How To Wash Hair After Shoulder Surgery

Twenty-four hour period-to-Day Life after Surgery

So what happens after surgery?

Well, the day of surgery most people sleep the majority of the 24-hour interval. Equally you probably read in my Surgery office ii post, I was awake most of the day 🙂 It'due south helpful to have people in the morning and the evening when yous're getting dressed and bathing. Here are some subject field-specific ideas that volition hopefully give you an idea of what to look!

Bathing:

I took baths in my swimsuit and my mom helped wash my hair. If you haven't already at this point, definitely invest in a long handled bathing brush like this. I was so worried about bathing and information technology actually makes a huge difference when yous are able to get clean… yous just feel so much better. There were several times that my mom left boondocks and I made an appointment at the hair salon downwardly the street. I talked to a gentle hairdresser who was very all-around. Laying in the chair while she washed my hair, while notcomfy,really was not painful. You can get a shampoo/ accident dry for nether $thirty most places (they even have blo dry bars), and if yous tin afford this, information technology can last 4-5 days – it really lifted my spirits! Y'all first feeling actually unattractive when putting on makeup is too much work, your clothes are comfortable loose-fitting options, and you have a giant black sling with pillow sticking out in forepart of you. Go on in mind- I had the sling on for over a month… longer than the typical recovery for typical shoulder surgeries.

Dressing:

Hopefully you lot were able to create some good wear options to make getting dressed easier (like I did here), merely information technology helps to take someone there to velcro or pin your shirts. I was alone in the mornings and figured out how to dress myself, but whenever I planned to leave the house, I would just have that person pivot my shirt for me where I couldn't achieve. Y'all definitely volition not be driving while still in the sling!

Sleeping:

Blah! Information technology can be then hard to fall asleep with your arm in a sling (especially while in pain). I highly highly recommend sleeping in a reclining chair. If you don't have one, just use tons of pillows to prop yourself up because laying apartment is not really an option. During the solar day, you'll be spending a lot of fourth dimension on the couch/ reclining chair, and then to assist separate twenty-four hour period and night, I put sheets on my Lazy-Boy every evening earlier bed (ii flat sheets, one tucked in to the chair and one on top for a cover sheet). At dark, I used a thin pillow behind my head and also one under my feet because my chair has a slight disconnect between the feet and master chair – this made it and then much more comfortable and my feet didn't hang off. I slept in the living room, then I woke pretty early when the sun came through the windows. I used a loud fan for white noise to help drown out road noise and also my mom when she left for work. In the morning I would have the sheets off and throw them in another room. I always changed into pajamas at night, even though my day clothes were comfy also. These things helped me autumn comatose at night and stay awake during the 24-hour interval. After the first week post-op, I tried not to sit in the chair unless I was going to sleep.

Nutrient Prep:

Screen Shot 2015-05-18 at 9.35.05 PM

I was also able to teach myself how to cook one handed. Some of the attempts weren't so slap-up and I definitely pushed myself likewise hard at first.

Post-op day three I really wanted risotto. My family was out to dinner without me and I was getting hungrier by the minute so I started chopping veggies and sautéing garlic in some olive oil. I reached for the bag of arborio rice when the coconut oil jar slid out and came crashing to the ground. Now I had broken drinking glass all over the flooring. Needless to say, I pushed myself too hard. As time went on, I found it fairly simple to cut fruit and softer veggies (or have someone cut them upwardly before hand and shop in the refrigerator). For breakfast, since I was lone every day, oatmeal was my go-to. I measured the oats, water and milk and stirred information technology on the stove and dropped in the (oft pre-cut from the grocery store) fruit. One really helpful slice of equipment is a food processor or a blender.

The food processor can assistance you cutting upward all kinds of vegetables and other nutrient items that you may not have otherwise thought to utilize it for. The Dycem material helps a lot when preparing food and they as well have a jar opener. Yes, y'all can open up a jar with one arm! I stick the jar between my legs and use the Dycem to twist the jar off (if you don't have Dycem, other jar grippers volition withal actually help). Since it grips so well, it makes it muchmucheasier to open. This opens up a whole world of canned soups, vegetables, sauces, and more. Crockpots are as well a very helpful tool.

