why I havent been here as much
By bonnie
@bunnybon7 (50970)
Holiday, Florida
April 6, 2011 5:34pm CST
Ive been trying to come some every day but not as long for the past month. Back when I got the MRI, I think it caused a problem. First my arm was hurting and like I said I was in pain when the tech first made me lay over this funny thing she had in the middle of the table. I told her then the pain was terrible. so she adjusted it. but after that I had the swelling on my arm and the pain in my shoulder that just kept getting worse all last month. its to where i cant raise my arm very high, can hardly use it. cant lay on my right shoulder/or side. the pain wakes me at night. 2 weeks ago I went to the doctor over it. she had me a blood test taken. that was normal. then, I had an x-ray yesterday. Found out I have a torn rotating cuff
dont know anything about it, but she is referring me to some specialist. 
The pain is unbelievable at times. i use this right arm/hand for everything including typing here. I think its the cause of that tech insisting on my stretching over that spot on the table. 
now i dont know what all im going to have to go through. Ive been doing searches and I hope not to have surgery. ive seen some places says you can heal at home. Have you had this? Do you know anything about it?
dont know anything about it, but she is referring me to some specialist. The pain is unbelievable at times. i use this right arm/hand for everything including typing here. I think its the cause of that tech insisting on my stretching over that spot on the table. now i dont know what all im going to have to go through. Ive been doing searches and I hope not to have surgery. ive seen some places says you can heal at home. Have you had this? Do you know anything about it?6 people like this
17 responses
@melvelasco (356)
• Philippines
7 Apr 11
sad to hear that bunnybon, maybe you could visit the doctor to check it out, Next time take car...God bless
1 person likes this
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
7 Apr 11
thanks melvelasco. welcome to mylot. are those your lovely little girls? 
wow triplets?
@ElicBxn (64169)
• United States
7 Apr 11
I had the surgery in 2005 and it was such a relief!
I had been in pain since the early 1980's and it was only after I finally got an MRI that it was discovered.
I've had a lot of physical therapy for it before it was discovered so the doctor was surprised at how strong my arm was, considering...
It still sometimes hurt, but I KNOW it doesn't hurt as bad as it used to.
It is apparently normally a fairly long recovery, but it wasn't for me, amazingly enough because I normally heal very slowly because of the fibro.
Granted, it was about 6 months before it was pretty much back to my normal - remember, I had trouble with it for over 20 years, so my normal probably isn't a true normal.
Anyway, what I am saying is: don't be afraid if they say "surgery" it has made my life so much better than it was.
1 person likes this
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
7 Apr 11
thanks elic. i really am afraid of surgery. but i guess everyone is.i tried to post here last night but something was up with mylot. so i just took a pain pill and went to bed. how long was you in the hospital?
i tried to post here last night but something was up with mylot. so i just took a pain pill and went to bed. how long was you in the hospital?1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (64169)
• United States
8 Apr 11
for my shoulder? it was considered "day surgery" where they started counting from the time I was taken to my room and they let me out 23 hours later
It was supposed to be that way for my reduction but I was kept another day because my blood dropped, then picked up again.
for my gall bladder I was actually in from Tuesday morning (I went Monday night, but didn't get a room until about 4 a.m.) and got out on Friday, they did the surgery on Thursday.
My shoulder was immobilized for a week, and I wasn't supposed to drive, but I did, after about 4 days. It was still weak all summer from the early April surgery, it is a VERY long recovery even for the healthiest people.
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
7 Apr 11
hi bunnybon oh my a torn rotor cuff is so painful and sometimes you have to have surgery to repair it. I fell over a sprinkler head and tore my left rotator cuff also. I had a lot of therapy and it seemed to have repaired itself but then when I was 81 I had a bad fall landing on my left shoulder and the whole shoulder bones just smashed into pieces so the orthopedic surgeon could not repair it but he put in an artificial shoulder joint but not one that repaired the injury to the rotor cuff so now I have ended up with not a whole lot of ability to lift my left arm.so now I am not ambidextrous as I once was and cannot lift things up onto a high shelf or down from a high shelf. oddly you use your left and right hand to brush your hair and all the things we just take forgranted. a good really good surgeon could indeed repair a torn rotator cuff and since its your right arm yhou really should see a really good specialist and track down his surgical record. I did not have time to dol that as I had fractured my left arm and was in such pain they had to do something at once.I would really opt for surgery with a reputable surgeon who has done a lot of rotator cuff surgeries.
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
7 Apr 11
oh Hatley, i guess you have had it all. seems you've experienced a lot of pain girl. i figured you might know something about this. but with my luck, i wont find a good surgeon
hope i do if it comes to that. 
hope i do if it comes to that. 
