Speaking of alive and cats. Where is the toughest cat of all been?
Anyone heard from Jim in a while?
Carl W. Brooks
Well....
Tuesday, 9/18, I stumbled while walking one of the dogs (not the dog's fault), and fell forward. Damaged my R big toe somewhat, abraded my right knee, but took most of the impact on my right shoulder -- hard, direct, frontal impact to the joint from hitting the asphalt.
That was 4:30 PM. We hoped it was "just" dislocated. By eight hours later, when we got home again, we had learned otherwise. The shoulder joint (in humans) is formed by 3 bones -- the scapula ("shoulder blade"), which forms all of the socket of the joint, the clavicle ("collar bone") that braces the scapula in position, and the head of the humerus, the long bone of the upper arm.
I didn't damage the clavicle; I didn't damage the scapula. I didn't even "break" the humerus in any normal sense. I shattered the head of the humerus.
It's strange to see an xray showing a normal, healthy-looking humerus going up toward the joint, an then just ending. Ending in a collection of little spicules of bone that used to be the head of the humerus, the ball of the ball-and-socket shoulder joint.
So, Wednesday and Thursday I got my pre-surgical exams and testing, and Friday, the 21st, I got my surgery ("R shoulder hemi-arthroplasty"). That's half of a total shoulder replacement.
I did get to choose my own preferred surgeon, and anesthesiologist, which was nice.
Came home Sunday evening, and have begun a long, slow road of healing, learning new ways to do things (thankfully I'm left-handed), and rehabilitation.
Here are before and after xrays:
