August 17th was the day I was having shoulder surgery. I had experienced frequent shoulder dislocations since the age of 19. As the years went by, I had seen specialists, taken MRI’s, even participating in physical therapy. After coddling my arm for years, out of fear of another dislocation, I started to experience issues with my neck and shoulder blade, stiffness and pain due to the lack of motion. The pain became unbearable; I decided that I would try again to get my shoulder fixed. That is when I met Dr. Moira McCarthy. My feelings were, this visit was going to be like all of the others, with no progress. I was wrong...
Can't quite remember the date I met Dr. Moira McCarthy but instantly, I felt comfortable. We talked very candidly about my issue. I was subsequently sent for a series of test. Even the process of doing the testing can be a task but, she makes everything so simple and positive, you just go with the flow. Dr. Moira McCarthy assured me that this issues could be solved.
After the test was done, then it was time to talk about the procedure. I never had a surgery before which was one reason why I never committed to getting my shoulder fixed. After some questioning, Dr. McCarthy eased my fears by acknowledging that this was a surgery that she had done many times. Unlike other surgeons, I believed she was a pro. She seemed very confident in her craft. There was a minor issue, I smoked cigarettes. She informed me that if I smoked that my healing would be slow. I was also informed that the arteries are constricted for 4-6 hours after each cigarette. I didn’t like how that sounded…I decided that to be on the safe side, I would stop cigarette’s before the surgery. I would heal my body before the healing. That’s what I’ll do...the delivery of this information was such an impact, I experienced a major life change.
August 17th….two days after my daughter’s birthday, I was feeling fear and anxiety. But, Dr. McCarthy is so confident and she has done this before, so I am going to have the surgery! When I arrived, for some reason, my fear was gone. The staff at Hospital for Special Surgery was so attentive and answered all of my questions. I felt like I was in good hands. I prepared myself and chatted with different staff that confirmed my identity and surgical spot numerous times. Then a familiar face appeared and it was Dr. McCarthy. I was sure that I would be just fine.
Fast forward, six months later, I have regained full function of my shoulder, with little discomfort. I am sure that will soon dissipate. I am also cigarette free for six months. No doubt, committing to have surgery is a big decision to make especially if you have never had one before. The staff at Hospital for Special Surgery understand that and are committed to making people feel at ease.
I am truly grateful for Dr. McCarthy. I do not want to forget physician’s Assistant, Dr. Thomas Higginbotham. He too handled my circumstance with care and patience. The commitment to delivering nothing short of excellent service will forever be appreciated. I can’t wait to get back to bike riding and feeling confident doing so. Thank you for giving me my life back.
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