I've had 'shoulder pains' for probably 20 years. The last 10 years, especially so. Worsening. 'Clicking, crunching, grinding, popping,' etc. Three different 'family doctors' told me different things ranging from tendonitis (inflamed tendons in the shoulder,)
'Frozen shoulder,' (also called adhesive capsulitis) was a popular diagnosis. There are a series of specialized exercises designed to remedy this, -none of which were effective but mostly caused me more pain.
Degenerative arthritis (probably true) was suggested.
'Impingement syndrome' (<insert medical terms>"the proximal end of the humerus is impinging against the acromion, causing scapular notching of the humeral head" /> -basically, bone-on-bone overuse.
And, UNDERUSE of the arm also suggested ("try taking-up left-handed tennis" and dumbassery questions such as "have you tried Tylenol or Aleve for pain-relief?") Return to the ineffectual 'special exercises' remedy.... -the list of misdiagnoses goes on. A discussion of 'hyper-inflating the bursa sac' with a saline injection might 'stretch' the tendons and ligaments to assist physio, but there are certain 'risks' that come with physical therapy on a hyper-inflated glenohumeral joint... So for that, there's R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression, and elevation.) I was still hoping for that coveted cortisone injection. -Even if just once...
I was 'invited' to try Physical Therapy (which I initially refused.) We did finally try a single cortisone injection directed into the bursa that "...might give me pain relief for 3-6 months." I only got 'relief' for about two weeks, and my Family Doctor refused to do additional injections. -It's the incorrect treatment for shoulders anyway, as cortisone injections are for inflammation, not degenerative. -Basically, "-itis" versus "-osis." Cortisone injections are more for 'Achilles Tendon' issues, and limited to no more than 2X per year...
-For my shoulder issues, think 'string cheese' that is over-stretched.... there are little fibers of breakage. Cortisone 'lubricates' these and make movement easier and thus more pain-free, but does not 'heal' anything -This in turn allows the patient to move freely and cause MORE damage! Repeated cortisone injections 'weaken' tendons.
I agreed to attend Physical Therapy and wow, -it felt GREAT to have a trainer lift and bend my arms beyond their normal range-of-motion by a trained physio therapist... yes it HURT, but it was a GOOD stretchy-hurt.... until it wasn't.
I was so GD sore after each therapy session that for days thereafter I could barely dress myself or perform toiletries, brush my teeth, comb my hair, etc.. -I got stuck in the bathtub a few times because I couldn't lift myself out or roll-over to get onto my knees! I could not dry my back with a towel because I couldn't reach. -I'd have to sit under a ceiling fan after a shower and let the moving air 'dry my back.'
Finally, FINALLY, -my doctor referred me to a Rheumatologist and guess the fuck what!? -He declared that I have NO CARTILAGE in my shoulder joints! It is literally bone-on-bone. It's been that way, for YEARS! No amount of excercise, physical therapy, or injections, was ever going to help me. -I need a Total Shoulder Joint Replacement (for both shoulders) and so, I got onto a "3-to-6 month" waiting list in late 2019.... just a couple months before the COVID-19 lockdown in Canada started! Two years later, -Late Fall of 2023, Elective Surgeries in Ontario had resumed... but there's a backlog of patients and I'd have to wait my turn.
Dec. of 2023, I got a surgery date for Jan. 29th, 2024! This was due to a patient's 'cancellation' of their appointment date due to conflict with a family vacation booked in advance...! I probably jumped the queue by more than one person... January is a popular vacation month to escape Caanda's wintery cold. Probably my 'immediate availability' on such short notice helped me secure a operative date on such short notice. Exciting! -We were going to replace the RIGHT shoulder this year, and (hopefully!) the LEFT shoulder *next year.*
Jan. 29th, 2024... day of surgery. -I passed every health exam they threw at me (ECG, stress test (chemical injection, not treadmill as I have very bad knees,) bloodwork, consultations of what to expect before/after surgery, etc.) up to this point and the morning of surgery was here! They anesthetized my shoulder with a interscalene block (ISB) injection into the base of the neck just above my right collarbone... this 'paralyzes' the entire right arm for 24-36 hours... My arm is now 100% 'dead' and they could have chopped the arm off with a dull butterknife and I'd have not felt a thing, -that is how 'numb' the arm is...
