The surgeon I am seeing is indeed the same surgeon who said that there was nothing more she could do. She performed 4 rotator cuff, bicep tears and AC joint surgery prior to the RTSR on my right shoulder. She also performed 2 surgeries on my rotator cuff, bicep tears and AC joint repair on my left shoulder. Why would I return to the same surgeon who performed a total of 7 shoulder surgeries prior? Simply put, the additional surgeries were caused by falling, 20 minutes of CPR and more falls. Lumbar fusion L4-S1, multiple knee surgeries, severe neuropathy in my feet and lower legs and 6 pelvic fractures from a 60mph head on collision has caused my lack of balance to have significant impact on staying upright.

I do (amazing as it may sound) trust her skills as a surgeon and if she doesn’t feel there isn’t anymore she can do with additional surgery, I will search out a second opinion. The humerus was broken in two during that accident, just below the replacement shoulder and wasn’t surgically repaired because as one doctor stated “the priority was keeping you alive” during my 5 month stay at a trauma center in ICU.

Medically I have a very complex and complicated history, 2 induced comas, 2 life flight rides, many hospitalizations from dog bites (my dogs) to vfib and diabetes complications. In the last 36 years I have had over 50 surgeries and 2 months ago was diagnosed with bladder cancer.

It’s made it very difficult to list prior surgeries in the one inch space on new patient paperwork.

I wish I had made all this up as it’s been very difficult maintaining a positive outlook.