PTSD from shoulder fracture

[Guest233]

Hi everyone

Due to a trip and fall onto concrete, I sustained a brutal injury to my right shoulder and had to wait 3 weeks for surgery, needing to take opiates for the pain. Before then I was a fit and healthy person having recommenced University studies this year. I also loved weight training.

Since the reverse shoulder reconstruction surgery five weeks ago not only has my physical health declined but so has my mental health. I think this is partly due to the anaesthetics and opiates but also major grief. I had so many plans for 2020 and am mourning the loss of those plans. I am undergoing counselling at this point in time but still feel so lost. My counsellor has said I have PTSD.

I think the reason that I'm reacting so strongly as well to my injury and operation is that my mum fell and broke her shoulder in the kitchen at her unit in 2018. Mum needed the same operation. My sister was her carer and was supposed to be looking after mum properly and this didn't happen. I still blame my sister for this. Mum ended up in hospital delirious with pain and having to be on heavy duty medication.

Mum never was the same afterwards and she was hallucinating and ended up in rehab for 3 months and then was diagnosed with a delusional disorder. From the date of the injury to her passing, it was six months. It's only been a year since my mum’s passed so I think what she went through keeps coming up for me but having had the misfortune to have the same injury as her, makes my trauma worse.

Thanks for the time you have taken to read this,

[uncut_gems]

Hi Guest 233,

First of all, welcome to the forums. I'm so grateful that you found this site and had the courage to share a bit about this terrible situation you find yourself in. The injury, the pandemic, your mother– any one of these things by themselves would be enough to knock someone down, let alone all three together. Honestly just reading your post made me impressed with your resilience more than anything else.

I love the phrase you use– "mourning the loss of my plans." I think that's such an eloquent phrase to describe what many of us are feeling right now about putting huge parts of our lives on hold.

I'm so glad to hear that you are seeing a counsellor and getting some help in processing all this, especially the terrible irony of you and your mother having the same injury and operation. It's no wonder that the pain pills are messing with your mental health; while they are powerful painkillers they are also "downers" and aren't exactly known for putting people in a great state to think or feel. I would urge you to be in regular contact with your prescribing doctor about your concerns, and talk about possibility of tapering off/switching meds when they feel it is appropriate. Things will be much, much less foggy when you get there.

Your mind and body will only get stronger every day as you recover. In the meantime, we're always here to chat.

Warmly,

Aaron

[JAK01]

Wow Guest233 you have a lot to work through but just as uncut gems says You will get there.