Rebreathers and Rotator cuffs

[billgraham]

Yoga is the best way to fix this injury.

 

[Nemrod]

OK, normally people ask me medical questions here, but today I’m looking for help for myself.

I had a skiing injury in January, tore my right rotator cuff. Had the repair in February. This is a BRUTAL recovery, much longer and more difficult than I imagined. But I’m making slow progress with my range of motion in physical therapy (my PT is terrific).


So I’m looking for specific rotator cuff and valve advice from anyone who has gone through this. Yes, I will continue to work with PT and I’m hoping that it will happen for later in the season, but who knows. I may never get there.

I am a swimmer/triathlete life long. I have had numerous shoulder injuries from cycling and motocross and just wear and tear from swimming. But they were hanging in there. Then two years ago a cell phone texting (person) blew through a double stop onto a country road with a 60 MPH limit and hit me in, me in a brand new (1500 miles ) Miata ND2, the other a SUV blimp. It ripped my right shoulder out of the joint but I managed to get it back in.

I had surgery to repair. Frankly, I wish I had not. I think it would have healed better on it's own as so many times before. Having a panic attack in the MRI machine was a fun highlight. I could not swim at all for six months. Now, nearly two years later I am back to swimming but much slower. I went back to swimming at 6 months. My range of motion has returned and I have no pain.

I work out hard, swim, bike, run, full weights, one or more every day. I do stretching for my shoulders. My point is of the diatribe is that you will simply need to be patient, baby steps at first but after 6 months, screw the doctors, it is GO time! Yes, it hurt and I sucked it up and let it hurt. After the 6 months or so healing time, with PT, start pushing it a little more every day. You will get there. In the mean time you may need to revert to plain old scuba as you work your range of motion and strength. It is not just getting your hand to the valve but also having the strength to work it.

Note to self, as bad as my other shoulder is, I would prefer not to be in a car crash again to get expensive surgery on behalf the other driver. In fact, avoid surgery if at all possible. The body has amazing healing capacity on its own. My bet is that you will recover sufficient to do your CCR diving.

 

[doctormike]

A follow up post! After about 8 months, I'm finally back to being able to work the O2 valve, even without the awesome gift of the long O2 valve handle that @missionmtb printed for me. That handle got me through a number of dives this season, but it's great to finally get back to reasonable range of motion. Took a lot of PT, I'm very grateful to everyone who helped me...

 

[Superlyte27]

Get a Choptima

 

[OceanOpportunity]

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[MidOH]

Get a Choptima

That's looking more and more like the plan. Choptimas everywhere recently.

Assuming limited reach, a chesty and side mount OC, seems like a no brainer.

But if we don't side mount, and just dive deep-ish open water, What gets priority? Easy to reach rebreather? Or easy to reach bailout?