Member-to-Member “Shout Out”
from Craig Morowitz of ETA
“Rotator Cuff surgery, blah! Who wants to get that message from your doctor? Well, plenty have. When I got my diagnosis of two torn tendons I remembered seeing Cheryl at last year’s Golf Outing, recently repaired and going through her rotator cuff recovery.
So, being a first timer (I later met too many who had both shoulders done) I reached out to Cheryl to see what she could share in the hopes I would have a better mental picture of what was about to come. When you ask others they typically say, “oh yeah that was painful” or “make sure to do the PT!”, etc. Cheryl certainly had those things to say too, but she went much deeper. “Do you have a recliner, no – then get one, you’re going to have to sleep in it for 4-6 weeks”, “you’re going to need a hospital table next to your recliner”, and about those ice packs we have in our freezers “they don’t work well enough since you have to ice constantly throughout the day – you need a chilling machine with a pad”, and by the way you’re going to be off balance in the shower so “you need a shower chair.” She asked me if I had any of those things…of course I didn’t. She said, “well now you do, I am going to lend you the table, chilling machine & shower chair.” Seeing as my surgery was a week away what a great time saver and great bit of guidance. But then she unleashed some other gems that truly made a difference, “get the longest nerve block possible, 24-36 hours” & “ask them about taking your arm out of the sling a few times a day to keep from getting frozen shoulder” among others.
Roll it forward two hours after our call and I get a text from Cheryl, “hey I am at Nick Lanzi’s, he has a recliner for you”. Are you kidding me!! (she wasn’t). Within a few days there I was at Nick Lanzi’s watching him and my friend load the recliner in my friend’s truck, after giving me some insight about his own shoulder surgery. There I was that night all set up in my house, ready to return from surgery with all the comfort & treatment items I needed. It’s no doubt that I have slept fairly well and have had a pain free experience since surgery. I certainly would never have been prepared to ask for a long nerve block (they offered me 4 or 8 hours) and I can’t imagine how I would have done trying to sleep in a bed rather than my “Lanzi recliner”.
As great as the surgery team was pre, during and post surgery, there are just certain things they don’t mention. You need to tap people who have been there before. I am so forever grateful to Cheryl and Nick for their caring & generosity. They let me interrupt their day and they took the time to guide me and set me up.
If not for BCA, with our group of great relationships, I am certain my experience would have been much more challenging.
Thanks Cheryl and Nick, you’re the best!”
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The Member-to-Member Shout Out is a segment of our blog that allows BCA members to make a public statement of appreciation, recognition or gratitude. If you’d like to personally give a shout out to a fellow member, simply click here to shoot us an email.