Broken shoulder
Hi World!
I haven't updated in forever, mostly because I only use this for commenting on fic or watching my communities anymore. But it also makes a great documenting tool for personal life events - ie: a journal. Who knew?!
Sept 27th, Sunday night, at about 8pm I fell down the basement steps. Made it down the top steps with little more than a bruised bum, but spun around at the landing and proceeded to go down the last few steps head first. My head survived. My arm did not. Hit my shoulder on the wall going around the turn and broke the bone.
Was in the emergency room for two hours. Nice EMTs, friendly nurses and orderlies. Very quick service, in and out in two hours - only hurt a little when moving. One week passed, got first follow-up visit with orthopedic surgeon. Hurts a hell of a lot more now!
I have a humeral head retroversion high impact injury. Commonly seen in baseball players. It's what they call it when the shoulder joint is hit so hard just at the top of the humerus (upper arm) bone that the top cap of the bone... pops off. Sort of. In my case, it is not detached but merely knocked backwards by about 20 degrees. It must fall back into alignment like "ice cream plopping into a cone" before it heals or I will lose significant mobility. Also a small triangular fracture at the impact site, but that was already showing sign of healing at one week x-rays.
I've got two more weeks to let gravity work or it'll need surgery. I sleep upright in a chair every night, I wear a "cuff and collar" strap to hold my wrist tight to my chest to keep the upper arm straight. And I've just begun my arm pendulum exercises. So far, I can't swing the arm yet but I hope to get it to full dangling extension by the end of the day. Must do pendulum swing at least five time per day to maintain flexibility.
I am a beautiful palette of bruises. Green at the top of the arm where the actual impact took place though. All the blood that should have bruised it instead pooled at my uninjured elbow due to gravity and the bent angle of the sling. My elbow looks black and swollen, but received not even a bump itself. Also have lovely large bruises down my back, butt, hips, and weirdly, big toe.
As I must maintain good posture to keep the arm straight, my back muscles are hurting now too. As is my neck from the collar pulling my head down. Will need serious physio when these 6 - 8 weeks are done. I've heard some of these injuries can take up to a year to heal fully from. Hope not, I'm already not allowed to drive for the next three months anyway. Put a definite spanner in my work plans - no job driving the new library book mobiles for me. ::sigh::
So far depression and boredom aren't too bad. No access to TV, which sucks, but I can barely concentrate to use the computer anyway. Have had a few helpless moments, and need someone with me nearly all the time just in case, but I'm managing. Biggest issue is clothes - as in I don't have much I can wear as a top without hurting the arm. No bras. No sleeves. Strapless tube tops I can pull up over my hips is the best I've got. Works for what few public appearances I must make (doctors) but is definitely not winter weather appropriate.
Will update again in two weeks once I discover if I'm healing well. Or whatever...
I haven't updated in forever, mostly because I only use this for commenting on fic or watching my communities anymore. But it also makes a great documenting tool for personal life events - ie: a journal. Who knew?!
Sept 27th, Sunday night, at about 8pm I fell down the basement steps. Made it down the top steps with little more than a bruised bum, but spun around at the landing and proceeded to go down the last few steps head first. My head survived. My arm did not. Hit my shoulder on the wall going around the turn and broke the bone.
Was in the emergency room for two hours. Nice EMTs, friendly nurses and orderlies. Very quick service, in and out in two hours - only hurt a little when moving. One week passed, got first follow-up visit with orthopedic surgeon. Hurts a hell of a lot more now!
I have a humeral head retroversion high impact injury. Commonly seen in baseball players. It's what they call it when the shoulder joint is hit so hard just at the top of the humerus (upper arm) bone that the top cap of the bone... pops off. Sort of. In my case, it is not detached but merely knocked backwards by about 20 degrees. It must fall back into alignment like "ice cream plopping into a cone" before it heals or I will lose significant mobility. Also a small triangular fracture at the impact site, but that was already showing sign of healing at one week x-rays.
I've got two more weeks to let gravity work or it'll need surgery. I sleep upright in a chair every night, I wear a "cuff and collar" strap to hold my wrist tight to my chest to keep the upper arm straight. And I've just begun my arm pendulum exercises. So far, I can't swing the arm yet but I hope to get it to full dangling extension by the end of the day. Must do pendulum swing at least five time per day to maintain flexibility.
I am a beautiful palette of bruises. Green at the top of the arm where the actual impact took place though. All the blood that should have bruised it instead pooled at my uninjured elbow due to gravity and the bent angle of the sling. My elbow looks black and swollen, but received not even a bump itself. Also have lovely large bruises down my back, butt, hips, and weirdly, big toe.
As I must maintain good posture to keep the arm straight, my back muscles are hurting now too. As is my neck from the collar pulling my head down. Will need serious physio when these 6 - 8 weeks are done. I've heard some of these injuries can take up to a year to heal fully from. Hope not, I'm already not allowed to drive for the next three months anyway. Put a definite spanner in my work plans - no job driving the new library book mobiles for me. ::sigh::
So far depression and boredom aren't too bad. No access to TV, which sucks, but I can barely concentrate to use the computer anyway. Have had a few helpless moments, and need someone with me nearly all the time just in case, but I'm managing. Biggest issue is clothes - as in I don't have much I can wear as a top without hurting the arm. No bras. No sleeves. Strapless tube tops I can pull up over my hips is the best I've got. Works for what few public appearances I must make (doctors) but is definitely not winter weather appropriate.
Will update again in two weeks once I discover if I'm healing well. Or whatever...