Background
At some point, I hurt my labrum. No idea when or how. Partial tear; I could do most things. But when they evaluated it two years ago, they told me it may one day require surgery. This year, it got to the point where that was needed.
On 23 April, I had the procedure. They didn't know quite what they would find, but after the fact, I learned they:
- performed biceps tenodesis [they moved one of the two bicep anchor points near my shoulder to another location, as it was preventing the torn labrum from healing]
- removed calcification and a bone spur from the shoulder area
- reshaped my shoulder [apparently, I had a 'grade 2' shoulder from birth; they made it grade 1]
Recovery Timeline
4/23: Procedure; placed in sling with spacer for recovery, which I would wear all day long (and for sleeping)
4/29-30: days of greatest pain
5/15: first strenuous physical activity [I mowed the yard one-handed . . .]
5/19: first PT session [would go two times per week and do exercises at home three times per day]
5/20: last day of sling
5/26: first run
5/27: first time on exercise bike
6/17: first gym session with weight [light weights]
6/21: first time on road bike [short ride]
7/3: first normal-length road bike ride
7/17: last PT session
Reflections
PT works. You have to keep moving. You have to push yourself hard, but not too hard. You have to keep at it. And it was gratifying to see progress, no matter how slight, every single day. Sometimes the progress was gradual; other times, it came in 'steps.' But it happened.
Both flexibility and strength matter. Range of motion was the first focus, but weight work was soon added, and both were needed; some of my range of motion didn't improve until I added the strengthening portions. We need to move, and we need to be strong.
The supporting muscles then needed support themselves. It's been intriguing to see which muscles (largely in my trapezius/neck area) have been sore before and during the PT journey; they were affected because they had to carry the load for the rest of the region as it recovered. There's a lesson here; in the Bible, 1 Corinthians 12 likens us to a body with many members, and we are interdependent. In the linked passage—"If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together." And we know from Ephesians 4 that "when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love," which implies when one part is *not* working properly, growth is stunted and the whole body is affected. So we're called in Galatians 6 to bear each other's burdens, so the whole body can be whole and grow. There is a time to support, and a time to be supported.
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As of today, my range of motion is almost back to normal. Some things at 'extreme' positions are still tight, but I'll keep at it, and I'll get there. Every day a little bit more.
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