[Aravanecaravan]

Originally Posted by nelsondan

Are you experiencing any unexpected side issues---can you sleep, run, eat, read and concentrate pretty much the same?

Interesting that you ask that. I had a bad reaction to the anesthesia and pain meds and couldn't keep food down for almost a week. I finally stopped taking the pain medication and the nausea got better. Sleep isn't a bad probalem now, but it was the first few days after surgery because they ask you to sleep in a chair and that isn't comfortable at all. Of course, if you sleep on your side, like me, then every time you turn to that side you wake up. lol.

The first week to 10 days I was "fuzzy". I had to take pain meds for the pain and anti-nausea medication because of the pain meds. So driving, reading, thinking...really couldn't do it. Now, I am fine in that regard.

I walk for exercise, but running or lifting weights is out. The stress on the shoulder joint still hurts too much for hard impact exercise.

Little things like brushing my hair or reaching up into the cabinet for a glass--anything that requires overhead motion--hurts very much, even now.

Therapy is difficult, and frustrating, because the right arm is so much weaker than mormally, and even weaker than the left now. The best part is stretching my right arm with the pulleys.

To describe the post-op pain, the best way I can put it is that it feels like it does if you jam a finger. You almost want somebody to pull it out of the socket to stretch it. The pain from that is tough, but it feels good when you release it.

[MaitaBaby]

Thanks for all the info. Now we sort of have an idea of what she might be going through and what she might have to go through. What a tough decision this is for her. AHHHH Obviously being on top of the field right now and then knowing at the back of your head that you deserve to be there and stay there if it wasn't for this injury.. KINDA FRUSTRATING!

3-4 months off the tour is long but if she decides to do the surgery, given that this is her best option in the long run, then she best do it soon. This would be smart schedule-wise. Wouldn't miss a whole lot after the Olympics anyway.. not a lot of points to defend until AO '09.

I Heart Masha I hope you get better soon. Do you play tennis?

[Aravanecaravan]

Originally Posted by MaitaBaby

Thanks for all the info. Now we sort of have an idea of what she might be going through and what she might have to go through. What a tough decision this is for her. AHHHH Obviously being on top of the field right now and then knowing at the back of your head that you deserve to be there and stay there if it wasn't for this injury.. KINDA FRUSTRATING!

3-4 months off the tour is long but if she decides to do the surgery, given that this is her best option in the long run, then she best do it soon. This would be smart schedule-wise. Wouldn't miss a whole lot after the Olympics anyway.. not a lot of points to defend until AO '09.

I Heart Masha I hope you get better soon. Do you play tennis?

I do. Or did. It seems so long now I can't remember anymore. lol.

Kidding aside, yes, I do and it's actually how I got hurt. I had just come back from the Sony Ericsson Open in early April 2007 and was practicing serves when I felt a little twinge of pain in my serving shoulder. I didn't think anything about it as it wasn't a great deal of pain, just more of an irritation. Then I started noticing that I wasn't getting any more serves over the net, and that they were going into the net lower and lower. After about a half hour of that I stopped. About a half hour after I stopped, I couldn't move my arm.

After a doctor visit, I was sent for an MRI, which detected a "Type I impingement". I was referred for physical therapy, and after 8 weeks of that, I still had pain. That's when I went to the orthopedic specialist and got the cortisone injection and the briefing on surgery. He looked at the MRI for about 15 seconds and pointed to a frame and said "this is the guy that's causing your pain, a bone spur". I pondered it for awhile--probably too long, and eventually decided that I wasn't getting any better so I had nothing to lose with the surgery. Even though it hurts at this point, I am glad I did it. The doc says there is nothing wrong with my arm now and that I should be good as new when it heals and strengthens. In fact, he said that in a few weeks, groundies could actually benefit the therapy. Overheads will take longer.

Before the surgery, I could play, but it hurt quite a bit, particularly on the backhand side. And serving really hurt a lot, enough that I pretty much stuck to groundies.

[MaitaBaby]

Originally Posted by I Heart Masha

I do. Or did. It seems so long now I can't remember anymore. lol.

Kidding aside, yes, I do and it's actually how I got hurt. I had just come back from the Sony Ericsson Open in early April 2007 and was practicing serves when I felt a little twinge of pain in my serving shoulder. I didn't think anything about it as it wasn't a great deal of pain, just more of an irritation. Then I started noticing that I wasn't getting any more serves over the net, and that they were going into the net lower and lower. After about a half hour of that I stopped. About a half hour after I stopped, I couldn't move my arm.

After a doctor visit, I was sent for an MRI, which detected a "Type I impingement". I was referred for physical therapy, and after 8 weeks of that, I still had pain. That's when I went to the orthopedic specialist and got the cortisone injection and the briefing on surgery. He looked at the MRI for about 15 seconds and pointed to a frame and said "this is the guy that's causing your pain, a bone spur". I pondered it for awhile--probably too long, and eventually decided that I wasn't getting any better so I had nothing to lose with the surgery. Even though it hurts at this point, I am glad I did it. The doc says there is nothing wrong with my arm now and that I should be good as new when it heals and strengthens. In fact, he said that in a few weeks, groundies could actually benefit the therapy. Overheads will take longer.

Before the surgery, I could play, but it hurt quite a bit, particularly on the backhand side. And serving really hurt a lot, enough that I pretty much stuck to groundies.

Thanks for the insight. Maria might have exactly what you had. It must be tough. How long ago did you do the surgery?

