Made another trip to the VA hospital this morning to talk with the shoulder cutter, Dr. Sylvestri. Seemed like a real sharp guy – no pun intended! He used a rubber model to explain exactly what has happened to my shoulder according to his interpretation of the MRI.
Fortunately a total replacement is not going to be required anytime soon. It does however need surgery to repair a damaged tendon and surrounding tissues. Unfortunately any planning and scheduling for that activity must wait until after a visit with the Neurosurgeon tomorrow. Seems the cervical spine condition is the 1st priority, as expected. It’s got issues with the old C6-7 hernia, I imagine exacerbated by arthritis and disc degeneration in the vertebrae. Stay tuned for more on my body’s steadily advancing degeneration…
(Next Day Update) The neurologist says nothing too concerning with spine condition – just part of getting older. It was interesting to note how there is no spinal fluid space whatsoever left in the C6-7 area, and that is what is causing the increasing numbness in my arm and hand. The neck pain is associated with ongoing multi-level disc and fascial degeneration between the cervical vertebrae. Although there is nothing called for surgically at this point, he cautioned me to let them know if things get much worse.
So we have the green light for shoulder surgery – yay!