September is coming to an end and the feel of Fall is in the air. The nights are getting crisper, the leaves are starting to turn colors which means it's the season of sweaters and ... another surgery!
This will be surgery #22 for me. I spent the end of July in Boston undergoing diagnostics and discussions for a left hip surgery, but at the end of August I had a freak accident and dislocated my left shoulder. It had been stable since my only left shoulder surgery in January of 2013. I re-stretched out the capsule and re-tore the labrum. It has also aggravated my neck instability and I have been experiencing horrid positional headaches. I am also waiting for a neuro consult for my neck and neuro symptoms which may result in a cervical fusion. Now I will be having a shoulder surgery first, waiting to hear back from Boston about my hip surgery and waiting on a neuro consult.While most people are looking forward to pumpkin-flavored everything, sweaters, boots and football season, I am planning another round of surgeries. I had expected and planned on the hip surgery, but the additional surgeries make me feel like my feet have been swept out from under me. I am spending my weekend doing my pre-surgery ritual of cleaning and prepping my apartment and bedroom, making sure I have all my wound care items stocked, ice packs, extra pillows, my dog groomed and trimming my hair and doing my nails. I also picked up a couple extra comfy clothing items that are lose and easy to get on for my recovery. I also have my overnight bagged packed. It is suppose to be an outpatient surgery, but with my EDS I have issues with blocks not being effective, issues with anesthesia, etc. So we always plan for the extras in hopes of not needing them.
This is surgery will also be a first with Dr. Badman for me. He was my former local doc's (Dr. Dierckman) colleague and is very skilled in shoulder and elbow injuries, etc. I am seeing Badman because Dierckman returned to LA to pursue a hip preservation fellowship. It is a bit nerve racking for me to be with another surgeon because Dierckman knew me well and we had our surgical routine down. It is also a different facility than I am use, so it adds another layer of unknowns. You would think after 21 surgeries that I would be use to it, but the anxiety always sets in. I am very aware of what can go wrong, complications and the good/bad. I am hoping this goes well because if either shoulder becomes unstable again it will mean a very invasive and open shoulder reconstruction.
I am scheduled for a left shoulder arthroscopy to repair a torn labrum, reconstruct and tighten my capsule and address any other issues or damage to the joint or surrounding tissues. My surgery is first thing Tuesday morning, the 29th. I have to arrive at 6am for a 7am procedure. I will be his first case of the day, which I prefer because of the complications I typically endure. I am also nervous about the shoulder block they will have to which is called an interscalene block. Locals don't work well for me and it can be quite painful. Just getting IV lines in me is difficult, especially when the only arm they can use is my right since the left is being operated on. I realized I am a lot more nervous than I thought...