Alan, I did the shots, but when it kept coming back I pushed for the surgery. ("just go in there and fix it Doc...") Mind you, I HATE the knife, but in my case this would have gone nowhere but downhill fast. (I'm glad I had the "feeling" to go ahead.) Good luck! Jim -----Original Message----- From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Alan McCoy Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2007 2:17 PM To: College and University Technicians <caut at ptg.org> Subject: Re: [CAUT] Lessons from shoulder surgery Hi Jim, Interesting that you wrote this today as I just spent some time with an orthopod this morning. I've been dealing with shoulder impingement syndrome for about 7 months. Have had bursitis for several years, then this summer it got worse. Luckily it's in my left shoulder, which is great except for the fact that I tune verticals left-handed. I got a cortisone shot this morning to see if it will have any effect. Exercises and anti-inflammatories were ineffective at best, and the exercises seemed to actually make it worse. Thanks for reporting on the surgery. If it doesn't clear up, I'll feel a bit more receptive to surgery. Though I've been thinking that this might be a way to get out of tuning verticals.... :-) Happy Healing. Alan -- Alan McCoy, RPT Eastern Washington University amccoy at mail.ewu.edu 509-359-4627 > From: Jim Busby <jim_busby at byu.edu> > Reply-To: "College and University Technicians <caut at ptg.org>" <caut at ptg.org> > Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2007 12:21:36 -0700 > To: "College and University Technicians <caut at ptg.org>" <caut at ptg.org> > Conversation: Lessons from shoulder surgery > Subject: [CAUT] Lessons from shoulder surgery > > All, > > Last Tuesday (Dec. 11) I went in for shoulder surgery and came back today with > some things I'd like to share. In the surgery the doctors removed calcium > buildups (I DON'T know all their fancy names!), some arthritis, bone spurs, > and shortened/smoothed the bone around the ball joint (hey, that's what it > looked like to me). Anyway, the excess bone was digging into the rotator cuff > (sp?) and soon would have required replacement and/or other major work. "It > was tearing through like a knife". All I know is that it hurt to tune. > > After one week, I'm a bit sore but back to work! If I had waited another 3 or > 4 months they told me it would have been MUCH worse! What I want to share to > you; > > > 1. Don't put it off! It may get way worse. > 2. Find a great surgeon who won't just give you cortisone shots month after > month. (This guy does the BYU athletes and my doctor friends and nurses say > he's the best.) > 3. Surgery really wasn't that bad, although the first 3 days after I wanted > to die... > 4. Learn to tune left handed. Today I tuned a piano left handed (no problem > because I've learned to) and pounding the key with my right hand was no > problem. It's impossible for me to tune right handed for another 3 or 4 weeks. > (Hurts like hell to even raise it!) > > You can read all these articles on how to "avoid" such surgeries but in my > studies I found that; > > 1. Part of this comes with age/work and is somewhat > inevitable for certain people > 2. Part of it is in the genes. Bone spurs, arthritis, is in > my family... > 3. Exercises, techniques, etc. can help, but sometimes > 20,000 piano tunings and age win out. > > Prognosis? 10 to 20 years of pain free tuning! Well, after another few weeks > of torture... > > I also learned I'm one tough buck. They gave me pain pills but I'd rather take > the pain than put that crap in my body. It always makes me feels much worse in > the long run, and I can't make the hour long drive to work with that in my > system. They were amazed that I didn't take anything and that my recovery was > so fast. > > Jim Busby BYU > > p.s. I'm 52 years old. > >
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