i am scheduled to have open reconstruction of my left shoulder. can anyone please tell me what i am getting myself into?...the reason for this is because in 1997 i dislocated my shoulder swimming...in 1998 i dislocated it again actually 2 times...and since then i have done nothing but dislocate it either all the way or semi....it has never really bothered me with my daily activities...i could still do the normal lifting pushing pulling and moving my arm in what ever direction i could without it affecting me...then recently i was at work where i am a CNA in a nursing home and myself and another staff were assisting a resident off the floor when she buckeled and dropped to the floor...my left arm, the one that has been dislocated serval times, was caught under her arm and i could just hear the ripping sounds inside my shoulder and at that point i knew something was wrong...when i moved my arm out from underneath the residents arm my shoulder then semi dislocated and i had the nurse help me move my arm. was sent to the hospital they treated me for a spained shoulder and referred me to an orthopedic surgeon. i went and visited with the orthopedic surgeon and he immediately said that i needed to have surgery due to the fact that my left shoulder is instable. so please...any information that you can give to me asap would be greatly appreciated...