rotator cuff surgery

[John]

What about wiping yourself? That's the one to make me cringe ... and one of the reasons I haven't had my shoulder fixed. I heard it was 2 months in a sling, but medical things change.

That wasn't an issue, though it did require a bit more concentration. For my surgery, I was done with the sling inside a month.

 

[terrier]

Tore mine in a fall 11 years ago. Managed to avoid surgery, did an intense rehab, and aside from not being able to throw, it's living its best life.
Trying to avoid the knife, my sister (workers' comp lawyer, now a WC judge) recommended a guy with a rep for treating rotator cuffs conservatively. Instead, he wanted to operate. Went to the guy who dealt with my mother's RC (without surgery) years before. Looked at my MRI, told me how battered and frayed it was, and said "You tore it 15 years ago."
Played volleyball for years, and remembered a night about 15 years before when one of the balls we used at the gym felt heavier than it should. Drove home with what felt like a toothache in my shoulder. Was fine by the next week, and only remembered one bout of sore shoulder (shut myself down for three weeks) before tearing it.

 

[Brooklyn Bridge]

My buddy was a weightlifter and had to get his done a few years ago. He was in the sling for a while, and did PT and was back to full use in a few months (perhaps six months, this was a few years ago).