🔭 Surgery is always scary even without MS. So this post is to make a mini support group for anyone has surgery on the horizon🌄.

[Fancy1959]

Hello everyone in our family it's Fancy1959. Surgery is always a major area of concern for all people that need it. When you add complications MS can pile up on it it becomes something many people with MS fear.

As many of you know I had to have reverse shoulder replacement surgery back in the middle of November 2017. Was it fun? No. But here I am some five months later and I have my right shoulder back better than it's been in years and years. Did Ms complicate my surgery, no, but it did complicate a bit on my recovery somewhat. It is important to take your MS considerations into the bigger picture of your surgery and it's recovery.

I just found out last Wednesday that it looks like I'm going to need another big surgery this time on my right knee. I go back to the surgeon Wednesday to find out what game plan he's come up with. He is an absolutely amazing surgeon and I stumped him with my right knee. It seems like I have been walking around for the past year on a broken kneecap. Go figure! I guess when you have MS and you are in pain for so many things you just keep going on and adapt to new pains and don't let them get in your way. That is only explanation I can come up with!

Now the only support ideas I can give after my major shoulder surgery was to be extremely careful the first couple weeks after surgery. Listen to your surgeon and follow all advice he gives you to the T. The worst part is just the first couple of weeks and then The Mending is well underway and the pain subsides to a manageable level. You want to protect the area you had surgery on at all cost because if you slip and fall or bang or overexert it's possible that you might have to have surgery redone or repaired and no one wants to go through that a second time! Be very upfront with your surgeon about any thing you deal with in line with your MS. I explained that I had numbness and tingling in my hands a lot and my feet to some degree so as a result he could not do a nerve block for my shoulder because he didn't want to risk compounding any numbness or tingling I had in my hands and arms.

So anyone who has had surgery and would like to share any ideas they learned during and after their surgery or anyone who has surgery on the horizon please feel free to reply to the Post. We can offer ideas and advice and simple support to help take away some fear you might be experiencing pre-surgery. Remember together we are stronger! Fancy.

[CalfeeChick CommunityAmbassador]

I didn't have MS 4 years ago when I had a total knee replacement. My doctor is well known across the country and I know why. He puts a morphine block in the knee area during the procedure. I was up and walking 3 hours later. With a walker and assistance, but up and walking. Went home the next day. I worked hard and completed my physical therapy in 4 weeks, which I continued at home. I was back onto the bicycle by 9 weeks after, completely off any pain meds except for an ice pack once in a while.. I sure hope your knee surgery goes well.

[Fancy1959 in reply to CalfeeChick]

Why thank you ma'am. I'm not doing any knee replacement. I'm repairing a fractured kneecap I didn't know I had. I believe they are going to go in and clean out the bone fragment that's floating on the kneecap and then use bone cement to fill in the hole left from the bone fragment and stabilize the knee cap. They said that should should take away all the pain and give me full function back. I'm amazing what they can do today.👍😄