Four years ago, Margaret had a fall and broke both her wrists and feels that her shoulder problems might have started then. Two or three years after her accident, she had an X-ray that showed up something in the left shoulder. She was referred to physiotherapy and was also given two steroid injections at her GP surgery, but there was no improvement. She was experiencing severe pain and was taking lots of painkillers.

Margaret had problems moving her left arm in, upwards or outwards and found it difficult to get dressed and do ordinary chores such as getting things out of the cupboard. To a lesser degree, she also has mobility problems in her right shoulder, which even further reduced her ability to do everyday chores. The pain and restrictive mobility was also affecting her emotionally.

Margaret was referred to see a specialist at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, an NHS hospital and, after examination and tests, was told she had calcium build up in the tendon in her left, and to a lesser extent, in her right shoulder. She had a procedure to remove the calcification from the tendon in her left shoulder. She had it done twice, but relief lasted no more than two months.

Margaret went back to her surgery and saw a different GP, who gave her a steroid injection in both shoulders, but it didn’t do any good. Then she was sent to have an X-ray, which showed calcification in her left and right shoulder as well as a flap of the bone that was coming down and restricting the tendon. She was referred back to the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, an NHS hospital, but found out there was a wait of three months for surgery, so she decided to go and see the consultant as a private patient. Then, she waited for an appointment to go to the pre-surgery assessment clinic.

Margaret feels that there was too much waiting time in between each session at the assessment clinic and that the NHS could save lots of money if they reduce the sizes of the nose drop tube and the body wash she was given to use twice before surgery.

Margaret thinks highly of the medical team that cared for her and says that they explained things in a nice and friendly manner, without using lots of big words. So she understood what the surgery involved and the recovery process afterwards. But, the nerve block didn’t work and she had her surgery under general anesthetics. She expected to be sore after surgery but was relieved not to experience the severe pain she had had previously. Gradually, she has been regaining mobility and flexibility in her left shoulder and she is pleased to be able to do those things she hadn’t been able to do for so long. She already knew the exercises she was told to do after surgery and says she is getting better at them.

She is currently waiting to receive treatment to disperse the calcium build up in her right shoulder.