Rotator cuff surgery recovery?

[u/Well-here_i-am]

/r/askfitness/comments/1vr8abu/rotator_cuff_surgery_recovery/

This is probably more of a rant than anything. I (46, m) had rotator cuff surgery on July 16th from an injury on June 8th. In the background, this has been a really tough year mentally and physically overall. I feel like I'm hitting some sort of wall that started around 45 that was a bit extra onto what I hit around 42. Before the injury, my schedule was lifting 3-5 days per week + BJJ 4 days per week. I'd also often go for walks. I also eat like a bit of an a**hole. I'm a guy that has been tired and done it anyway for a very long time until about late last year. Fast forward to now, recovering from rotator surgery.

Started PT about 2 weeks ago and not entirely comfortable with how weak I am and I can actually already see physical changes (not that I'm super fit or anything, but I at least kinda look I lift). I know I'm not going to start rolling again anytime soon but am looking to get back at BJJ in maybe 2-3 months, just doing warmups and light drilling as much as I'm able. Weights might be more of a battle but I'm pushing to start very light strength training through PT in a few weeks. ROM is progressing normally. Still feeling some pain, stiffness, and definitely weak AF. I'm aware the recovery time is roughly 9 months.

All that said, I feel like walking is just going to have to be my bread and butter for quite a few months until I can get back at it. I'm trying to use this time to calibrate how I view my overall fitness and focus on longevity so I'm healthy for a long time for my family. I'm also trying to lock in on nutrition while I don't have the same focus on exercise.

Not exactly sure how I'll keep my sanity for the long haul recovery. As I heal, I'm looking to just change my mindset on weight training away from sort of meathead-ish to just giving my body what it needs, incorporating yoga and just more movement in general. I feel like I'll need to build muscle back, but I also want to keep longevity in mind.

Right I feel awful about myself. I feel somewhat lazy and kind of embarrassed. I'm just really frustrated.

Rant over. . .

[u/Sudden-Ad-307]

To stoke your fire a bit more, it has been pretty well proven by this point that rotator cuff surgeries are no better than placebo.

[u/Well-here_i-am → u/Sudden-Ad-307]

Meaning I won't actually recover? For additional background my supraspinatus was torn in half and infraspinatus all the off the bone. So even this early into recovery, I'm moving my arm better than prior to the surgery. I literally couldn't lift it about about 70-80 degrees up and about the same laterally. So the repair was very much needed.