Okay, here's some good news. Before surgery, I could barely raise my right arm up to shoulder level. I now can raise my arm almost straight overhead. Before surgery, I was able to squeeze off a total of 20 rounds while practicing, before the pain and immobility made me stop. I already can shoot again. Nine weeks after surgery, I estimate that I have 70-percent range of motion. If I push through some discomfort/pain, it's closer to 80 percent. This is more than I had.
I can send you full-color pictures of what the inside of my shoulder looked like before the surgery. Yuck! BTW, it's being able to do the surgery through a few small incisions instead of flaying the shoulder to the bone that makes me say "Bah, humbug!" to the "good ol' days."
I won't sugar-coat it -- Recovery is a pure bitch. Make sure you have a comfortable recliner, because you probably will have to sleep sitting up for a couple-few weeks. Take the damn pain killers; this is no time to be John Wayne. Do the physical therapy without fail. PT stands for Pain and Torture, but if you don't do it, you'll just end up with a frozen shoulder. In my case, PT started two days after surgery and I have another month or two left. Stretches are part of it; now we're working on regaining the strength in my right arm. Remember, your arm may be in a sling for 6 weeks; your arm muscles are going to become weak.
So, am I enjoying recovery? Hell, no! Am I glad I had the surgery? Hell, yes!
I'll answer any specific questions to the best of my ability and experience.
Richard
