the accident

I broke my humerus on 27/11/2010, in a silly ice skating accident. I hadn't ice skated for years, but thought I was 21 again (I'm actually in my 40's)
I have started this blog after reading another similar blog, http://fracturedhumerus.blogspot.com/ and I realised how much his helped me in the early days of my "confinement". If you havent found his blog yet, make sure you have a read.
(I am very new to this type of technology, so if things don't work properly, forgive me.)
My story is from an Australian health system perspective, which is quite different from the American one in the blog mentioned. I am currently at "week 5" but will start back at the beginning.

I was cruising to a stop on the ice rink, when for absolutely no reason i can fathom, both my skates flew out from under me, and i fell flat on my back. i must have put my left arm behind be to break my fall, and ended up with it trapped beneath me.

i knew immediately that it was broken, i was totally unable to move my arm at all! after a few seconds the pain kicked in - it was excruciating.

People came to help me, all i could say is "don't move me it hurts too much, get the ambulance with some pain killers". I did let them move the arm out from behind my back, as i could feel my hand freezing up. The pain was unbelievable!! There was an intense burning all the way down my forearm as well, which i now figure was the nerve damage/entrapment (i am still numb all down my forearm and thumb/index finger 5 weeks later)



the ambulance arrived in good time (15 mins?) and thankfully gave me a "green stick" to suck on. With this in me they lifted me into the ambulance, stuck in a cannula, and gave me some further morphine and anti nausea drug. i must have slept in the ambulance, as the next thing i knew was arriving at the hospital, with my entire family waiting for me.

Good old Australian Public Hospital Casualty, i got lined up in a "queue" along with others waiting for a bed. I was there for some time, but did get seen by a Dr, and nurse, and was given more pain relief while i was waiting in the queue.

Eventually i got a spot, was taken to x-ray, and given the verdict - "no operation, we will manipulate it under sedation, and set it in a "U" cast." I sent the family home at this stage.



transverse fracture mid shaft L humerus



Blessed relief when I woke from the sedation, with the arm in plaster - the intense pain had subsided to a more manageable level. It was very scary going home, i felt so helpless, didn't know what to expect. i had only spoken to the head ortho Dr for 1 min the whole time. The other Dr's did not really tell me anything, just gave me a sling, and script for pain killers, and told me to come back to fracture clinic on Thursday. (5 days time)

My husband picked me up (midnight, i had arrived at 4pm) and when we got home he had to help me have a shallow bath. I was still in my damp clothes from lying on the ice. he helped me dress, including pulling up my knickers - WOW, what a steep learning curve for my "Aussie bloke" husband.
I sank into my bed around 1am, and fell into a drug induced sleep.