Made it through the first day, and I have to tell you it was a really strange experience. Just took my 2 am meds and now I’m sitting here in my anti-embolism “stockings,” boxers, and tank top with my arm in a “super sling.”
The surgery experience was strange. The operating room was freezing. I took about 3 breaths of the anasthetic and I was gone. I’m told Dr Peare did the arthroscopy and shaved off the bone spurs. Also a rotator cuff “cleanup” and had to stitch some tendon, which was 70% torn.
Waking up in the recovery room was not much fun. My throat was scratchy from the tube and my shoulder felt tight and under a lot of pressure. And it hurt like a bitch. Then the drain in my wound began doing its thing and that helped a lot. So did getting my wits about me again.
Through it all my wife has been nothing less than extraordinary, and the pain has been manageable, though intense at times. The meds help a lot with that, but keep me pretty high and sleepy. Jen has to dump the little bladder attached to my drain every few hours.
That’s about it. Can’t really do much of anything, but that’s ok. Working on getting BP down is the next thing. That will come, too. I know God and my family has my back. I’ll get through it ok.
For now, I’ve got a loaded iPod and plenty to read. Got 3 Rend Collective Experiment records to listen to, and so far the one I like best is Homemade Worship by Handmade People. They sound a bit like Mumford & Sons.
Gonna try to go back to sleep. Feeling blessed and reading to get to healing and rehabbing my shoulder.
For those that were and are praying, keep it up! It helps. Next target: rehab.
Thanks and God bless. I love my family and friends.
A Work in Progress 
Tom, I am in your Major Author class at GCU. I was reading your bio and the link that you placed therein, and so I decided to check it out. I am glad I did, because it would seem that we as Christian men and fathers are and have worked while injured and in a hazardous job. A little about me, that I fell relevant here that wasn’t so much relevant to the bio I left on our class wall, was that I need two shoulder replacements and two knee replacements. I was working as a Union sheetmetal worker in the Bay area of Northern Cali. I was also putting in 60-70 hour work weeks swinging a hammer and climbing ladders with tool belt on all day. So I completely understand your position, pain and the problems inherent in being a father and husband in this condition. What I also understand is that, like me, God has a purpose for you. I feel that you probably already know this after reading a bit around your page here, but I also feel that as Christian men, it is always nice to hear encouragement in the midst of trials. It was said in a message at church the other week that you are doing a better job than you think you are and that God is looking down in love marveling at His faithful servant. Remember, the joy of the Lord is our strength. Anticipate and claim the righteous purpose that He has in store for you. Accept these trials with fervent expectation, that they will improve you and make you the perfect emissary for His glory. I cannot tell you how soon this plan will come, because noone can know the mind of God, but He has promised that He has something special for you and that you are specially made.
Well I think that I have spent enough time beating that horse to death. lol 😉 just know that you are not alone. There are many others like us suffering their own trials and we stand united under Christ.
May God Bless you abundantly with His grace and favor,
~Glenn Haggard