Update: Shoulder Not Quite As Broken
Figured I should give a progress report...
Seven weeks since falling down the stairs and breaking my humerus bone at the shoulder, the orthopedic surgeon confirms it is firmly attached in place. A small retroversion of the humeral head remains, but since I'm young I should regain full enough range of motion as to make no difference. It'll still take up to a year to properly remodel new bone growth, but the bone itself is stable.
Unless I have another klutz attack and fall again, of course. But I promise I am trying very hard to avoid that!
I've been doing physiotherapy since week 3 of the break. This is evidently a rather progressive approach, but will have hopefully cut my total recovery time down to six months if I'm lucky. Because I started exercises so early, my joint stayed loose-ish and did not turn into a frozen shoulder which is the typical result of spending 6-weeks immobilized. That means that now, at 7 weeks, instead of just beginning Stage 1 to regain mobility I am instead about to start Stage 2 muscle strengthening exercises.
Pain is mostly muscle soreness now, thus livable with Advil and some moaning and groaning. I can lift the arm up to about 90 degrees on its own, and passively (using the other arm or a pulley to carry the weight) up to about 150 degrees. Once I can get it up completely straight 180 degrees, I'll start pushing it out to the side.
I'm due to be cleared for work by December 1st. Though I'll probably be on restricted duties for a month or two yet. Still not clear to drive a car, not until I can get my left arm comfortably up to hold the wheel for steering and hitting the turn signal switch. I still need help day to day, but I'm getting really good at managing one-armed so have got some independence.
Still can't open the jam jar by myself though. The peanut butter jar? No problem. Jam? Ha! Also, the only tin cans I can open are the peel-off type, which luckily my favourite lentil stew comes in so yay!
Next challenge, putting my arm through a sleeve! Tank tops and fleece vests have got me through autumn, but there's snow on the ground now. Time to figure how to wear real clothes again. Progress!
Seven weeks since falling down the stairs and breaking my humerus bone at the shoulder, the orthopedic surgeon confirms it is firmly attached in place. A small retroversion of the humeral head remains, but since I'm young I should regain full enough range of motion as to make no difference. It'll still take up to a year to properly remodel new bone growth, but the bone itself is stable.
Unless I have another klutz attack and fall again, of course. But I promise I am trying very hard to avoid that!
I've been doing physiotherapy since week 3 of the break. This is evidently a rather progressive approach, but will have hopefully cut my total recovery time down to six months if I'm lucky. Because I started exercises so early, my joint stayed loose-ish and did not turn into a frozen shoulder which is the typical result of spending 6-weeks immobilized. That means that now, at 7 weeks, instead of just beginning Stage 1 to regain mobility I am instead about to start Stage 2 muscle strengthening exercises.
Pain is mostly muscle soreness now, thus livable with Advil and some moaning and groaning. I can lift the arm up to about 90 degrees on its own, and passively (using the other arm or a pulley to carry the weight) up to about 150 degrees. Once I can get it up completely straight 180 degrees, I'll start pushing it out to the side.
I'm due to be cleared for work by December 1st. Though I'll probably be on restricted duties for a month or two yet. Still not clear to drive a car, not until I can get my left arm comfortably up to hold the wheel for steering and hitting the turn signal switch. I still need help day to day, but I'm getting really good at managing one-armed so have got some independence.
Still can't open the jam jar by myself though. The peanut butter jar? No problem. Jam? Ha! Also, the only tin cans I can open are the peel-off type, which luckily my favourite lentil stew comes in so yay!
Next challenge, putting my arm through a sleeve! Tank tops and fleece vests have got me through autumn, but there's snow on the ground now. Time to figure how to wear real clothes again. Progress!