@yoyo1198 (3641)
• United States
7 Apr 11
My aunt had a torn rotator cuff. If it is truly torn and not just strained then surgery is the only option for repair. It will not regenerate or heal on its own. My aunt was not a good candidate for the surgery as she was elderly and had already had open heart surgery and it was felt that surgery would be too risky for her. She lived the rest of her days with that shoulder unusable and was in pain the majority of the time.
The x-ray tech very well could have misaligned your shoulder to where the cuff tore but you would be hard put to prove it now. If someone documented that you complained of pain after the MRI, that might be an opening for you.
I ended up with two ruptured discs in my neck from being manhandled on the operating table but am unable to prove that was the cause. Now I'm looking at two more surgeries. I wish there was more responsibility on the part of hospital employees as they frequently cause mishaps like these.
1 person likes this
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
7 Apr 11
yes someone should be able to bring them to account. my hubby was so handled the same after his bi=pass and i often wonder if thats what made him not recuperate well after that so they didnt get to the cancer in time. i wish i knew how we could get them to be more careful.1 person likes this
@stanley777 (9401)
• Philippines
7 Apr 11
Hello bunnybon7,
Sorry to hear 'bout your sufferings, I know it's really hard just think that you are in pain with a slight movement of your arm and shoulder.I'm really surprised you still can do mylotting.I guess that's what mylot members are, sharing.I hope too that other members can suggests or recommend opinions or others who may have experienced just like yours.Hope you recover soon.
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
7 Apr 11
thanks stanley. me to. thats why i make discussions on mylot about my problems. as they say 2(or more) heads are better then one
and i often find lots of good advice and support here. 
@hardworkinggurl (37062)
• United States
7 Apr 11
Wow bunny I am sorry you are going through this.
Torn ligament usually depending on it's condition usually requires surgery. I wonder if physical therapy and or an arm splint would help though. The specialist will review and advise what would be best.
I do hope you do not need surgery and that maybe it can be healed with time. Do your best and only come on here if you can. Do not over strain because it may make things worse.
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
7 Apr 11
you are right. before i knew what it was, i think i did make it worse by trying to work out the pain. i thought it was arthritis. so i was making myself do things, only to suffer later hope i can still avoid surgery
@GardenGerty (169449)
• United States
7 Apr 11
Whether you can heal it at home or not depends on how badly it is torn, I suspect. I have not had this problem. People who are athletes and people who do a lot of repetitive stuff get this a lot. I had a choir director that did. The pain is bad, sometimes the surgery is better than the pain, but regardless, you will end up with physical therapy. I am so sorry you have to go through this, bunnybon. Does the doctor think this is caused by the positioning in the MRI? I must have missed the discussion about the MRI, because I do not know why you had it.
1 person likes this
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
9 Apr 11
Oh dear bon, I've heard that that is agony. Do you think it happened when you had your MRI?
It is your right arm too so you must be feeling horrid not being able to use the computer so much so as to pass the time. I feel for you sweety. Do pain killers work? I truly hope you can get it fixed really soon. Hugs.
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
10 Apr 11
thanks mstickle. yes i think that lady made me stretch to hard and lay that way to long. its been getting worse ever since. only pain killers i take so far is the Excedrin, over the counter and some tylenol now and then. even an aspirin. but im so afraid its going to make my stomach act up again
@dragon54u (31633)
• United States
8 Apr 11
I've had a torn rotator cuff and it's awful! My doctor gave me a shot of cortisone which hurt really bad but the next day it felt so much better. I kept the arm immobile for about ten days and then it was still tender but had had time to heal. This can work if it's not torn badly.
I had a test yesterday where I had to lay for about 20 minutes with my arms above my head and they hurt pretty badly when I was able to move them again. Being in positions we're not used to can be painful. I hope you feel better soon! Ask about cortisone, it might be worth a try and isn't harmful if you don't come to depend on it as some people do with bad knees, etc.
@daeckardt (6237)
• United States
12 Apr 11
I haven't had this problem myself so I don't think I can help you. I think the tech must have messed up when putting you on the table. I don't remember anything like that when I had an MRI done, but that was back in 2003 and I don't remember things that long anyway. I don't know whether that is the kind of problem my brother has, but he has trouble with his shoulder a lot. For him, it started when he would throw his son into the air playing with him. Now he can't even lift a bag of groceries with that arm. The doctors told him it was a hereditary problem so I might have the same kind of thing going on to a lesser extent. I hope you don't have to have surgery for it. I know that my brother saw some kind of doctor when he was in China and it was like physical therapy they did and it seemed to help. I guess the main thing is to try building the muscle strength without putting too much stress on the muscles that are already damaged. I hope you are able to get this better soon.
@daeckardt (6237)
• United States
13 Apr 11
Do you stick with regular medical doctors or have you looked into alternative therapies? I'm not sure what other options there might be, but I'm sure that something would help.
