text: funny you should ask...i just had arthoscopic surgery done last friday...in much the same way that they would do the rotator cuff...mine was dislocated and they fixed the cartilidge to prevent it from happening again...\n\nit's a big decission - but not that the surgery is over, i'm so glad i did it...\n\ni was in much of the same situation as you were...limited mobility....above my head...but, was still healing from the dislocation...\n\ni have minimal pain - and today being 4 days after, haven't takenthe pain meds at all...my mobility is pretty good...i do have a sling, and will have to do some physical therapy in a week or so, but the doc tells me that after that my mobility should be back to almost normal.....\n\nsling is only going to be on for about 10-14 days...\n\ni work as a counselor for people in 12-step programs - i'm assuming that your fear is for the drugs afterwards?  i;m sure if you spoke with the surgeon he could figure something out...don't use it as an excuse.....\n\nanyway...not sure if i helped or not...in my opinion the surgery isn't as bad as i expected it to be....and only 4 days later it is already feeling ok...\n\ni'm only 32 and didn't want to feel disabled the rest of my life - reaching the top shelf...washing my hair, etc...\n\ngood luck with your decission....