Great Job, Dr. Sodl, I salute you!

 “LOST MUSKET DIARY” Wednesday May 13, 2015

Mostly Cloudy 71°F/22°C in Rancho Santa Margarita

Buongiorno,

Thanks, Doctor!

This morning I finally got to shake hands with the surgeon who operated on my shoulder. It was the first time in months that I had even been able to use my right arm for that social ritual. When the checkup was over, I even waved goodbye to the nurse. It had been six weeks-44 days to be exact-since I started counting backwards from 100 on that operating table. When I woke up afterward, all I could do was wiggle the fingers on my right hand because the arm itself was strapped to my side where it remained securely tied down for two weeks.

   I had been cautioned all the way through this process to be patient. “Don’t try to rush things,” I was told. It was advice I listened to and paid close attention to. The surgery itself was definitely not an out-patient procedure. An ancient sports injury had come back to haunt me in my “Golden Years.” The injured rotator cuff in my right shoulder had been further compromised by osteo and rheumatoid arthritis to the point where the cartilage in the joint had disintegrated and bone was rubbing on bone. I had largely lost the use of the arm and the pain of it was constant. 

  Doctor Sodl replaced the ailing joint completely with a new one of titanium and plastic and reattached all the muscles and tendons in a six hour operation. I spent two days in the hospital before

What will TSA make of this?

being released to return home, where I recuperated under the watchful eyes of my daughter, Dana; my part-time caregiver, Liliana and, of course my board-certified companion dog, Lola. What a team!

  Following post-operative checkups with the surgeon at two weeks and a month, I checked in with a physical therapist, George Stablein. I’ll be working with him over the next few months working to regain full use of my “right wing.” George used to pitch in the major leagues in his former life. “I know a little about shoulder injuries, Mike,” he told me on our first visit. It’s great working with a veteran.

  As tempting as it might have been to just sit in my rocking chair nibbling bon-bons and watching daytime TV, I had decided at the outset to live as normal a life as possible.  While I would not be allowed to drive for several months, I took advantage of the stores and restaurants in my immediate neighborhood where I could walk to, and arranged for rides to further destinations for any shopping trips or personal appointments. That included services for senior citizens that are available in my new home town, like daily lunches at the senior center, senior discounts for taxis and public transit and the like. Several of the local markets offer on-line grocery ordering and home delivery, which I made note of. And, even though I never needed the service and never had occasion to call 911, I knew that the local emergency paramedic services are among the best in California.

 

Nurse Lola

My room-mate is worth a special mention in this. Several people offered to temporarily care for my dog while I got back on my feet. Dana did take Lola to her house while I was in the hospital, but I decided when I got back home; I wanted her there with me. Now, looking back, I realize that I owe her a lot for my swift recovery. Our frequent walks along the neighborhood walking trail do as much for me as for her. My responsibilities in the area of making sure she is fed and watered prodded me into getting the exercise I needed, and that worked well for both of us. Hospitals and care facilities have long known the benefits of including a pet or service animal in the treatment of patients, especially for older people who tend to be isolated in their lifestyles.

  Just before my cataract surgery over a year ago, my ophthalmologist took note of my advancing age and told me, “You’re getting to the age where we start replacing parts. Your eyes are just going to be the first stop for you.” He was right. Since the shoulder project, I’ve met any number of people who’ve told me about their new knees or hips, shoulder joints or other prosthetics. There are a lot of us clanking around out here. So far, I’m happy with the outcome of Dr. Sodl’s handiwork, and I won’t be surprised a bit if another doctor tells me that I’m ready for another replacement part.    

Ciao,

MikeBo

©Mike Botula 2015