Hello, My name is Brian and I have been in an external rotator ultra sling for almost 3 months now. last summer I fell off a rock climb wall with some awkward momentum, fell face first 15 feet and dislocated my left shoulder badly. after a year of misdiagnoses and failed rehab, which I attempted diligently, I saw an orthopaedic surgeon who diagnosed me with a large labrum tear, which severed my posterior glenohumeral ligament completely. He performed a bankart arthroscopic repair requiring 5 anchors from 12 to 5 looking at the shoulder. My rotator cuff was unharmed as was my biceps tendon. The surgery seemed a complete success, until one day 5 weeks after the surgery, I was out of the sling and slipped slightly on the stairs. I did not fall far, however I flailed my arms wildly and grabbed the rails causing an anterior subluxion of the humeral head and instant sharp pain deep in my repaired shoulder at the 5-6 area. My doctor was displeased by the stability after an exam and scheduled me for a second surgery, where he found the damage was significant, put in a 6th anchor at the bottom (6 on the shoulder clock) and had to use some tendon stitches as well. Once again all was good with the surgery until Monday night this week. My doctor told me to start getting out of the sling after 3 weeks this time, to avoid too much atrophy in the undamaged portion of my repair. Being very wary of a 2nd reinjury I waited an extra week to really start working out of the sling. This incident took place on day 32 post surgery. I took my sling off and was doing some pendulum exercises, my shoulder felt great. I then went to sit on my bed with my uninjured shoulder facing the pillow, but suddenly decided to lay down on my side instead. I had my arm bent 90 degrees at the elbow held at my side in the neutral position as if I was still in the sling. When I hit the pillow, I felt a tug in my repair zone that instantly became painful, on level with my first injury. The proceeding 4 days, I was nearly unable to lift my arm and found any sort of external rotator resistance, such as lightly pressing a wall with the back of my hand, to be very very painful, a sharp pain deep in the joint. the pain has eased up some today, after a physical therapy appointment yesterday, but it is still more severe than I have felt since day 1 post surgery and has me quite certain I have once again reinjured the 5-6 area of my shoulder, possibly the exact injury I caused on the stairs after surgery one. I have scheduled another followup with my surgeon, but this time I am a lot more worried because my parents and I paid a lot for my surgeries last year, reaching our max out of pocket on our insurance with the first surgery making the second one free, but now my benefits have reset and there is no way I can afford another 8 thousand dollar surgery. Regarding this I do not think it acceptable for my repair to have been disrupted so easily this time, I am not a heavy man at 160lbs and laying on my bed in such a manner 4 weeks after surgery should not have caused enough tension on my repair, or I mean to say the repair should have been stronger than that, by my doctors own words I was out of the sling. How should I approach my doctor and this issue when I go to my appointment? I believe this reinjury to be his failure due to his instructing me out of sling too soon, or a flawed surgery. I HAVE to climb and be strong again, I have paid for it in time and effort both in personal rehab efforts and patience with 3 months of surgeries, let alone a 16thousand dollar contribution to the orthopaedic surgery center. Isnt there any comfort anyone anywhere can give me? Any advice for me? I am so anxious and worried.

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