In-Cab 5th Wheel Release.... DANGEROUS?

If I misunderstood or took your comment out of text then sir I must apologise. This whole thing has been a huge exhausting ordeal since this happened in June... And from what I am being told by my Doc its gonna get worse. The original MRI didnt show all of the damage and now I have to have an ArthoGram done to see exactly why I can not lift my arm at the shoulder and why I am having so much pain. An Arthogram shows everything that is going on because its more detailed. Granted I have to have a 4" needle put into the joint of my shoulder but I have to know what is going on. I am possibly looking at yet another surgery.. I am so tired of icing every 30 mins, not being able to sleep in my own bed, taking pain pills every 4-6 hrs, etc, etc, etc...

Like I said this has been a long exhausting adventure and if I took your comment out of text then I am sorry...

 

You also forgot to mention taking out the CB, Sirius/XM, CD players, Ipods, MP3 Players, Cell Phones, Laptops, TVs, Climbing over the Dog House to get in and out of your bunk, Sleeping in a bunk wide enough for someone about 180 lbs and some times sleeping in that bunk with your gear, no power windows, no air ride seats, no Jake Brakes.... Did I forget enything?

 

OK Well then I shall be more detailed as to what happened that day. I did leave a few details out although minor as they were. I did leave out the loud, groteseque and violent pop noise that was heard over the engine of the truck that came from my shoulder when it rolled out. I also forgot to mention that everything I have for breakfast (Bacon, Eggs, Biscut, and coffee) ended up on the drive tires and the ground due to the pain being so intense. As I stated in the original blog, I engaged the in-cab 5th wheel air release 5 different times and it wouldnt release. I engaged it the 6th time and I heard the air passing like it does when it does release the 5th wheel. I tried pulling out and the tractor and trlr where still connected. I got out to look and saw that the Kingpin release arm was only out about maybe 4". I positioned myself in between the 2 trlrs and reached in with my right hand and took hold of the kingpin release handle and tried pushing it back in. I felt it give alittle but not enough. I positioned myself closer into it and pushed harder. The kingpin handle gave and slid in but I felt a pinch in the front and back of my right shoulder. With my hand still on the handle I pulled. It was almost like it was in a bind but it wasnt. After every attempt to pull out from under the trailer I did make the adjustments needed to keep that from happening. I pulled once more this time very hard and When I did the ball of my right shoulder rolled out and snapped back in in the blink of an eye. The two guys that saw this said that they thought that the Kingpin release arm broke completely off and hit me in the shoulder. YES I know thats not possible.

When I went to my Orthopedic Surgeon the first day, he actually thought I tore my Rotator Cuff. He ordered an MRI. Now I am Clausterfobic so we had to do an open MRI. Open MRIs DO NOT show full extent damage. My next visit with the Ortho Doc where for the results. He said that I tore the Labrum (a fiberous tissue that is the rim of the cup of the shoulder) in 2 places. He stated that there was a small tear and a large tear according to the open MRI. When he got into the shoulder he found that it was one complete tear. He also found pieces of the labrum in the joint where the collar bone and shoulder meet yet the debris was already fusing into the joint. They did a decompression meaning that they had to take out very small pieces of my collar bone, They had to decompress a nerve, clean out all of the debris, then repair the Labrum. This consisted of scraping the bone wear the tear was, inserting 6 anchors into the bone, placing the Labrum over the anchors and putting screws through the labrum into the anchors.

Before surgery he told my fiance (I call her my wife already), that this should only take 45 mins to fix according to the MRI readings. He came out to talk to her an hour and a half later. He told her that if the Labrum was torn any more than what it was they were gonna open my shoulder and do a partial shoulder replacement. He told her that basically most of the fiberous and soft tissue exploded in my shoulder. He said that it looked like I took a direct hit from a football player running full speed with his helmet down and ladies and gentlemen, I cant stand football. My fiance asked him if this was cause from me pulling the pin the way I did, he said most definitely. He said you could see where the tear started from pushing the release handle in and you can see where the shoulder rolled out.

As for not seeing the second injury. You assumed that there was a second injury. I never mentioned that there was a second injury. I mentioned that he has ordered an Arthogram to find out why I can not lift my arm at the shoulder, why I am in so much pain being 2 months after surgery.

My second day of PT (Physical Therapy), I saw a different therapist from the one I saw the first time. He took me back to the work out area, took my imobilizer off and proceeded to aggressively move my arm, tugging on it, twisting it, swinging it from side to side. He even dropped it twice. I made a fist with my left hand and my exact words to him were "A-hole hurt me again and Im gonna clean your clock". His exact words to me were "Well what kind of surgery did you have?" This immediately threw a red flag up in my head. I asked him if he had read my medical file. His exact words and I kid you not "I DIDNT HAVE TIME." He placed my arm on my chest. By this time I had no feeling in my fingers. He went over to his computer and began reading my file. I got up, put my imobilizer on myself and left.

The reason for the Arthogram is to see if this idiot of a physical therapist has torn out everything that my Ortho doc had repaired. As weak as my shoulder was my Ortho Doc has said that this guy could have pulled out the anchors, torn a tendon, tore the rotator cuff, anything. If he has pulled out just one anchor they can not scope it to fix it. When these anchors get pulled out they also pull bone out as well. They will have to do a partial shoulder.

Now the Arthogram I am not happy at all about. Its also called a contrast MRI. 1st they are gonna do a closed MRI, 2nd They are gonna take me out, numb my shoulder in the front and back then they are gonna insert a 4" needle into the joint of my shoulder. 3rd they are gonna put me under a florascope to make sure they are in the joint, 4th they are going to inject dye into the shoulder, 5th leaving the needle in they are gonna put me back into the closed MRI and take more pictures. Anyone wanna trade places?????

The purpose of this blog was to get the answer to one simple question and no one could do that. With the exception of a few Everyone wanted to pick it apart.

I pulled up Volvo recalls online and found out that the Air Release 5th wheel has been on the recall list several times for the same consistent problem. An air cylinder/chamber can become clogged by exhaust causing this mechanism to malfunction. I have also talked to a Volvo Tech and even he has stated that if these are not working right they can become dangerous. I have read other blogs on other sights where guys are complaining about this simular problem and another problem with their 5th wheel not wanting to close. One guy even mention having the SAME injury and same surgery due to the same problem....

 

I also forgot to mention the fact that before my second day of PT that my recuperation was going according to plan by my doc. Was hardly no pain. There was what they call break through pain but thats to be expected with this type of surgery. Now I am in consistant pain, cant raise my arm, on not only a strong narcotic every 4-6 hrs but a anti inflamatory as well. My quality of life has gone down hil. I went from go go go to g. Let me explain: Not only am I a driver but I am also a semi pro drummer. was currently in a band yet had to be replaced because of this. once I healed I will have my spot back but thats not the point. I cant cut my grass, clean my gutters, split my fire wood, nor do anything excertive with my child such as taking her roller blading, practicing her softball, I havent been able to take my step son fishing, Hell I cant even horse around with my Johnson American Bulldog who is a mini horse by the way LOL. I have been going through emotions of aggrivation, aggitation, irritation, and depression and this is not me.

When you take someone that is use to being on the go all of the time and always multi-tasking and then suddenly all of that is taken away and all they are left with is sitting around, watching TV, putting puzzles together, depending on other people... It is rough. It is a hard thing to accept.