Food Ideas:

Bananas and peanut butter are a adequately piece of cake snack with some protein – if you tin't spread it, just dip it in the jar (or those unmarried serving cups).
Overnight oats in a jar are a swell option (here are some ideas).
Eddy-in-a-bag rice
Microwaveable frozen vegetables
Smoothies
Cooking on the grill
Oatmeal
Cereal with granola and fresh fruit (pre-cut fruit from grocery is much easier!)
Waffles (if yous have a waffle maker), although having someone prepare the batter ahead of time would be easier. I did manage to mix the batter on my ain though!
Toast and Bagels would be easy – possibly just endeavor using the Dycem material so the breadstuff doesn't slide when spreading topping
Eggs are a little harder merely however possible
Canned soups

Obviously microwave meals are easy as well, although not the healthiest. If you happen to exist reading this before surgery (good thinking!) making some frozen meals at home and portioning into small Tupperware's will really pay off (chili, soups, crockpot meal mix-ins, here are some ideas)! I did non think ahead this far, and then don't feel helpless if you lot didn't either. I had fun with it! Try not to become frustrated thinking about what youtin can'tmake and only focus on the ideas listed here. Think of it as a time to get creative and run into what you tin can cook with only one arm. I challenge you to try feeding your body nutritious foods (like frozen vegetables and fresh fruits) whenever possible after surgery. It will requite yous more energy and make your recovery a healthier one. On instagram, I used the hashtag #onearmedchef and so yous may find some expert ideas on there from other users too. Screen Shot 2015-05-18 at 9.35.34 PM

Day-to-Twenty-four hour period Life

Netflix, Hulu Plus, TiVo, whatever you tin practice to entertain yourself while staying downward is a expert idea. At the aforementioned fourth dimension, try to push yourself to exercise things with some degree of physical activity or mental stimulation. Working with your hands… not the easiest affair after shoulder surgery! Non beingness able to drive can really bring you down after several days to a week. It's really hard to depend on anybody else and lose that independence! For me, not being able to go out the house was one of the most hard parts of recovery. I felt atrocious sitting around all day watching Television and not getting much sunlight or exercise. I had to force myself to become out of the house and take the dog for a walk. At the aforementioned time, this has to exist a careful process so you don't find yourself getting dizzy (this was especially important for me with POTS).

Hurting:

The outset few days are by far the worst. The day I came domicile I was pretty bang-up because of the combination of the nerve cake (which wore off around 6 pm) and the leftover anesthesia/hurting meds. That evening and the next few days were the most painful. I did not respond well to narcotics and ended upwardly not taking them past 24-hour interval 3 due to nausea and dizziness. Don't let this scare you – most people do fine with the hurting meds and so y'all will probably exist fine. But how cool is it that by twenty-four hour period 4 I was able to just become by with extra force tylenol? That should tell you lot something about the hurting (granted, I would take preferred a stronger medication, merely the side-affects outweighed the actress pain relief then I stuck with the OTC).

Timeline:

Proceed in mind that everyone's timeline will look different. I had a capsular tightening – this ways my recovery was much slower than, say, a rotator cuff procedure. But, here'southward an thought of what it looked like for me.

i-ii days post op: Ice Ice Baby

I was told to take my bandage off (I'm forgetting how many days only I desire to say it was only about 48 hours afterwards). I was icing my shoulder very, very consistently to go on the hurting downwards. (For ice- I used the little round ice packs they sell at drug stores and ziplock bags of ice with paper towels wrapped around them).

3 days post op:Stir-Crazy and Nauseous

First hair wash. I also propped with pillows and took the velcro off and slid my arm out of the sling. Notation: (with surgeons permission) work on trying to stretch/extend your elbow direct from around day 5-7. Try not to wait likewise long like I did because information technology will get really stiff very fast (aka: contracture).

one week post op: Keep your arm propped

My neck and back were pretty agitated from the sling and I could non stand up for long periods of time with my shoulder just hanging in the sling. I still very much preferred to be in a chair or on the couch propped up. Decent corporeality of pain still, but over again, I did forgo the narcotics and simply took extra strength tylenol. I had gotten pretty stir-crazy already after almost five days of being home solitary.

