“Well it was much worse than the MRI showed, but the good news is that your shoulder should be back to normal function in ‘five to six months’.” Still groggy from the anesthesia, I tried to process what my doctor was telling me.
At the time, I was an extremely active person, raising four young children under the age of six, and the sole supporter of a family of six. My heart sank, and I knew there was going to be a rough five to six months ahead. I needed to figure something out.
Let Me Back Up, and Start From the Beginning
January 21st, 2022 was my surgery day. I was lined up to have my Superior Labrum Anterior and Posterior (SLAP) tear and rotator cuff repaired surgically. (SLAP tears happen when you tear cartilage in the inner part of your shoulder joint.)
The doctor mentioned that there was a 2% chance that he may have to sever the bicep tendon and reattach it, which may change things a bit for recovery, but that I should still recover well and that I would not be down too long.
Then the News and Overwhelming Fear Hit
Coming home after the surgeon informed me that I was looking at a long recovery time, I was truly not sure how I was going to manage my job, my four kids, and my life, with basically one arm for five to six months.
That night, I went to sleep in the recliner (not able to lie flat) and woke up unable to move my arm. That’s when the real panic hit me. I knew I needed to do more than the doctor and physical therapist were recommending. I had to heal my body faster.
Post-Surgery – The First Scary Part
I was given exercises to do after surgery. Passive movements for my arm that would help ensure appropriate recovery and stimulate blood flow. For the first three days, I could not move my arm. I pulled my arm out of the brace with assistance from my lovely wife and found that I could not feel, control, or move any part of my arm or hand. Scary! Never before had I experienced something quite like this—not even when my legs were numb.
(Read my story “From Neurophathy and Paralysis, How I Got My Life Back)
Still, my supportive wife and I carried on as directed and after several days the bandages were removed, and the surgeon stated I was on track to heal appropriately. Several weeks later, even though I was still sleeping in the living room chair and wearing the sling, the surgeon gave the “OK” to start mild physical therapy. He let me know not to expect too much...that it was “pretty bad”.
My physical therapist (PT) was awesome! Aaron assessed me with limited range of motion and was incredibly cautious with this initial session, as I was in significant amounts of pain from typing on my keyboard for work. At this point, I certainly wasn't on any plan to fast-track my healing journey. Aaron gave me some exercises to do at home and recommended consistent ice. A good friend sent an ice machine to me (huge thank you Greta!) and recommended that I keep the ice pack on as often as I could.
I knew that when I injured myself previously, I had the ability to heal rapidly, but...
...this experience was giving me doubts.
My thought was that I wanted to create new healthy cells. To do this I needed all the whole nutrients I could get absorbed into my body. I focused on Humic and Fulvic Acids as they are wonderful electrolytes and amazing transporters of nutrients both to cells and for detoxing. (See below where I share my protocol.) This process had worked for me before, when I had injured myself in a bike crash and I was hoping it would help me again.
The Look On My Surgeon's Face Was Priceless
Four weeks in, I had my first follow-up with my surgeon. As he unwrapped my arm and started evaluating my current level of healing…
…he paused, pulled his head back, gave me a strange questioning look, and said, “I have never seen this kind of healing before.”
At this time, four weeks after my surgery, my recovery started to soar. Remember they gave me a five to six month recovery timeframe? But there I was. I did not need the sling, the scars on my shoulder were mostly back to normal skin tone—definitely something my surgeon hadn’t seen before. He even made a crack about me being Wolverine which my six year old son would get a kick out of hearing later.
Continuing with PT, Aaron pushed me just beyond what I thought was comfortable, all while being by my side and continuing to check my progress and pain level.
Three weeks after starting PT
- My range of motion was over 50% (this was unprecedented according to my PT)
- My pain level was down to a 3 out of 8 (almost passing out from pain) when starting PT
- My strength started to come back, and this led to the most important part of this healing journey….
...I was able to pick up my 12-month-old son!
I Was Well On My Way to an Unprecedented Rapid Full Recovery
On my next visit to the surgeon—six weeks post-surgery—I received clearance to get back on my bike trainer. Yes! That night I joined a group online for a good ride (with the back wheel locked into my trainer, not quite ready for the road).
