Well, another week of marking time, but also a week of small breakthroughs.
I can type 2 handed again - I now have the strength in my arm to hold it above the keypad and type normally.
I can lift my arm a little higher each day, and now I can blow my nose 2 handed also!
I no longer use my sling at all, my arm is just as comfortable without it. I also have been taking off the brace for periods, because it is bugging me. I have it off when I am at work, or sitting quietly, but need it on for security when up and about.
Its another few days before I go back to the doctors, so I am trying really hard to get my arm up to "steering wheel" position, because not driving is what I am finding most frustrating at the moment.
I try to gently push my arm to new positions, and heights, but do suffer from nasty pain in the muscles when I do. I guess I should wait for a physio to tell me how hard I should push, but I am getting pretty impatient with the whole deal!!!
Mettice,
ReplyDeleteit's such a good idea of yours to write down your experience with a fractured humerous. Although you've painted a clear picture of what you've been through, I cannot imagine the pain and what an adjustment it must have been. It's so valuable to hear your experience as a patient in the emergency ward and fracture clinic, especially as you have a medical background. I've seen a few patients with the same fracture, and the pain just seems to be excruciating. I've seen a woman your age cry inconsolably when we were putting a 'U' cast on her arm.
I'm sorry that you only saw the orthopaedic consultant once after your arrival at the hospital, and that the junior doctors didn't give you much information. It's unfair that you didn't know what to expect. How wonderful that you have such a supportive, loving husband to help you out at home!!
I think you have been super patient. I even heard that you are able to play backgammon again now! That's a great sign of progress.
It certainly seems like you don't do things by halves, judging by those x-rays! You're in our thoughts and prayers x x x
Hi Em, thanks for your nice comments.
ReplyDeleteIf there is one thing you can get out of my experience is the knowledge that it would have been torture to go thru the manipulation and application of the u-cast without the fentynal/propofol!! I am enternally grateful that NGH chose to let me sleep thru it. Sure, I had to wait for an anaesthesist, and be "prepped" as if for OT, but I could not have been awake.
And you know me, i am not a wus, I'm a toughie. Reading some other blogs, some people are able to get up and walk away - NOT ME!! So there are obviously different levels of injury/pain.
My theory on this is the amount of muscle tearing/damage at the time. My arm was unnaturally behind my back, with my fingers up near my oppposite shoulder (according to a bystander, i dont remember) and i think i tore alot of my bicep etc in the process.
So, next time you assist a # humerous, maybe you can advocate for the patient - and put them to sleep for the U-cast, please!
good luck with your new job next week - Congrats
Mx
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI am on day 12 of a broken humerus - my right and yes, i am right handed! Thank you for blogging, it's is sort of helping me to read your experience and also brought home to me how long it will take to be fixed, I've been blogging mine but it's not very tidy as on an existing blog and typing left handed has taken some getting used to. www.oldmanorborn.org.uk. I had morphine by the ambulance crew before they pulled my arm out from underneath me, then only had entonox (gas and air) for the manipulation at hospital to try and align the bone ends. It was agony even with that. According to my husband I really screamed and as I was in A&E I feel really bad for all the other people there. I never want to go through that again.
Again thanks for blogging, Michelle