morphine did not help much. Later the next day after being admitted I found out I had pancreatitis and had my gall bladder removed but was in the hospital for a week due to the pancreatitis to make sure it was under control.

quote:

Originally posted by grumpy1:

quote:

Originally posted by MelissaDallas:
My 82 year old unsteady mother is having this done Thursday and I can’t tell you how much I dread it. I think she is vastly underestimating how hard this will be. We’re just really hoping that rather than sending her home next day that she demonstrates she can’t get up and down or around safely and they send her to a rehab hospital for a while. She already told the doctor that she doesn’t like opioid meds but would take Tramadol, which may be inadequate. Doctor talks to her like she is a healthy 30 year old male…

OMG Melissa. I sure hope you can talk sense into her about going to a rehab hospital as it will be the best for everyone and reduce the risk of infection. I don't like opioids either but often there just are no other options. In 2021 I went to the ER with extreme abdominal pain and they ended up giving me fentanyl because morphine did not help much. Later the next day after being admitted I found out I had pancreatitis and had my gall bladder removed but was in the hospital for a week due to the pancreatitis to make sure it was under control.

She doesn’t object to going - it is convincing the doctor. I told him she is really unstable on her feet. He seems to think she’ll be fine with her walker. I can just see us getting her home and not being able to get her up and down safely. The problem with pain meds is that it makes her even more unstable walking.

I'm looking at the possibility of having shoulder replacement for both shoulders. Once you are fully healed, can you still lift weights and work out? How long does it take to be able to do some strength training?

12-14 weeks minimum, according to an ortho friend of mine (he shoots). He followed that up with “bare minimum.”

quote:

Originally posted by bob ramberg:
I'm looking at the possibility of having shoulder replacement for both shoulders. Once you are fully healed, can you still lift weights and work out? How long does it take to be able to do some strength training?

When we do reverse totals in my office, we advise a lifetime 50 pound weight lifting limit.
There are still lots of things you can do to maintain strength and function within that limit.

quote:

Originally posted by MelissaDallas:

quote:

Originally posted by grumpy1:

quote:

Originally posted by MelissaDallas:
My 82 year old unsteady mother is having this done Thursday and I can’t tell you how much I dread it. I think she is vastly underestimating how hard this will be. We’re just really hoping that rather than sending her home next day that she demonstrates she can’t get up and down or around safely and they send her to a rehab hospital for a while. She already told the doctor that she doesn’t like opioid meds but would take Tramadol, which may be inadequate. Doctor talks to her like she is a healthy 30 year old male…

OMG Melissa. I sure hope you can talk sense into her about going to a rehab hospital as it will be the best for everyone and reduce the risk of infection. I don't like opioids either but often there just are no other options. In 2021 I went to the ER with extreme abdominal pain and they ended up giving me fentanyl because morphine did not help much. Later the next day after being admitted I found out I had pancreatitis and had my gall bladder removed but was in the hospital for a week due to the pancreatitis to make sure it was under control.

She doesn’t object to going - it is convincing the doctor. I told him she is really unstable on her feet. He seems to think she’ll be fine with her walker. I can just see us getting her home and not being able to get her up and down safely. The problem with pain meds is that it makes her even more unstable walking.

A PLANNED rehab stay after surgery is appropriate here. You simply cannot use a walker after this surgery and honestly tramadol is likely not going to cut it for pain control in the first few days. Day one people feel great because we typically do a nerve block and the entire arm is numb for 24-48 hours. When that wears off ( and it is sudden) pain is severe for a couple days.

There is a lot of pressure on us in Ortho to not keep people in the hospital or send them to rehab, but in this case it makes complete sense

Sounds like a good time to practice off hand shooting, and keep it to something light 22LR or CCI Quiet 22 for suppressors, with my Sig 522, suppressor and CCI Quiet you hear and feel zero.

Good luck on the rehab, and you wife is smart not taking you to the range, since she'll have to deal with you after LOL

quote:

Originally posted by captain127:

quote:

Originally posted by MelissaDallas:

quote:

Originally posted by grumpy1:

quote:

Originally posted by MelissaDallas:
My 82 year old unsteady mother is having this done Thursday and I can’t tell you how much I dread it. I think she is vastly underestimating how hard this will be. We’re just really hoping that rather than sending her home next day that she demonstrates she can’t get up and down or around safely and they send her to a rehab hospital for a while. She already told the doctor that she doesn’t like opioid meds but would take Tramadol, which may be inadequate. Doctor talks to her like she is a healthy 30 year old male…

OMG Melissa. I sure hope you can talk sense into her about going to a rehab hospital as it will be the best for everyone and reduce the risk of infection. I don't like opioids either but often there just are no other options. In 2021 I went to the ER with extreme abdominal pain and they ended up giving me fentanyl because morphine did not help much. Later the next day after being admitted I found out I had pancreatitis and had my gall bladder removed but was in the hospital for a week due to the pancreatitis to make sure it was under control.

She doesn’t object to going - it is convincing the doctor. I told him she is really unstable on her feet. He seems to think she’ll be fine with her walker. I can just see us getting her home and not being able to get her up and down safely. The problem with pain meds is that it makes her even more unstable walking.

A PLANNED rehab stay after surgery is appropriate here. You simply cannot use a walker after this surgery and honestly tramadol is likely not going to cut it for pain control in the first few days. Day one people feel great because we typically do a nerve block and the entire arm is numb for 24-48 hours. When that wears off ( and it is sudden) pain is severe for a couple days.

There is a lot of pressure on us in Ortho to not keep people in the hospital or send them to rehab, but in this case it makes complete sense

I know about the pressure. Same thing in January with her cervical fusion. Doc said he’d send her home after MAYBE keeping her overnight. Gave her more pain meds after they brought her back to room and she never really woke up that day. Next day it was clear she wasn’t safe to walk plus her sodium level crashed, so she went to (crappy) rehab for a week after IVs to up her sodium level. Hoping for the rehab hospital next door to hospital this time.

I had mine (rt shlder) about 3 months ago, and would be able to shoot anything now.
I still get a sharp pain if I move my arm at a certain angle, like turning the steering wheel, but my arm is probably 90+ percent good.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: sonnydaze,

quote:

Originally posted by bob ramberg:
I'm looking at the possibility of having shoulder replacement for both shoulders. Once you are fully healed, can you still lift weights and work out? How long does it take to be able to do some strength training?

I need to have the left done as well, the doc said I just drew the short straw when they were giving out bones/joints.
My doc was very impressed with my healing so far and that I haven’t needed any pain medication for 3 days, however I start P.T. tomorrow so I’m planning to take a hydrocone & a couple Tylenol about an hour before I go.

Once the pain block wore off (which completely numbed my arm & hand), the pain was much worse than what I experienced with my knee replacements, however it only lasted a few days and I would take my next dose about an hour before it was due because I didn’t want to experience getting behind on my pain medication again!