[Natasc]

I Heart Masha...you should post this on her official forum
who knows she may read it and could help her!!

I really hope you get 110% better!!
Again, thanks for all the info on the subject

[Mikey B]

I Heart Masha, sounds like your shoulder problem could be the same problem maria is having! sounds pretty much how i would imagine it feels for her... so surgery could be option for maria, i wouldnt say no to it! having had surgery myself, i know the recovery is long and boring but it will be better in the long run...

if maria can play, causing only discomfort and not any further damage, then i think she could play through the olympics and us open, then have surgery schedule immediately after her last match at the open... then a good few months of rest and recovery before she defends her australian open title...

[Aravanecaravan]

Originally Posted by MaitaBaby

Thanks for the insight. Maria might have exactly what you had. It must be tough. How long ago did you do the surgery?

Well, it looks like she actually had some tears in the tendon that were more substantial than micro-tears. I'm not sure what they will do about that. One option is to do a surgical repair, but it doesn't seem like that's what she's electing. She won't be playing for awhile, though.

More interesting is that she had issues with it before Indian Wells and the doctors told her that she wouldn't do any further damage by playing with it. Obviously, they were wrong.

I had my surgery exactly 3 weeks ago now.

[Aravanecaravan]

Originally Posted by Natasc

I Heart Masha...you should post this on her official forum
who knows she may read it and could help her!!

I really hope you get 110% better!!
Again, thanks for all the info on the subject

Thanks! I did post a note on Maria's forum just now. A little too late, I guess, but maybe the empathy will make her feel a bit better if she reads it.

[Jovana.]

I Heart Masha,how are you feeling now,after 3 weeks? I'm guessing the healing process is slow and everything right? but is there like a certain period of time they told you it could heal 100%?

[VirginMary]

Originally Posted by I Heart Masha

Well, it looks like she actually had some tears in the tendon that were more substantial than micro-tears. I'm not sure what they will do about that. One option is to do a surgical repair, but it doesn't seem like that's what she's electing. She won't be playing for awhile, though.

More interesting is that she had issues with it before Indian Wells and the doctors told her that she wouldn't do any further damage by playing with it. Obviously, they were wrong.

I had my surgery exactly 3 weeks ago now.

I really appreciate the way you can give us these insight information.Thank a lot
Are you still in touch with your doc? Maybe he knows more about Mashas injury and give us details about how you usually take care of it.
I tried the internet myself but didn't really find anything.

[Aravanecaravan]

Originally Posted by Јована

I Heart Masha,how are you feeling now,after 3 weeks? I'm guessing the healing process is slow and everything right? but is there like a certain period of time they told you it could heal 100%?

Well, I thought that I'd be like those athletes who get arthroscopic surgery on Monday and are back playing the next weekend, so I'm a disappointed, mostly, that three weeks out I still can't lift my arm over my head without wincing in pain.

I asked the physical therapist yesterday how long it would be before I could start playing tennis. I was curious for both myself and Maria, if she were to elect to undergo arthroscopic surgery. THe PT clearly didn't want to give me a straight answer, and commit herself to a certain length of time. She said "Well, maybe in 3 or 4 weeks you can start to hit some tennis balls" When I asked her if I could just swing the racquet, she said "you won't feel like it after 1 or 2 swings, but sure, very slowly, go ahead and try it. And WHEN it starts hurting, STOP!"

So I went home and tried, and there is no way on Earth I could do any more than dink 1 or 2 shots before I'd have to quit. For one thing, I just can't do any fast motions with my arm right now. To get all the way through a full swinging motion, I have to do it slowly, pausing until I can get past the painful spots.

Still, it's more than I could do a week or 2 ago, so I am slowly moving in the right direction.

[Jovana.]

Originally Posted by I Heart Masha

Well, I thought that I'd be like those athletes who get arthroscopic surgery on Monday and are back playing the next weekend, so I'm a disappointed, mostly, that three weeks out I still can't lift my arm over my head without wincing in pain.

I asked the physical therapist yesterday how long it would be before I could start playing tennis. I was curious for both myself and Maria, if she were to elect to undergo arthroscopic surgery. THe PT clearly didn't want to give me a straight answer, and commit herself to a certain length of time. She said "Well, maybe in 3 or 4 weeks you can start to hit some tennis balls" When I asked her if I could just swing the racquet, she said "you won't feel like it after 1 or 2 swings, but sure, very slowly, go ahead and try it. And WHEN it starts hurting, STOP!"

So I went home and tried, and there is no way on Earth I could do any more than dink 1 or 2 shots before I'd have to quit. For one thing, I just can't do any fast motions with my arm right now. To get all the way through a full swinging motion, I have to do it slowly, pausing until I can get past the painful spots.

Still, it's more than I could do a week or 2 ago, so I am slowly moving in the right direction.

oh God when I hear arthroscopic surgery my stomach flips cuz I'm gonna have a knee arthroscopic surgery.But I'm delaying it (should have had it long ago) cuz I'm not much of an athlete

anyways... for you and I know it will take a long time for it to heal but it's for the best , she should have a surgery,treat it properly and heal it and start playing,better than to take shots or try to heal it cuz it only gets worse if it's a serious problem.she still is young and there will be another olympics in 4 years time.

[Kitten63]

Masha

[slamchamp]

I have a question, was maria's shoulder hurting her also at Rome and the french? cause she was making a lot of DFs there

[Destiny]

I think it was a bit for the French but she didn't hint at it at the end of the matches