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
13 Apr 11
me to. thanks but it seems my doctor dont give a crap for my pain. ive changed doctors way to many times to so just looks like i cant find a good one ever. im kind of up the creek. 1 person likes this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
7 Apr 11
HI BON, So sorry to hear of your troubles. I know that is painful. My dad had that but never gave into surgery. I have problems w/my arms & shoulders to but i guess it's just the arthritus plus when i mentioned it to the dr. last time he said i had peripheral neuropathy. I sometimes wonder if he knows what he's talking about. I knew i was having trouble w/my feet but didn't know that affected your hands & arms. I hope u can get by w/out surgery. I know how it is to live w/pain all the time.
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
7 Apr 11
so sorry Jo that you are having lots of pain to. im wondering why this has to happen with aging. 1 person likes this
@celticeagle (189838)
• Boise, Idaho
8 Apr 11
I know nothing about it. have heard of it and know it is very painful. I would check what you can find on webmd.com. It is a great site with lots of up to date information. How in the world did you hurt yourself like this? The trick is never to do anything and then you don't get hurt. Ya, its early morning and all I could think of to put forth. I hope they get you well soon. Sorry to hear you are in so much pain.
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
8 Apr 11
yes ive done some searches. i should have listened to son and not had the MRI
1 person likes this
@payout (3797)
• United States
6 Apr 11
Hey bunny bon,
That sound terrible humm and to be honest I never heard of that in my life and I would recommend you to continue your research and then see what you can find if not just let the doctors and the people that have handle this before take are of this problem I wish you the best of luck. I'm sure this problem can be fix and I'm happy to see you are on MyLot even if it's one post a day good to see you hope to see you around
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
7 Apr 11
thanks payout. glad you tried at least. maybe learn more about it before it happens to you.2 people like this
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36847)
• Pamplona, Spain
7 Apr 11
Hiya bunnybon,
Does sound like that injury yes because I had something similar last year. I could not raise my arm very high or reach back at all.
At one point it was all I could do to pick up anything.
Forget about lying on the same shoulder for a while as it makes it worse.
But before anything you need to see a Specialist yes indeed.
They will give you the right treatment for it. Mine was very mild compared to some and I am now able to put my arm behind my back again but I never thought that I would.
It took time and persistence and a lot of tears.
If it is that injury it´s just caused by the strain we have put on it over time without realizing it and it starts to protest.
No more heavy Shopping for me I buy everything and do everything when I am able and I don´t force myself into anything anymore.
Hope you get to the Specialist soon. I was going to say pronto then forgetting myself a bit. Take care Bonnie and I hope they give you some good treatment for that. I know it´s very painful especially the first weeks wow I will say it is.
Did not think anything like that could hurt so much but it does. I think Dawnald has the same thing too she seems to be a bit better now also.
xxx
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
7 Apr 11
well i should look into some of her discussions i guess to see what she did about it. im glad yours got better on its own. im scared of surgery.
im glad yours got better on its own. im scared of surgery.1 person likes this
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
7 Apr 11
Good morning, bunnybon! Gee whiz, I truly am sorry...and I have NO idea of the pain you are bearing! It must not be a common injury, as it is not even one we learned pain managment for in Ambulance..so am not familiar!
I sure hope you get superior medical care (this time)and you are back to our family here...SOON!
REminds me of the old joke; the difference between God and a Doctor. GOD doesn't think he is a Dr.! It just makes me angry, when I read your post, and how we are supposed to revere the "medics"..and how they are above blame! Wishing you well, and out of pain..pronto.
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
7 Apr 11
thanks pergammano. yes, the thing is, i went there to find out if i still had something i didnt have, which was good news. only to get something bad from it. and my son was the only one said dont do it. whys he always right
@catdla1 (6005)
• United States
7 Apr 11
Oh Bunny, so sorry to hear that! I had issues with my left shoulder 3 years ago. At the time, xrays and my MRI weren't conclusive as to what the problem was. After going through physical therapy, steroid shots, steroid pills, and lots of pain medication, the only option was surgery. For me, it ended up being lots of calcium deposits in my shoulder, which had to be removed.
If you end up needing surgery, the pain afterwards is a huge step down from what you're going through right now. Plus, it's terrific when you realize that the pain diminishes each day, instead of staying the same.
Hang in there & good luck with the specialist. Let us know how you make out, ok?
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
7 Apr 11
hey sweetie. you know i will. im still hoping for the no surgery option plus ive got to do things when sons able to take me so hard telling how long
plus ive got to do things when sons able to take me so hard telling how long @JenInTN (27514)
• United States
8 Apr 11
That burns me a new one. Sounds to me like that tech was being a bit too rough. People don't realize how easy they could hurt someone until it is their hindend stretched across something.
I hope you get to feeling better and you can heal at home. I have not had a torn cuff but it sounds painful. Take care.@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
8 Apr 11
thanks Jen, the worst part is, my son told me not to go since id already been told they didnt see anything in other tests. well now he says i told you so.
