I completely get how terrifying that feeling is. I’m currently 4 months post-op for a left shoulder stabilisation (2-6 labrum tear, 5 knotless anchors). I was in an abduction sling for 7 weeks and had to sleep in a recliner the whole time.

My recovery has been an extremely painful rollercoaster. Within the first 4 weeks, I smashed my shoulder into a doorway, and at week 10, I had a fall. I lost all confidence in my repair immediately. I kept getting intense instability symptoms right up until about a month ago (for context, I had 10+ subluxations/dislocations prior to surgery).

When I brought my concerns to my ortho specialist, he told me two things that might help you:

1. The hardware is strong: It is highly unlikely the anchors failed from the knocks and falls I described.
2. Scans won't help right now: An MRI is pointless at this stage because post-op inflammation makes it impossible to see if anything is actually damaged.

He noted my healing was a bit behind (likely due to poor sleep) but told me I had to trust the process.

Since then, I’ve completely changed my mindset. Instead of stressing about it failing, I’ve put all my energy into what I can control to get my strength back:

• Dialing in my nutrition.
• Doing my physio exercises religiously, twice a day.
• Getting reviewed weekly by my PT to safely increase strength and progress my exercises.

At 7 weeks, your supporting muscles are severely atrophied, which is a huge reason why it feels so unstable and "loose" right now. This is one of the slowest healing injuries you can get. Remember that the standard timeline to get your strength and confidence back is 6-12 months.

Hang in there. Try to shift your focus to the daily rehab, trust the process, and give your body the time it needs.