Ozark, MOLike many people who used a shoulder pain pump following their surgery, Sarah C. thought at first that the strange sensations in her shoulder would go away. However, more than 2 years after her surgery, the problems still exist and Sarah is worried that her shoulder will just get worse as time goes on.
"I don't know why other people have had pain pumps but I don't believe that they [doctors] give you enough information about that device before they use it," Sarah says. "After my surgery, they had forgotten to put the pain pump in while I was still under the anesthetic, so it was put in while I was awake. It was very painful. I was 29 at the time of that surgery and I was told I had arthritis in my shoulder, but it was explained or proven why to me.
"There is a constant, nagging pain and the shoulder is weak. It's been quite some time since the surgery--September 14, 2006. So, I figured that I would be relatively pain free by now, that's why I opted for the surgery and the pain pump. I don't understand the reasoning for using the pain pump anyway, when they have you on other things, too, for the pain. I just don't think the pain pump was completely necessary.
"I feel I am suffering some side effects from the pain pump. I've wondered about the grinding and the popping. There is still popping when I raise that shoulder or rotate it in a circular motion. I can't sleep on the right side because there is too much pressure. I haven't done nursing [Sarah's career] since my surgery. I can't lift with that arm and I can't use it like I used to. Even certain tasks that were easy normally for me are not easy now. The popping and grinding worry me because sometimes it seems like there is no cartilage in there for smooth flow of the joints.
"I'm worried about winding up crippled and gimped because of something that wasn't researched enough. If you're going to say that something is safe for people, it should be researched more than just enough to prove that it doesn't kill anyone.
"I was in the health care profession and I loved my job and want to further my education, but I can't do any lifting, tugging or pulling because I was told that if I injured myself again, I would have to live with it permanently. There are moments where, if I over exert myself, I can be in pain for quite some time.
"I do believe that over time this will get worse. A lot of days, even a gallon of milk is heavy for me. I'm right handed, so I use my right arm. I'm finding that I have problems with my right wrist now, where before I did not, with it going numb. I have tingling sensations inside my right shoulder when it is in a rotating motion. For example, unhooking my own bra can be painful and hurt, but it shouldn't. I find the weather and things like that affect how the shoulder feels. Getting out of the bathtub, especially with my 9-month-old daughter, kills me.
"I would tell people to definitely get more than one opinion on things. I understand that sometimes it is difficult to get a second opinion, but I would at least research what ever it is that they say they will provide for you during the course of your surgery, because they don't go over the side effects with you. They don't go over what could happen or cases of degenerative joints after a product has been used. They don't tell you what's best for you, they tell you to use whatever is quickest."