Shoulder Surgery

Rotator Cuff Repair - cut, cleanup, and re-attach the tendon to the bone
Subacromial decompression - shave off underside of acromium (shoulder bone) to make more room for tendon

Checked in at 7:15. In pre-op by 8:00. Got the run-down from the anesthesiologist.

He would inject something in the IV to knock me out, then intubate me so that he can administer gas to keep me unconscious through the surgery. He would also give me a shot of lidocaine at a specific location in my neck which would be a local anesthetic to deaden the entire arm. He said that "block" should last 12 - 24 hours.

At 8:45, I was moved into surgery and strapped into this table with my arms stretched out at right angles to my body. I was making jokes about it as I saw the anesthesiologist inject something into the IV. He told me to turn my head to the left, presumably to inject the block.....

Next thing I know, I am waking up in recovery. I have no recollection of drifting off or being gassed or anything. Very strange....

In recovery, I felt no pain. I felt pretty lucid, but VERY sleepy, like after finishing a 24 hour race. After a while, the sleepiness subsided and I felt really good. And HUNGRY. So they gave me some crackers and water.

By about 1:30 or so, I was back at home, feeling surprisingly good.

OK, not true.... I could NOT feel my right arm, AT ALL!