Hi everyone,
I promised to give you an update on my Hydrodilatation procedure.
I had a follow up consultation with the orthopaedic surgeon yesterday, one month after the procedure and it was good news, as I expected.
Upwards movement of my right arm is now 135 degrees, not quite straight up (was 40 degrees) and sideways is now 35 degrees (was 20).
I.e. I couldn't hold my arm pointing forwards (90 degrees); now I can reach up to items on the top shelves of kitchen cupboards, I can dress myself, and I can close the boot of my hatchback car. In addition I have very little pain (usually only after a Physio session or if I overdo things, but that's natural).
I can't yet use my right arm to reach behind to get the car seat belt and (if I were a woman or a lumberjack*) up my back high enough to fasten a bra. I can reach into my back pocket and perhaps about a 1/3rd up, which is a substantial improvement.
OK, confession time: the orthopaedic surgeon advised me to begin Physio sessions within 3 days of the procedure. Fine and dandy, but in practice, my actual appointment was given 6 weeks away, so I plumped for private treatment in the meantime, which I appreciate isn't an option for most.
In addition, I've been regimental about doing my stretching exercises twice a day.
The surgeon advised that if the procedure worked (70% success rate), then I could expect it to improve for 3 weeks. With the help of weekly Physio sessions (and exercise) it's improved measurably for four weeks in a row so far.
The orthopaedic surgeon thinks it will still take up to 18 months to 2 years to fully recover, but the procedure has given this a "turbo boost" in his words.
I'm delighted with the results and can live with the current mobility, even if there's no further improvement, although I do hope there will be more.
I did ask about recurrence and he warned the only thing I could do was to maintain good control of my BG levels; exercise , diet and supplements will not help diabetics as preventative measures.
I would definitely recommend Hydrodilatation to you if it's available in your area: it's quick, relatively painless and if successful, gives fast results.
Good health and keep rocking,
Tony
LedZepTT
*Wasted on anyone too young to remember Monty Python