Un-Even Shoulders

[admin]

If you could have a surgery to lesson the sloping, would you do it? At what age...if you could go back in time? Or is it an annoyance that while bothersome, isn't worth considering surgery for? Were you ever self-conscious about the asymetry?

I'm just curious how it is from a teenager/adult perspective. My daughter (5) has this and we were told about a surgery that could help with this. It wouldn't be for several years down the road...and its primarily a cosmetic surgery with some functional purpose.

I'm no where near making a decision either way...like I said it is an option that is years away. But the suggestion of it did get me thinking about what types of emotions my daughter will start feeling towards this injury as she hits her teen and young adult years. If she knew this option was available and we did not take it, what might she think?

Lisa

[CW1992]

Lisa,
My daughter's shoulders are uneven and she has a bone that sticks out a bit on her injured shoulder. I've always left that decision up to her about surgery - but she is fine with how her shoulders look - and I am too as long as it doesn't bother her. Some bra straps or cammy's or blouses just don't fit right and so we shop for what does look good. (Actually - she had a cammy and pink blouse on today for school - she looked so pretty - just have to keep shopping until you find what works). My daughter is 13 and I think that she is prettier than all of her friends - yep with her uneven shoulders - not a big deal really - and so far she has had NO problem with the uneven shoulders besides us clothes shopping for the perfect clothes that look good on her. I am so glad that we are able to talk, and your daughter is just 5 now - she will let you know what she wants and needs and then you take it from there. Also - Brittney is the kid that wears bikinis non-stop all summer - the other kids think they are fat or don't look right - but Britt basically says, "So what, my left shoulder is boney....." Your little girl will be just fine - but communication is so important. I remember a certain doctor telling us that Britt would not be a happy teenager if we didn't go thru with surgery for her - he was wrong! That scared me so much!!!! But, years later, she is doing fine and if she'd ever tell me that she'd like to go thru with surgery I'd get her in there. Lisa, just keep talking to her and make your decisions from there and she will always know that all that you wanted to do was the best for her.
Christy

[BIGJAVSMOM]

kath- i never even thought aboput that. sports bras can be a little ahem... snug. lol

christy- can you teach me what you did with brittney, so my kids can be like here? lol great job!!

Marlyn

[admin]

Thanks for the input...reading your post kind of cracked me up. Even at 5 she loves shopping for clothes and trying on different outfits. The fact that she'll have to do some extra shopping around to find the right fit will probably be just fine with her...in fact, I'm sure she'll use it to her advantage and score even MORE clothes out of it..."But mom, this one actually fits me right, maybe I should get a few more in different colors..."

[CW1992]

LOL! Lisa - Britt has a store going on up in her closet!:) Lots of shopping!:)- and just like your daughter my daughter loves to shop too - always has. Everything MUST match... earrings - necklaces, bracelets, but then she's so tough as a soccer player....... Britt does use her arm injury to persuade me though - to buy her more clothes and I always do... Should have seen us on Saturday - Major shopping spree - "But MOM - I NEED this and I have an arm injury!!!!" (she always throws in the 'arm injury' part to get more - and I'd say, "best throw it in and we'll get it" - she's good at pulling my strings when she finds those outfits ... and we have done our fair share of shopping! It is fun!!!!:)
Christy

[Kath]

When I was a teenager I was not really bothered by the shoulder stuff... because my Mom altered all the shoulders and sleeves to fit.
She use to shorten the "spaghetti straps" on dresses and shirts...
I was really more concerned about my freckles, red hair and if it was going to rain was my hair going to get curly... LOL...

The first time I felt self conscience about my back was after seeing a picture in a bikini taken from the back.
I wore a shirt on the beach the rest of that summer and I was about 23... even though my friends assured me it was not noticeable.
I still have the photo and really it did not look that bad...

The difficulty with buying clothes really bothered me after I was married and my Mom died.
My clothes were a big problem because my shoulder was so thin.

Kath

[BIGJAVSMOM]

Kath- this is not BPI relate dbut it reminded me of my "bikini" picture. Here I was a 17 wearing a bikini all summer and I saw a picture. uhhhh- shall we say that that was THE ABSOLUTE LAST TIME I wore a bathingsuit. 1 or 2 piece. now I wear shorts and a tanktop to swim. But after 2 kids and a gallbladder removal, what I wouldn't give to have that body that I thought was so terrible. My mom always says that hindsight is 20/20.

MArlyn

[espiper]

yes, lbpi, my left shoulder used to be smaller and a bit sloped too. But this has changed since Mod Quad surgery and 8 months of stretching my neck and upper trap as part of therapy. Now they sit dead even but the left side is still a bit smaller since it didn't grow the same. But no more strap problems. The surgery just unbound everything so the arm sits properly. Suzy B

[admin]

Suzy,

What exercises do you do for the upper traps? We just started doing more neck exercises to combat this problem (ear to shoulder and chin to shoulder), what are you doing for the trapezius? Also, how much therapy did you do for this (timewise, daily). I do think that the traps in particular is a weak spot. My daughter did have the mod quad already so the surgery that was recommended was something a little different.

Thanks!

[espiper]

My whole routine takes more than an hour a day but that is stretching 4 times a day and exercising 3x per day. There are 15 stretches that I do 4 times a day butI do a total of 22 exercises that I space out in groups 3 times during the day - 5 in the morning, 9 at lunch, etc.
As for the traps I strictly do stretching because part of their problem is they are already too tight and strong so I must lengthen them. It may be hard to describe them in writing so feel free to call me, but here it goes. Since it is my left shoulder, I take my right hand and with head tilted to the left ear to shoulder I place my hand on top of the upper trap between my neck and shoulder and press down. Then I slowly tilt my head the opposite direction to my right side, ear to rt shoulder. Hold 30 seconds. Another is to sit in a chair and grasp the bottom of the chair with my left arm to stabilize the shoulder and with my right hand reach over the top of my head and grab my left ear and pull my head to the right shoulder. So my right ear is pulled towards my right shoulder. Hold 30 seconds. A third is to sit up straight and look down over to my righ thigh and do the same ear grabbing stretch, ear to rt shoulder. Hold 30 seconds. Too much information, I know but feel free to call, I am west coast time. I seriously wish this website had a spellcheck! Suzy B