That weekend, I was begging my beau to take me out! Around 7-10 days I really started to be able to do more things and fifty-fifty went to a domestic dog halloween festival on post-op Twenty-four hours 10. Granted, I didn't stay long and was definitely feeling spent after standing for an hour or two. I was notwithstanding using pillows propped up in the car and very much protecting it when I went places. Make certain you are extending that elbow throughout the day (propped upwards and supported).

2 weeks post op: Cheerio stitches!

My first post-op appointment. I had not stretched my elbow until today and wow was it stiff. I definitely recommend trying to accept your arm out and passively (using your other arm) straightening/stretching the elbow joint earlier than this. He took the stitched out at this engagement.

Outset solar day wearing a normal shirt. I wore a loose flow-y shirt similar to this one or this one (a loose plumbing fixtures (crop) superlative).

By two weeks, I was in alot less pain at rest.

Post-op day 16

Post-op day xvi

At 2 1/2 weeks mail op I ran around (literally running it) at the Gluten Costless Expo all day, sitting and propping up often, but definitely walked upright a lot. Notation: The t-shirt in the motion-picture show in a higher place had to be cut downwardly the side, every bit was the tie-dye 1 below.

no pillow!

iii-4 Weeks post op: Bye bye box!

I took the pillow/box off around 3-4 weeks and just used information technology when I left the house or was standing for a long fourth dimension. I also got my hair cut around this time. My mom was sick of washing it, and then we made an date spur the moment and chopped 10 inches to donate. That was a dramatic change… I don't recommend it. Talk about a cocky-image disruption!

half-dozen weeks mail op: So long sling!

I took the sling off completely. Kickoff bathroom completely independently.

Began physical therapy (with my PT who is very well-versed in ehlers-danlos/ joint hypermobility and did non push me too difficult or take me start doing too much too soon – this is so of import!). Yous can tell in the film below, I'm however holding my right (see, left) arm in a protected posture. I often walked with information technology at a 90* bending bent up confronting my tum because it had been that style for so long.

6 one/ii weeks post op

8 weeks post op: FREEDOM!

Finally able to drive! And make snowballs…

9 weeks post-op, making snowballs

ix weeks post-op, making snowballs

I likewise got my puppy at 7 1/two weeks mail-op!! Talk near motivation to do my R.O.M. exercises!

Puppy!

xiii weeks mail service op:Getting my life back!

Rode my equus caballus for the first time once again (with someone else saddling and lifting me upwards). Note: It took me several months before I was able to saddle on my own over again and even now, I am using a footstep stool to prevent damage to the shoulder. Activity accommodation is a good thing!

13 weeks = RIDING!

thirteen weeks = RIDING!

AND Space mountain at Disney land.

13 weeks post op = DISNEY

fifteen weeks post op: Did I e'er have surgery?

Hiked to Maiden Pools in Ventana Canyon (in gorgeous Tucson).

15 weeks = hiking!

15 weeks = hiking! (and hands on hips!)

Then, the joke near "did I ever even accept surgery?!" is definitely just that – a joke. I still do not have full range of motion and I'thousand limited in sports such as bowling, golf, tennis, throwing a brawl, etc. Notwithstanding, I just try and avoid these activities and find other things that are better suited to my body. I hope this guide helps give you and idea of what the recovery time looks like for this blazon of shoulder surgery. Simply attempt and take it boring, and know that you volition get your life dorsum soon! Take intendance of your torso first and foremost… later all, we're only given one!

I am guessing you, or someone yous know is having surgery and that is what lead you lot to my site. Please bank check out parts 1, & 2, plus how to make your own t-shirts on the rest of the blog! Cheers for stopping by, and best wishes on your surgery and road to recovery. The journey is an gamble, and an incredible learning opportunity!