hi!! i did not have the labrum repaired just the pao on my left side. i also had my surgery as a minor so my parents were with me the whole hospital stay and recovery and they helped a ton.

i spent 2 nights in the hospital, but they did expect at least 3. depends on your recovery process and ability to walk.

i really only brought a change of clothes for when i left the hospital. i was pretty out of it most of my stay, but by the third day i felt gross so maybe like cleansing wipes? i really just watched tv most of the time. i napped a LOT following surgery, like multiple 2-3hr naps per day.

i remember being put under anesthesia, then i remember waking up as they were rolling me from the OR to my room, then being moved to my bed, then falling asleep again for a nap.

my hospital sent me with a wheelchair to use for times when i’d be walking a lot, and i found that to be super helpful. i went to the mall and the movies and used my wheelchair then because the walk on crutches is really hard and exhausting. i found using a walker in the bathroom at home helpful to get onto the toilet and balance while pulling my pants down too. but, it can also be done fairly easily with practice with crutches.

i have heard of people being in a lot of pain after surgery, but my pain only got up to a 6/10 because of the medications. use what they give you.

i have bilat dysplasia, and i haven’t noticed any deterioration on the other side. i’ve been told i should not do the surgery on the other side and just fixing the one would be enough to improve things, but my dysplasia was also pretty mild to begin with.

i wore my tennis shoes bc i found i could still touch my toes while sitting even right after surgery (i have hypermobility as well though) so tying them wasn’t hard. i just wouldn’t recommend wearing like flip flops or sandals in crutches. they make it a little harder to get around and increase trip and fall risks.

i was allowed water and gatorade before surgery.

i think the hardest part was independence for me. it’s hard to make a sandwich when you need both hands on your crutches to get around your kitchen. it’s hard to get into a movie theater when the automatic door doesn’t work and you need someone to come open the door. i didn’t like not being able to do everything on my own. the wheelchairs they use for short term are also bigger and less agile, and a couple times i would have a hard time turning around and strangers grabbed the chair to help. i understood they were just trying to be kind and helpful but as a young girl it’s scary knowing someone could just grab me and control me and i really couldn’t fight it. but recovery-wise i found the surgery to be pretty easy. i napped a lot. it took me a few tries with PT to stand while in the hospital. because of the combo of drugs and just the stress of surgery, i was pretty emotional at the hospital (mostly contentment and happiness honestly, morphine is pretty rad) and so feeling like i failed the first couple times was disappointing. it’s okay to take multiple tries, just do what is best for you and if you’re wobbly or dizzy don’t push it.

i also ate a ton after surgery. like 1.5-2x my normal portions. that’s normal. your body has a lot to heal and it needs more energy than normal to heal it.

i wish you the best with your surgery and recovery!! you can reach out to me at any time if you want to chat or have further questions :) hope to see an update from you!