Sassy69 2015: Good AZ New!

[baby muscle]

Got the big brace off today,now just using the bionic arm brace. Starting PT on Friday and expect to get the stitches out when I get back from Xmas vacation on the 30th. I think I"m done w/ the pain killers and may use the icing machine for 1-2 more days. Otherwise doc said good ROM and mobility w/ no pain and mostly just a weird numbness up my wrist and to the palm & thum\b where they worked around a nerve.

Numbness is so disturbing. I wish you the speediest of recoveries without any complexity. Glad you're off painkillers too. You can do this!

[UKdeadliftgirl]

Just been having a little read through here, ouch!
I hope you have a speedy recovery

[cook]

I was at the powerlifting world championship in 1980 and this guy Steve Miller? or Steve Wilson ? or I don't know it could have been Steve Martin??? Anyway he was pulling a huge deadlift over 700 lbs and about halfway up his bicep tears completely loose at the elbow.You could hear the crowd gasp as it rolled up like a window shade.It balled up in his deltoid and the arm that seconds ago was 19 inches now was about 12.He finished the lift and I still remember him reaching over and feeling his arm with an "Oh shit!" look on his face.

[sassy69]

I was at the powerlifting world championship in 1980 and this guy Steve Miller? or Steve Wilson ? or I don't know it could have been Steve Martin??? Anyway he was pulling a huge deadlift over 700 lbs and about halfway up his bicep tears completely loose at the elbow.You could hear the crowd gasp as it rolled up like a window shade.It balled up in his deltoid and the arm that seconds ago was 19 inches now was about 12.He finished the lift and I still remember him reaching over and feeling his arm with an "Oh shit!" look on his face.

Yea, I've seen it happen - a friend of mine tore his tricep in the middle of a seated shoulder press and I heard it, my friend who was spotting him felt it and the look on his face went "OMFG GROSSSSSS!" before the guy himself felt it. And then the DBs just dropped ... THUD. GROSSSSSSS!

I'm so thankful mine didn't snap and the doctor was very surprised when it was torn more than originally expected. But on the other hand, I knew when it happened, but didn't realize it was torn and was doing 70 lb db rows a month later w/ no pain, just getting tired after a few sets.

I'm really hoping this lets me start from scratch w/ my training again - no tendonitis, build up the right arm that is already starting to atrophy, rebuild my right shoulder and rebalance my whole upper body.

[sassy69]

Quick photo essay of my week w/ my torn biceps tendon:

After getting home from surgery:
postsurgery.jpg

Day 5 Post surgery - getting the big cast off:

stitches.jpg

RoboArm
roboarm.jpg

Supposed to use this brace regularly - but as long as I keep the arm bent / neutral, no proactive "curling" (aka weighted contraction of the biceps) or full extension. Generally I've got decent ROM but wrist rotation tends to hurt the most.

I've got an appt to get the stitches out on Dec 30, but until then I just have to keep them dry. I ordered a bunch of waterproof bandages so I can finally take a damn shower. So far its been tub & sink w/ 1 arm.

[Curt James]

I was at the powerlifting world championship in 1980 and this guy Steve Miller? or Steve Wilson ? or I don't know it could have been Steve Martin??? Anyway he was pulling a huge deadlift over 700 lbs and about halfway up his bicep tears completely loose at the elbow.You could hear the crowd gasp as it rolled up like a window shade.It balled up in his deltoid and the arm that seconds ago was 19 inches now was about 12.He finished the lift and I still remember him reaching over and feeling his arm with an "Oh shit!" look on his face.

Must have been in my twenties and a 50something guy in the gym was telling me how his biceps rolled up like that same window shade while he was doing light dumbbell curls. It must have been perforated from previous injuries and just let loose during his pump set. :-(

[Curt James]

I've got an appt to get the stitches out on Dec 30, but until then I just have to keep them dry. I ordered a bunch of waterproof bandages so I can finally take a damn shower. So far its been tub & sink w/ 1 arm.

Hurry up New Year! Wishing you a full and speedy recovery, Sassy!

[sassy69]

Hurry up New Year! Wishing you a full and speedy recovery, Sassy!

Thanks Curt!

[sassy69]

For reference, this is what a completely torn distal bicep tendon looks like:

bicep tear.jpg

[Sunnyday]

Hurry up New Year! Wishing you a full and speedy recovery, Sassy!

X2! C'mon Dec. 30th!

[sassy69]

Healing continues & PT is going great - getting a lot of ROM back, both in arm straightening and wrist rotation.

I'm heading out to visit family for a week tomorrow, so my doc suggested wearing the brace while traveling so I don't get jostled by people running to their flights or caught in a giant "Aunt Bessie" type bear hug from long lost family.

Happy holidays & safe travels to everyone!

[Sunnyday]

Such great news! Wishing you safe travel to and from! Hopefully the travel won't be too draining and your other family members will help Aunt Bessie to keep her hands to herself. LOL.

[Ibarramedia]

Just getting back here. Di not realize you had a torn bicep. Glad the surgery was a success and healing is on the way. Merry Christmas to you Jill and Have a happy new year!

[baby muscle]

I am so proud of how far you've come. I know it sucks to wear the brace and have strangers ask 10x a day "What happened??", more so in airports etc…You are pretty damned inspiring and one of my heroes! (Heroines??) Torn bicep healing and traveling, keep at it!

[sassy69]

^^ Thanks for the holiday wishes - had a great time w/ the parental units, and no golf was played LOL!

Got home yesterday - I wore the robo-arm brace only on my flying out & flying back days in case someone jostled me at the airport.

Today was another milestone towards "new arm" - went in for a follow up w/ the doc - he's very happy w/ the progress so far. In fact, he said I'm healing "too well" and to not get all full of myself and start pushing it before the repair is ready for it.

Had the bandages taken off and no longer need a waterproof bandage. The stitches will dissolve on their own. The little steri-strips were added today just to reinforce the stitched area and whenever they come off by themselves, I don't need to replace them.

arm_dissolving_stitches.jpg

PT picks up again tomorrow and next follow up will be at the end of January when I should basically be past the 6 weeks (for the tendon to reattach to the bone) and pretty much ready to start training again. I'll be doing legs and whatever else doesn't involve my arms until then. Then at that time, given the degree of atrophy I already see, I'll probably start posting circumference measures from almost literally zero, hopefully back to at least what I've been sporting as a "gun show" for the last several years, around 14.5-15". Currently I have no biceps and mom arms. :c.