Honest question of whether or not to have surgery.
I’ll be 79 in a couple of months and I’m in very good shape overall. I’ve been very strong all my life because I have been very active with my work as a Custom Wood Refinisher for over 50 years. During the course of my work and other instances, I have done some damage to my shoulders. Either one or the other will flare up after something I’ve done and it will be painful for quite a while and it eventually calms down if I don’t do something again. Both have full thickness tears, and I’m considering whether or not to have surgery on my left since it seems it’s the worst.
My question is: given my age and since I actually have good ROM and I just managed the pain from time to time, does it really make sense to actually do the surgery considering the long recovery process etc. etc. I’m thinking a little pain here and there now and then for the rest of my life might be fine. Being pain-free forever is nice but it sounds like it’s a pretty high price to pay. What do you think in weighing the two makes the most sense since since most of you have gone through the surgical route