On the surgical table now, mere minutes from surgery, -the anesthesiologist is approaching me with the 'knock-out' syringe that when injected into the port on the back of my hand, would make me unconscious for the 2-4 hour surgery ...but he's looking at a monitor behind me, shaking his head... I was having 'atrial fibrillation,' -rapid heart-beat. I felt totally fine but a collective consult with the surgeon and attendings, they declared me 'unfit for surgery today.' I mildly protested, -I wanted this surgery now, but they cannot fulfill this for safety reasons. ...okay, fine.
A quick consultation between the anesthesiologist, cardiologist, surgeon and attending, my surgery was CANCELLED! I had to be sent home, and go through multiple cardiologist visits for this heretofore 'undiagnosed heart condition' before we could proceed.
Three months of cardiologist visits and multiple medications later, -my heart-rate was deemed 'stabilized,' or, heading in a better direction. BUT the anesthesiologist and cardiologist then recommended I undergo an overnight 'Sleep Study' to rule-out apnea! We got this scheduled, and done in April...
Well, -turns out the test results were that I DO have apnea.
-Apnea is Interrupted sleep patterns due to not breathing and according to their report, I tested 'not breathing' at up to 66-times PER HOUR with each occurrence ranging from 16-to-66 seconds each!
Half the events are 'obstructive' (soft tissue of throat relaxing, obstructing the airway,) and the other half are API(?) events by which the BRAIN stops sending the signal to breathe! Both and each are dangerous to health: heart-attack risk, and stroke.
So, I had to buy a $1,500.00 'C-PAP' machine, -a device that feeds metered mildly pressurized and filtered air up my nose while I sleep, and this inflation 'forces' my airways to not collapse... I have to have this for several reasons, -the surgeon and anesthesiologist will not 'sign-off' my surgery until I have a minimum of 21-days consecutive use and with a 'passing score' of 70% or higher (the C-PAP records events and duration, gives a 'nightly scorecard', and via WiFi it tattle-tales the results to Advacare, whom then send the results to my doctors!)
Also, if I have untreated apnea, -I risk having my Ontario Driver's License suspended or revoked (due to risk of falling-asleep 'at the wheel.') So like, -no additional stress there, -right!? Well, several weeks into using this Marquis de Sade inspired 'ALIEN' face-hugger' fucker strapped to my face, in my sleep I apparently fought back and punched myself in the face, loosening a front tooth! I had a split lip and sore face the following morning... I kinda remember doing this and falling back asleep, tasting a bit of blood in my mouth...
Several days later, this 'loose tooth' snapped off!
So, a visit to my dentist to maybe glue the broken piece back in place? IDK -not enough 'tooth' remaining to support the adhesive and the tooth 'broke off' again. Remaining solutions are: install a couple of 'posts' and build-up the white porcelain? Maybe, -but she advised against this as it would be a 'short-term' fix and would complicate future restoration.
She recommended a 'tooth implant' -these cost about $3,000 and entail a specialist pulling the remaining root, boring-out the socket of the upper jawbone to remove remaining root debris and make room for the implant, which is literally screwed-in to form the 'attachment base' for the implant. Then, stitching-up the gum and allowing the bone 12-weeks to heal. Then, cut the gum open and install the implant...
BUT, -I cannot do this because both of these are considered 'surgery' and would make me invalid for my intended "shoulder surgery" for at least 90-days due to risk of cross-infection! (And "shoulder surgery" conversely would make me ineligible for 'dental surgery' of any kind also for 90-days thereafter...)
I cannot not take one surgery to the denial and 90-day delay of the other, so that was out. So, the dentist made for me a 'mini-denture' device called a 'flipper.' It 'snaps in place' filling the missing tooth w/out surgery. Kewl. I can wear that disgusting gag-me-til-I-puke thing until I can afford an implant and still remain eligible for Shoulder Surgery when a date became available... Here we are now, late May. I received the call I have been waiting on: a surgery date for me was now available! I accepted it on less-than two-weeks notice...
Then, with just ONE WEEK, 7-days exactly, away from my surgery date, shit happens again...! -I stumbled into a piece of heavy furniture here at home (I attribute this to the cardio-medications I have to take, -they mess with my balance and wakefulness, etc.) -and I BROKE MY LITTLE TOE! I mean it was BROKEN, real good!
