I ordered the book and expect it to arrive on Monday. I wish I could view the exercises without ordering it, to see how and if they differ from what I'm already doing. I've viewed many exercises on-line, and also the ones in The 7-Minute Rotator Cuff Solution (someone shared a free link to it here), and I know that I would have too much pain to do them. By "pain", I mean sharp tearing pain, not just a little discomfort. I'm not a pain wimp; I just know that this type of pain means the RC is being strained or sustaining further injury.

My next appt. with the sports ortho doc is Feb. 22. So, I have 4 weeks to try an "experiment": continue the PT exercises on my own, do them very gently, use heat and stretch before, ice after, and avoid activities that might make matters worse. Then, when I see the doctor, I can tell him I've done everything he suggested.

There's still the issue of the USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) training at work, learning the rappel techniques and shoring/cribbing structures for confined-space rescue, etc. Our certification requires hands-on demonstrations that we can complete all the tasks. I feel tempted to proceed with the training, do everything that my shoulder allows (pain will tell me what I can and can't do), and delay surgery until after I'm certified. If the doctor suggests surgery, I'll ask how long I can postpone it without adverse effects including a worse post-op prognosis.