Right shoulder arthroscopy debridement, subacromial decompression, distal clavicle excision, biceps tenodesis. It’s a whole mouthful, I can tell you!

My surgery on Nov. 21 went very well. Dr. Ginn does an outstanding job and I had my surgery at the Novant outpatient center on Julian Road. And it’s not just me saying this, the staff there is amazing! I am not lying, I was having some PTSD from my tonsil cancer surgery 3 years ago. After that surgery, I lost 25 pounds in two weeks, I couldn’t eat, I choked a lot and was in a lot of pain.

The week before this shoulder surgery, I started having flashbacks from the post-tonsil cancer surgery and I was anxious. It’s weird, I am doing so well and have not given it much thought until it started creeping in my mind before my shoulder surgery. The staff was so understanding and kind when my blood pressure spiked to 163 over 93 (normally 110 over 70!) when I started talking about my throat surgery. I was completely put at ease and before I knew it was done and over with.

So that mouthful above, what does this all mean?

Arthroscopy debridement is a surgery procedure where Dr. Ginn only went through three little incisions to minimize the invasiveness of a surgery where they used to make a big incision to remove/fix damage tissue. I had calcifications on my rotator cuff muscles that he removed.

For the distal clavicle excision, also known as the Mumford procedure, Dr. Ginn removed the bone spur at the end of my clavicle (collarbone).

For subacromial decompression, Google mentions that it’s a surgical procedure to treat shoulder impingement. I had a ganglion cyst removed from the top of my AC joint (the joint of your collarbone and shoulder blade) that was very painful especially when it increased in size.

Biceps tenodesis is where he repaired a torn biceps tendon by anchoring it to the bone. He believes most of my bad pain was coming from that torn biceps. After my ganglion cyst drainage and cortisone in January, I was doing really well. Then, when I was back in the Netherlands. I fell of the stairs because they are so narrow and steep (which I know because I grew up there). It was the first morning I was there and literally wasn’t thinking. I caught myself midway with both arms hanging on the railings, and that’s where I believe the biceps were torn. Both shoulders were very unhappy for a while. I kept doing my rehab exercises and my left side recovered but my right side did not, therefore the surgery.

I am feeling really good and am doing very well, the hard part is not to overdo it. I am doing PT at Novant on Lincolnton Road, mainly to learn what I can and cannot do. It’s hard, but I have had so many injuries in my judo career many moons ago, and you learn to live with pain. All in all, when you are challenged with shoulder issues, do your research, get a diagnosis, go conservative if possible, when you need a surgeon, I highly recommend Dr. Ginn!

Ester H. Marsh is associate executive director and director of healthy living of the J.F. Hurley Family YMCA.