The Shoulder Replacement Recovery Manual (Paperback)

Paperback. Surgery is one day. Recovery is a year. This is the map for both. Shoulder replacement asks more of you than most operations: weeks in a sling, months of sleeping upright, a season of one-armed living, and a recovery whose rules change depending on which operation you had. This manual walks you through all of it, in plain language, one week at a time - from the first conversation with a surgeon to the day you stop thinking about your shoulder altogether. Inside: Anatomic and reverse replacement, explained - what each operation involves, who typically gets which, and how the recovery rules genuinely differ between themThe six weeks before surgery - home setup for one-armed living, the equipment worth buying (and skipping), and the sleep station that makes the first months bearableDay-by-day guidance for the hardest stretch - the nerve block wearing off, sling life, showering, dressing, and the two-week wallA three-tier red-flag system - what needs the emergency room, what needs the on-call line tonight (with the exact phone script), and what can wait for your next appointmentThe full recovery arc - physical therapy phases, sling weaning, driving, returning to work, and the honest timeline for getting back to golf, swimming, gardening, and everything elseA dedicated caregiver chapter - written directly to the spouse or family member doing the two-handed tasks22 appendices of working tools - surgeon question sheets, equipment checklists, pain and medication trackers, a sling-weaning log, month-by-month milestone checklists, and a Red Flag Quick-Reference Card designed to be photographed onto your phoneThe chapters explain; the appendices give you tools. No medical jargon without a translation, no toxic positivity, and no assumption that recovery goes perfectly - including a full chapter on what to do when it doesn't. Written for patients and their families, in the calm, practical voice of the Joint Recovery Series - alongside The Knee Replacement Recovery Manual, The Hip Replacement Recovery Manual, and The Knee Replacement Preparation Manual. Whether your surgery is scheduled, being considered, or three weeks behind you: start where you are. The book is built for exactly that. This item is printed on demand. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.…