The long, hard road to recovery

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Christopher Campbell
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  (Editor's Note: This is the second in a four part series about my recovery from shoulder surgeries)

Pride, according to Dictionary.com, as a noun, is described as a high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc.

I used to be very proud of my physical prowess--that is before I was given a dose of humility, which is the only nice way I can describe the next scene of my life.

I had to endure looking into the eyes of my children as they watched their father use all of his muscles to raise his arm parallel to the ground and then look exhausted after that "feat of strength". That is something I do not wish on anyone, because fathers are supposed to be strong and the protectors of the family. Well, I think that expectation was thrown out the window with that episode.

This was just one dose of many to come on my rehabilitation path to surgical success for my shoulders.

Rehabilitation for shoulder surgeries is usually a three-phase process: first is a passive range of motion followed by active range of motion and ending with strength training.

Passive range of motion is achieved by several different means. Patients utilize a cane, pulley system or my personal favorite: manipulation and joint mobilization by a physical therapist or technician.

Staff Sgt. Maybelle McKinney-Martin, a physical medicine craftsman with the 48th Medical Group physical and occupational therapy clinic, worked with me heavily during my first bout of rehab.

To move to the next phase patients have to move the arm and shoulder, under their own control, a certain distance.

"Once a patient can do functional range of motion, about 120 to 160 degrees, depending on the therapists prescribed treatment, light strengthening can start," Sergeant McKinney-Martin said. "Most of the time pain is associated in the first phase and it is important to control the pain in order to move forward."

I was able to do that within the first two weeks after my first surgery, but the therapist wanted to follow normal protocol to allow the healing process to continue before advancing me.

I was impressed with my recovery, but don't be fooled, I was in pain. I also knew I could live with it, in order to regain full health again. I saw other people recovering who were not at the levels I was. I was not comparing myself against them, I focused more on myself and getting back to the level I felt I needed to be at.

The next level is active range of motion. This is where everything is under your control; they accomplish this by using other tools and adding more, therabands and light weights under five pounds.

I was doing so well, after my first surgery, with my recovery that I was allowed to do my own weight training and I was released from the physical therapy clinic.

My second recovery is a different story: one that is more gruesome, slower and far more painful.

I was in an "immobilizer" for six weeks and only able to get out of it for showers and putting clothes on. According to Sergeant McKinney-Martin, waiting for the surgical site to heal is the top priority for rehab. There is a down side to using the immobilizer, though, and that is, the muscles shorten if they are not regularly stretched.

Once I was cleared for movement, I was also limited because my surgery site was only 80 percent healed. Therefore I was only able to do passive motion for another month. In layman's terms that means I was in more pain, yet again, and have more to look forward to with each additional phase.

Although the pain hasn't gone away my surgeon, Maj. Kenneth Bode, 48th Medical Group Orthopedic surgeon, has fixed my shoulders, and most importantly, my character.

Dictionary.com states that humility is the quality or condition of being humble; modest opinion or estimate of one's own importance, rank, etc, when used as a noun.