ER visit - 7 weeks ago

July 30, 2017, 09:48 PM

Tommydogg

At the end of every therapy session, they would hook up a tends device for pain. It actually worked pretty good. My therapist got my doctor to write a prescription for a portable tends device and my insurance picked up most of the tab. Mine is a Empi Select. It's small, about 4 inches by 3 inches and about an inch and a half thick with a belt clip. It runs off of 2 AA batteries. It has several modes and it works great when my arm is aching. I didn't get mine until about 4 months after I broke my humerus. I wished I'd gotten it sooner. If you don't have one, I'd recommend it.

July 30, 2017, 09:56 PM

Leeann

Huh. I'll ask them tomorrow at PT.

July 30, 2017, 10:46 PM

Ozarkwoods

Wow that hurts from here! I have to agree your choices were few but you took the better choice! Heal fast and clean.

July 31, 2017, 08:36 AM

liner

quote:
Originally posted by Tommydogg:
Fo reals, I feel your pain! I broke mine 3 years ago. I was playing with the dog, tripped and crashed into a pillar in my foyer. I was on disability from work for six months, had two surgeries. I traded my .50 for a compensated revolver, S&W Comp V8. Give therapy your all! Don't get discouraged when it hurts.

This is a fresh x-ray from 2 weeks ago

That was very nice of the surgeon to work around your tattoo.

July 31, 2017, 08:52 AM

liner

quote:
Originally posted by Leeann:
So I was going up my back steps 7 weeks ago yesterday and tripped on the top step - 5 concrete steps with overly large overhang and concrete pad at the bottom - and had to make a decision: land on rhe back of my head or twist and land on my elbow.

My elbow, of course, won hands down.

However, this meant a crap ton of force went up my humurus from the elbow...the humurus fractured from the distal humurus, the knob that forms the upper part of the elbow, about halfway up where it snapped the humurus in two.

This also meant surgery. And the location of the fracture in the distal humurus meant he couldn't just drive a rod up the humurus from the elbow, which he preferred; he had to slice the heck out of my arm and put in a plate and 13 screws. But surgery he allowed 4-5 hours for took just under 3 and went very well.

Now I've started PT and it's going to be months. I can still pull the trigger because I'm lefty and this is my right arm, but no Weaver for a while. I am okay with it because the alternative was not being here to post at all.

My husband didn't get the xray that shows the fracture down from the transection, but:

Crappy CAT scan still that sorta shows it

Oh, and 35 staples...

A good friend of mine had that same injury trying to hop a fence at a youth soccer game he was officiating , he had a good result. Almost the same exact incision too. Heal fast!

July 31, 2017, 10:28 AM

molachi

Like others have said that hurts just looking at it

July 31, 2017, 11:05 AM

Copefree

That's a lot of staples! Glad it was your arm and not your head.

July 31, 2017, 11:31 AM

Expert308

13 must be the lucky number. A friend of mine took a fall back in December and broke her tibia right at the top. She has three plates and a total of 13 screws in her leg now. Surgery scars on both sides of her knee. PT was not pleasant for her, but she's walking almost normally now and the doctor says in a few more months she'll be able to feel her foot again (the main nerve down her leg got damaged).

Here's hoping for a quick recover for you.

August 09, 2017, 05:08 AM

V-Tail

How is the healing process coming along?

August 09, 2017, 06:51 AM

Leeann

The physical terrorist is having a ball.

But it is healing and improving, albeit more slowly than I'd like. I'm getting a little more range of motion and very slightly more strength each week.

Thanks

August 25, 2017, 08:10 AM

Tommydogg

How are you doing now? Recovery was a lot longer than I thought. My range of motion hit a plateau where I could only raise it to about 70 degrees. I was there for a long time then it seemed to improve drastically at once. Now I have most of my range of motion back. Don't get discouraged if you plateau out. Keep working at it. I had to go to torture 3 times a week for about 6 months. Luckily my copay was only 12 bucks a visit, but it did add up. Money well spent though. Of they assign you stuff to do at home, do it.

August 25, 2017, 08:22 AM

TMats

Boy, when they decide to screw something together, they don't mess around do they--they go to the big box display at Home Depot.

Heal up quickly and completely

August 25, 2017, 09:32 AM

Leeann

Took this Tuesday:

I am improving, day by day. I need the last couple degrees to get it straight and a degree or two more to get it fully bent. They're having to work on my shoulder, elbow and wrist, so it's taking longer than I'd like (isn't that always the case?), but I'm improving enough to make them happy.

I see them three times a week still. I see the doc Sep 5 and he'll decide whether that stays or I do to 2x per week.