It felt so good to be back! I wasn’t able to lean forward just yet, but was able to spin the legs and get some time in on the bike. This was fuel for me and—as I learned from Dr. Tennant—also helped me heal. Exercise helps stimulate blood flow and increases overall energy or voltage in the body. This was helping me create new healthy cells!
Finally, at just over eight weeks from surgery, my range of motion was 98%! And my strength was coming back!
Eight weeks! Let that sink in. They gave me a five-to-six-month recovery time, and here I am at eight weeks…
- My strength was back (almost full strength)
- My range of motion was back
- I was able to do bodyweight push-ups (under the watchful eye of my PT)
- I was on my bike
- I felt that my health and life were getting back to normal
I knew that everything I was doing was helping me heal, from the icing protocol, the process, and following all the PT recommendations. But I also knew that the support from the Dr. Tennant supplements was helping my body recover quicker. In fact, quicker than the doctor or the PT had ever seen.
The 9-Week “WOW” Factor
At about nine weeks, I met with my surgeon and after inspection, he stated,
“I haven’t seen this before, so I want to be cautious. But it appears you’re recovered and back to full range of motion. Your muscle tone is great, and I think you’re good to get back on the bike (off trainer) and...listen to your body. Just please be cautious, or I’ll be seeing you again soon!”
I was thinking: “Alright! This is awesome!” We then talked about nutrition, rest, icing, PT, and focusing on recovery.
He was shocked that 9 weeks after a rotator cuff and SLAP repair,
that we were having this conversation.
He then asked about Dr. Tennant’s® Restore and made a purchase to try for himself!
Today, I am back with my family. I got the chance the other day to go trail riding with my amazing wife, Kathy. My shoulder is back to normal, and I attribute the rapid healing success to the high-quality Dr. Tennant’s® Cellular Nutrition Program or a modified version of it.
“The body never forgets how to heal itself, and when it runs correctly, it does heal itself.”
— Dr. Tennant
My Regimen For Fast-Tracking My Healing
A combination of ice, exercises at home and PT,
along with a nutritional program.
We always recommend consulting with your doctor, but I want to share the protocol that I used, which resulted in taking my recovery from five to six months to nine to ten weeks.
In the morning:
- 1 scoop of Dr. Tennant’s® Restore Professional Whey with Almond Milk
- 1 scoop of Dr. Tennant’s® Brain Food
- 2 droppers of Dr. Tennant’s® Raw Materials™ mixed into the Restore and Brain Food cocktail
- 1 Neo40® Professional
- 1 capsule of Dr. Tennant’s® Lugol’s Iodine Plus Capsules
In the afternoon:
- 2 capsules of Dr. Tennant’s® Raw Materials™ with food
(eating a Whole 30 and lower carb diet) - Sipped a liter mason jar with purified water and several droppers of Dr. Tennant’s® Fulvic Super-Concentrate
In the evening:
- 2 additional capsules of Dr. Tennant’s® Raw Materials™ with food
- Cap the night off with a warm blend of:
- Liver Detox Tea
- Coconut oil
- Honey
- Warm purified water
Please note: Dr. Tennant’s® Raw Materials can be a little challenging on the digestive tract if the body is not used to Humic and Fulvic Acids. So, it would be recommended to start with one capsule or titrate one dropper into water and consume until the body becomes accustomed.
— Scott Jessen, Director of Product Development, Tennant Products
It’s your body. It’s your life. Ingredients matter.
Featured Products in This Article:
Dr. Tennant’s® Cellular Nutrition Program
Designed for optimal health and healing. It provides your body the vitamins and minerals necessary to make new healthy cells and supports digestion as well as your immune and cardiovascular health.
Provides your brain the nutrients it needs for cognitive focus, mental acuity and memory function, and helps eliminate brain fog naturally.
Dr. Tennant’s® Raw Materials™
Humic and fulvic acids, provide the micro and trace nutrients required for optimal health at the cellular level. These nutrients help replace the microorganisms often lost in the food eaten today.
Dr. Tennant’s® Liver Detox Tea Essential Oil
Specifically designed, proprietary blend to help support and detox the liver.
