Surgery went very smoothly. It was a quick and relatively painless procedure [post pending]. I did not feel loopy or drowsy afterward, and had a perfectly normal afternoon following surgery.
Now that I have learned the benefits of frequent icing post-surgery, I use significantly fewer painkillers. Don’t get me wrong – you should definitely use them if you need them! I took painkillers at the minimum allowed interval for many days after my SLAP repair – that recovery was brutal.
But I have found frequent icing, elevation, and Tylenol to be sufficient for my last two surgeries. However, it must be said that I have always had a high pain tolerance, which has increased even more after nearly two decades of migraines.
Manage your pain responsibly, and in the way that is optimal for you, in consultation with your doctor.
So now I’m in a soft cast for two weeks, and sleeping in a sling at night to protect my wrist – never comfortable or convenient, but a necessary evil.
I have to say I am incredibly grateful for arthroscopic surgery – it makes the procedure so much less invasive and the recovery so much easier.
I realized as I was in-processing for surgery that it has been four years since the initial injury. I strongly hope that this will be the last corrective procedure, and I can finally put that incident behind me! Beware slip and fall injuries!
WARNING: If your prescribed painkiller includes Tylenol (acetaminophen), do not take additional over the counter Tylenol (acetaminophen). Pay close attention to daily dose limits. Exceeding the daily maximums can cause liver damage.
I take Tylenol instead of prescription painkillers, NOT in addition to them.
Whew, glad that went well. I hope that one left a lot of new solid bone behind as it backed out.
I didn’t want to know that screws could be removed arthroscopically!
Not to get too graphic, but the screw left behind a hole in the bone(s) which was larger than the surgeon would have liked. So he harvested some bone from my radius to fill the hole and help the area fill in faster. I’ll be posting about the procedure soon.
Arthroscopy is so cool! The anesthesiologist was estimating the incision for this procedure would be maybe a centimeter. I haven’t seen it yet, since it’s in a soft cast for two weeks.
Hope all is well on surf patrol.