Life Updated - 12/24

Full Labrum Tear - Offbone

If you didn’t know, I had to have surgery recently.

It’s derailed my trade school studies, my sculpting, and the release of my new book. It’s also reduced my ability to type and sit upright for long periods, as the swelling in my back has been excessive.

So what happened?

When I was in Highschool, I was an undiagnosed bipolar. I was also told every day at home and at school (by students and faculty) that I was ugly and fat. So, what does a lonely, mentally ill kid do?

If you said develop an image disorder, you would be correct. Double points if you said, become an Exercise Anorexic. Starting Summer of Freshman year, I lifted weights 7 days a week and ran 2 miles a day. Since the fridge at home in high school was basically empty, other than when I couch surfed, I ate boiled chicken and steamed veggies.

Oh, and I developed a lifelong Opiod addiction.

After my brain disease hit, and I went through my 2 year physical therapy journey—I started abusing Oxy and Darvocet to skip rest days.

Fun Fact, when you’re in constant pain due to misfiring nerves, constant migraines, and soul crushing depression—you don’t feel injuries piling up.

The surgeon thinks I initially tore my rotator and labrum my senior year of High School and have been walking around, working out, etc for 20 years—as my shoulder joint and bicep continued to tear.

My body was so banged up, my metabolism was all but dead. Fluid began to get trapped in my body, and I experienced rapid weight gain, no matter what I ate or how much I exercised. I knew something as off, as my torso was oddly misshapen, but again family advised I was just fat and needed to eat better.

Turns out, the injuries were so severe in the right side of my body, they were injuring the left side constantly due to overcompensation. Moreover, my body was being deformed by all of the swelling. I literally became a hunchback without realizing it, but it was all fluid and inflammation. The pressure from my rotator being shredded and balled up in the inside corner of my shoulder, bent my collarbone down, stabbing it into the muscle.

So, I wasn’t completely surprised when after had to jump through all the painful hoops (6 weeks of doing PT, doing more damage, because insurance wouldn’t approve an MRI), that the damage was even more severe than we thought. Here’s the rundown:

Full tissue tear to labrum, Torn rotator Cuff, Tear in biceps tendon, debris removal from socket / joint, removal of 20+ bone spurs through the muscle of the shoulder, Clavicle cut and bone grafts.

The surgery was quick, but I’ve had setbacks in recovery. I have another 6 months of physical therapy ahead of me, but I’m having to return to my corporate job early, as I can’t survive on my reduced disability income any longer.

So, long story short—too late, I haven’t been posting reviews.

I do have a few movies in my back pocket to review and I’ll post them as soon as I have the energy.

Just wanted to give an update. Still alive, kinda wish I wasn’t, but that’s nothing new for a bipolar kid.

Happy Holidays Ya’ll!