Not alone

A big reason for doing this blog was because I wanted to share my experience.  It was through reading blogs from others with similar injuries that I felt less alone and became more knowledgeable of humerus fractures and the recovery process.  Below are recent and mostly complete blogs that I enjoyed reading from people who got injured and recovered:

http://fracturedhumerus.blogspot.ca/

http://spiralhumerusfracture.blogspot.ca/

http://fracturedhumerusjourney.blogspot.ca/

http://rollercoasterri.blogspot.ca/ (Incomplete blog, but might be helpful to some.  I hope she’s doing better now.)

https://apocxxx.wordpress.com/

The Long Road

So the verdict is in…and it looks like it’s no surgery!  I was so nervous, but while the ortho was quickly scrolling through my x-rays I caught a glimpse of that near alignment of the bones and knew that something had improved.  Unless I do something to really mess up the alignment, I think I’m going to be okay.  Obviously I’m happy, as surgery could lead to infections and complications, but that means I’m taking the long way home to recovery.

I’m a frankly surprised considering all the accidental bumping into doorways I’ve been doing that my left arm has endured and shown improvement.  The one thing disappointing about this is that I have to stay in the same cast and sling.  The cast is still heavy, large, itchy and starting to show its dirrty side.  Three more weeks of suffering, but it’s a small price to pay and hopefully I get something new and less cumbersome to wear when I next see the ortho.

Week 2/3 ~ Two outta five ain’t bad

I should mention that during my wait for my next fracture clinic appointment, I voluntarily went to Emergency four times in one week.  That must be a record.  But, it’s not as serious as it seems.  Three of the four times were to fix my cast and sling because they were constantly coming loose.  The solution…even more itchy medical tape!

While waiting at the hospital, I met an older gentleman wearing a sling for his broken wrist, which he fractured while trying to protect himself from boat propellers while in the water.  Ouch!  And very scary…

The other time I went to Emergency was because my hand was swollen and hemorrhaging, but it turns out that’s normal when your arm is hanging downward within a sling.  During this time I met two other orthos: one said surgery and the other seemed fairly confident that I wouldn’t need it.  So far that makes 2 out of 5 doctors.

Week 2/3 ~ Life as we know it

Having never been injured before, everyday life with one arm is quite an adjustment.  Add a heavy hanging U-slab cast, a cuff & collar sling, and a swollen bruised hand and you've earned yourself some whining rights.  Those of you who have a humerus fracture or broken arm can sympathize with the major adjustments we have to deal with that involve sleeping, bathing, cooking/eating, dressing, washrooming, driving, as well as the minor inconveniences of typing, fingernail cutting, single-hand washing, shoe-lace tying and when you drop something on the floor (the worst!).  I could go on and I’m sure you could too.  The point is…

It’s not the same anymore…at least not for now.

What I truly miss the most are hot showers and sleeping sideways on my bed.  I’ve been doing sponge bathes at the sink because I don’t trust myself wearing a garbage bag in the shower or bathtub.  My first week sleeping-wise was horrible.  My hand and arm would feel like pins and needles if I tried sleeping in a bed and there were nights I would switch through five different couches or chairs in my house to sleep in.  Eventually I settled on sleeping in a la-z-boy reclining chair for a few hours and then switching to being propped with pillows in my bed for the next few hours.  My sleep would always be disturbed by either minor neck pain or my hand/arm being too warm.  Tooth pain was another weird issue.  I don’t think I was grinding my teeth though because it was only my front teeth that felt sore and not my jaw.

Fortunately, by the end of week 2 my pain subsided and I realized that I could comfortably sleep horizontally in my bed.  Yay!  A small, but much appreciated luxury.  However, I can only sleep on my back…and I’m usually a side sleeper.  So, that’s been another adjustment.  There are times I will try and sleep on my right side while trying to balance my cast on the side of my stomach, but then it eventually feels weird, awkward and heavy.  If you’re able-bodied, please be grateful that you are able to shower and sleep in a bed sideways: I envy you.

Second (and third) opinion

After arriving, registering, and getting x-rayed all over again, I was greeted with the news that my bones might be able to heal on their own.  “Really?!”  I said.  “Maybe…there’s a slight chance,” the emergency ortho replied.  “Let’s hope that gravity’s on your side.”

So, I took that sliver of hope and decided to wait and see.  After making an appointment with the fracture clinic and a week later, I saw another ortho and his first reaction after seeing my x-ray was, “You’ll need surgery.”  “But, the other orthopedic surgeon said it could possibly mend on its own,” I mentioned.  Then he replied it was up to me and believed that we should give it another 3 weeks to see if the bones would start to mend or not, otherwise it was surgery.  Now, like with all choices there are pros and cons, with operative surgery there is quicker recovery time, but it would mean going under the knife, being part Terminator, and possible 1-2% chance of nerve damage in the hand if surgery is not 100% successful.  Non-operative surgery is all natural, but a longer recovery time.  I’m a patient person so I’ll go with the latter…if given that chance.  So I’ll play the waiting game for now and throw in a whole lotta prayer and promises to God in the mean time, despite not being a religious man…but I can be!

Sooo, what happened?

SNAP!

“I think I broke my arm!”

That’s what I said after found myself sitting atop a hanging log and staring at my eerily wobbling misaligned left arm while treetop trekking this past summer.  It happened so quickly, but I remember holding the cables with both hands and then suddenly seeing my left arm fly over my head while trying to support myself.  And then SNAP!

The obstacle course looked pretty similar to this:

Fortunately, there was a log underneath me for me to safely land on top of otherwise I think this injury could have been made worse (i.e. me tangling in the air with a broken arm).

In brief: after getting slinged up by first aid, taking a long walk to the car, a painful drive (my friend and his sharp turns) to the nearby hospital and an even longer wait for the doctor, I was given the news after looking at my x-ray that I would need surgery.  I was devastated.  This was my first major injury ever and the thought of having metal plates and screws forever inside me was not very appealing.  You see, although I initially screamed, “broken arm!” when I heard the snap, I honestly thought it was just a dislocated elbow. 

Before I could accept my outcome, the orthopedic surgeon told me that surgery could be scheduled for tonight, however if someone with say, an exploded pancreas came in, then I would get bumped.  Another deterrent was that this hospital was located an hour away from where I lived and registering at a hospital near me for surgery would be more ideal for follow-up appointments in the future.  So off I went to another hospital to see another orthopedic surgeon.