Well I didn't have enough time to be scared of another surgery because between my consult and pre-op appointments I think I had a week to get everything approved by my command. My surgeon was.. is? amazing. Excellent surgeon but he also did a fantastic job of telling me exactly what he was going to do and why and in the process scaring me shitless. Keller Army Community Hospital was one of my better experiences with hospitals. The first time he walked into my hospital room the night before surgery he has a whole slew of interns with him. My case drew some attention and was interesting because of the type of surgery he was going to do. The bright-eyed look of the interns made me think of predators circling around a fresh kill. I was a little unnerved. But I trusted him. More than I have trusted any surgeon past or present. Surgically he had to do a ton of work. He determined that my capsular shift surgery I had in Guam most likely failed almost immediately since he was able to see ruptured sutures in with a mass of scar tissue and adhesions. He repaired the subscap tendon with a graft and freed up a lot of the adhesions that were causing major range of motion difficulties. He also redid the capsular shift. By far the most extensive work up to that point on my shoulder. Woke up in PAIN. Still doesn't compare to today but I maxed out on the PCA pump within hours and they had to over ride it several times throughout the night. Then the next day: knock knock "are you ready for PT?" Ummm noooo, I just had surgery! But yep I was down there within the half hour doing PT alongside Army hockey players and a couple football players. The PT techs were, what I thought and was used to, insanely brutal and I think I passed out during one nasty range of motion exercise. The rest of the week went better, but PT twice a day for those first 5 days? Oww painful. I could not wait to go home! Well I got home and I was all set to see Z for the first time in a week and my parents put their foot down (along with the doc.) It would be a couple weeks at least before I was allowed to go to the barn. I guess that is good - I overdo it at the barn and pay for it later. Still do but Z was younger, just turning 4 and he was still a little "unpredictable". No sign whatsoever of my gremlin that would show itself a few years later. My shoulder hurt but it was a surgical healing hurt, not the abnormal out of control pain that CRPS feels like. What I didn't know while I was laying at home in bed was the woman who had agreed to exercise Zephyr for me was riding him incorrectly and was pushing him way too fast for a 4 year old to handle. I wanted to go slow with him. He needed time to figure things out mentally as well as physically. I wanted him to settle into work slow. I wanted him to take his time with his healing knee and a more worrisome suspensory strain. He was sound to ride but he needed to be brought back gradually, not quick and harsh. What he got was rushed training and taught to carry his body in the wrong way that was making him crazy. To get away from it he did what comes naturally to racehorses. He learned to bolt; grab the bit in his teeth and run through everything. When I finally made it to the barn I saw her riding him this way but Z had had enough and before I could yell out he had taken off out of the ring and over the huge manure mountain and decided to leave her there. He is 12 now. He still has issues stemming from those short months of incorrect training, although he is getting MUCH better.
Finally! Got to see my boy. And he is leaning on my arm
Most of his 4 year old year I was rehabbing and trying to make my arm stronger. More rehab, more doctor's appointments. I was able to take the all important Army Physical Fitness Test eventually after awhile. Range of motion was still horrible though and I still felt a "clicking" in the joint. Knowing there would be a ton of scar tissue I expected this to some degree and scar tissue HURTS when it breaks up. I rode a little bit but I gave him some time off to really let that suspensory ligament heal. With that injury I knew I would not jump him. Because of the concussive force their front legs take when they land it would be too much for that ligament to take and I didn't want to take the chance of ruining him. My event prospect plans had changed just like that. But my shoulder wasn't 100% yet either so those plans were probably long screwed before he got hurt.
Towards the end of 2004 I knew my shoulder was still not great. I could do more but it was more painful and the scar tissue and heavy adhesions were to blame. The Army started the medical board process to discharge me. This takes forever if you have ever been through one and it meant more physicals and shoulder examinations than I can count. My surgeon was on the medical board committee that would ultimately decide what would happen and he supported the decision for me to get out. I could do my job yes, but keep in mind we are still at war and I was undeployable. But before I was discharged I was given one more surgery; to free up the extensive scar tissue and remove some extraneous sutures that were no longer needed since the subscap tendon had healed. I had good relief after this surgery, had better range of motion and rehab was nearly a breeze. My 4 year obligation to the Army was complete in 2005 so I declined the medical board and rode out the last few months and was honorably discharged. And I found a job doing the same type of work that I was doing for the military.
No comments:
Post a Comment