-I could 'lift' the little toe up and feel (and hear) the click of bone. I could 'rotate' the toe 90° sideways either way, and it felt like several wooden matchsticks being rolled over themselves... yep, -a broken toe! Dark red and blue, swollen, quite painful... no protruding bone so I did what the doctors would have done ....I taped the broken toe to the adjacent toe! That is what they do! S'riously! Look it up!
So, seven days later, -June 6th, -I had my shoulder replacement surgery. Success! I have a bionic replacement 'steel-and-plastic' shoulder joint and am now officially 'a cyborg.'
I wore several pair of socks on the day of surgery 'for extra padding/protection' and did not tell the surgeon or doctors that I have a broken toe... I probably limped a little but nobody seemed to notice. -They'd have probably cancelled my surgery yet again if they knew...
For the next three months post-operation, it was wearing a 24-hr. shoulder sling and later, bi-weekly rehab exercises to strengthen the arm. I excelled in every regard here, -minimal muscle degen or strength loss. I could potentially be cleared to return to work around the first week of August!
But ...more to come...
The Cardiologist was not pleased with my results on the cardio medications: I was still retaining massive amounts of fluids in my lower limbs, and was still complaining of shortness of breath, heart fibrillation especially when rising from a seated position.
I tire very, VERY easily. -A walk to the mailbox and back, I'm gasping for air. I take a shower and dry myself off, I'm panting and gulping to breathe... this is not right! So, in mid/late August, the cardiologist changed a few of my meds -and he went on vacation for three weeks....
On Day-2 of new meds, I began to feel worse... Day-3, my legs were so swollen, -my lower legs were larger than my thighs! I was retaining a lot fluid (and realizing weight-gain of several pounds per day!)
My arms and hands swelled-up like Popeye's arms (no exaggeration) -My neck and face swelled like a Sumo wrestler! -Sort of a 'Jabba the Hutt' neck and face...
I called my Cardiologist for help on Day-4, -he's 'on vacation' and thus, unreachable! His office recommended I go to Emerg, NOW. I did not. Instead, I stopped taking the new 'experimental' medications and returned to my previous meds, -of which I had months-worth of supply.
Within several days, I'm 'back to where I was' (not 'normal,' but not a swollen pissbag of skin and bone.) We kind of agree that 'some kind of damage has been done' -'One step forward/two steps back' -I am slightly worse now than what I was 'prior' to the Rx change... In September, we upped the dosage of the 'heart meds' to double what it was before, and added a 'compliment' to the diuretic meds.
The results are pending, -but I'm not hopeful. I am not feeling any improvement. None at all... Recently, I had an incident of 'chest pains' a couple weeks ago, and we went to Emergency at the hospital that evening. Mistake!
"I'm having chest pains" -yet, here in a crowded Emerg. waiting room, was told "take a number and sit down.' Which I did ...for an hour. People were moaning, crying, some lady that sat behind me was puking into a puke bag... After an hour of not seeing any progress of the waiting queue, I gave up and called for a ride to come bring me home. I don't need this shit!
I came back the following morning, VERY EARLY, spent over 6-hours getting blood, kidney, chest x-ray to look for 'fluid around the lungs,' ECG to look for obstructions in the heart, etc., -and EVERYTHING looks 'okay.' Some results 'slightly elevated.' Others, 'slightly repressed,' -but nothing worthy of keeping me as an in-patient....
So, I have not worked since Jan. 29th 2024. I have exhausted my 'Short-term Disability' Payments ("26-weeks") in early August, and am ineligible for an Extension. I *could* get a 26-weeks of E.I. (Employment Insurance) payments IF declared 'fit to work' but 'no work' available.' I 'have a job' and if/when cleared for work, am expected to return to same... Contradiction: if declared "fit to work," the expectation is that I would return to work, -which right now I cannot. And if I refused to 'return to work,' would lose my E.I. eligibility... So I'm unemployed, basically cash-less except for minimal downloads of my cryptocurrency holdings during 'up' periods (hardly a 'source of income' yet but, -hopefully so for 2025 advances.) Basically,
FUCK 2024. It was a difficult year for me. I deserved better.