Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1179544
37 The supraspinatus is part of the rotator cuff of the shoul- der. A supraspinatus tear is a tear or rupture of the tendon of the supraspinatus muscle. I get opinions from two sur- geons. Both tell me the only option for a full tear is surgery as the humerus bone will start pushing upward past the shoulder joint which is not very funny (Dad joke). Like it or not, I'm heading to surgery. So, this is my story and everyone else's will be a little or even a lot different. I'm hoping that sharing my experi- ences here might be helpful to others facing similar situa- tions to my own. Cut To: The surgeon refers me to a pain management physician. This is new to me but it seems quite common now to have someone on the team who only deals with post-op pain. My surgeon confidently states that with the pain management physician, my recovery process should be relatively painless. How wrong he is! Even so, you'll Act 1: "Mr. Cahill, Unfortunately, your MRI shows you have a full tear of your supraspinatus tendon, along with a partial tear of your biceps tendon. Please schedule an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon as soon as possible." Crap! I had a pretty good notion even before the diagnosis with the way my shoulder was feeling but I was hoping for the best. The diagnosis clearly doesn't sound good. But, what does it mean? Time for a little exposition. by Bryan Cahill THE COMEBACK: RECOVERING FROM ROTATOR CUFF SURGERY Photo: Yervant Hagopian