[PHOTOSTORY 4] Life after Shoulder Surgery

By: Taylor Dunn

 

Mckenzie Hobbs puts on her sling as she prepares to help her daughter move out of her apartment. Just six weeks ago, Hobbs had reconstructive surgery on her right shoulder.

Once the sling is on successfully, Hobbs is ready to do some work. "I used to have to wear the sling all the time, the first two weeks after my surgery, but now I just wear it when my arm starts to hurt. Or when I'm doing something I'm not really supposed to be."

Hobbs picks a pillow up off the floor as she prepares to vacuum. She is limited to few activities, considering she can't lift or extend her right arm due to surgery.

Hobbs struggles to vacuum one-handed. "It was a lot harder to vacuum when I came out of the sling, especially because I'm right-handed. But my physical therapy exercises really help keep me comfortable."

Sofia Jones, Hobbs' from-home-helper, readies Hobbs' resistance band. Given to Hobbs in physical therapy, she takes it with her wherever she goes so she can do her exercises when she needs.

Hobbs struggles to get out of her sling so she can do her physical therapy exercises. "Honestly, in the sling, my arm feels fine, but getting in and out of the sling is where I find the most trouble."

 

Once she's free, Hobbs puts the resistance band in an open door then closes it to create tension. "These exercises are really low maintenance, even though my surgery was so long ago. I still can't do much with my right arm and it's kind of frustrating."

       

One of the exercises involves walking with the resistance band in an exercise called active resistance training. "By squeezing and pulling, it's activating the muscle in my shoulder that hasn't been used since my surgery."

Hobbs struggles with her next exercise, which is pushing on a surface and moving her arm up and down. "This is one of my hardest exercises because, on my own, I can't even lift my arm above my shoulder. This one really tests the strength I have in that arm."

Hobbs extends her arm as far as she can, using her other hand to help support her. Doing these exercises on her own between physical therapy sessions is important to get her arm back to full capacity. 

       Next, Hobbs has to do the same exercise, just on a flat surface. "These exercises are just the beginner ones because I still can't do much with this arm."

  

The exercise is the same as the other, pushing forward and back to stretch the muscles that haven't been used since the surgery. "Extending out feels a lot better than extending upward."


  

Hobbs carries light things to the car. "I'm not supposed to be lifting anything or carrying anything really over a pound. I just don't have the strength, but being right-handed means that I have to readjust everything I know because it's just habit."

        

Hobbs tries to open the car door with her foot. With one arm out of commission, she's basically no-handed, as she finds it difficult to use her left as the dominant. 

Hobbs catches the swinging door with her right hand, causing some pain. "It's really difficult for me to act like my right arm isn't there. I find myself continually trying to use it, and regretting it immediately after. I struggle with just allowing myself to heal."

Hobbs shows off her surgery scars. The little ones along her shoulder show where they put the microscopic cameras in, in order to see what they were doing in there."

Three scars hug her rotator cuff. "Thankfully, it wasn't my rotator cuff that was injured or that would've been a much more extensive surgery with an even longer recovery time. I just had a torn tendon in my bicep."
 

Hobbs shows off the surgery scar underneath her arm. "That's where they actually went in and reattached a torn tendon to the other muscles in my shoulder. The tattoo was there before the surgery but it helps remind me that no matter how hard this is, I can do it."

       

Hobbs once again struggles as she puts her zip-up hoodie back on. "Getting dressed is another challenge entirely, especially with my limited range of movement."

Hobbs gets her sling back on and finally gets to rest. "I'm always doing too much because I find it hard to be helpless. I still struggle with healing and restraint but I know that the pain won't be forever."