Broken Arm Again - 3rd Time the Charm?

[Evo]

I'm wondering how I am going to manage dragging my plants in and out of storms.

 

[berkeman]

Same arm, same place, fell in the backyard, same place as last time, third break.

Which bone? I thought the last time you fell it was winter, and you slipped on ice/snow. What did you slip on this time? Is the circulation okay to the arm and hand past the break?

 

[ZapperZ]

oh no! The PF copter is on it's way!

We have a PF copter?

Forget about Evo. Can I go on a joy ride?

<shoving Evo aside>

Zz.

 

[berkeman]

Forget about Evo. Can I go on a joy ride?

<shoving Evo aside>

Thus breaking her other arm. So much for typing with one hand...

.

 

[Moonbear]

We have a PF copter?

Forget about Evo. Can I go on a joy ride?

<shoving Evo aside>

Zz.

Thus breaking her other arm. So much for typing with one hand...

.

Zz, swing by and pick me up on your way to Disney in the 'copter! (Yeah, where else were you planning on joyriding to?)

 

[Evo]

We have a PF copter?

Forget about Evo. Can I go on a joy ride?

<shoving Evo aside>

Zz.

Thus breaking her other arm. So much for typing with one hand...

.

Zz, swing by and pick me up on your way to Disney in the 'copter! (Yeah, where else were you planning on joyriding to?)

Wait, come back!

Well, like I tried to tell the Evo Child, there is nothing they can do for a couple of days. There is internal swelling, and if they decide to cast, they have to wait for the swelling to go down. These types of breaks are handled differently, for some reason. Poor guy that came in right after me had a broken bone on the side of his foot, looked bad, but they weren't casting it either. I know both times I broke my little toe the doctor said, "too bad".

So, pain pills, sling, ice, keep it elevated, and they will call me in two days.

 

[ZapperZ]

I think Janus suggestion might be the best. You need to get an exoskeleton. Know of any friendly cockroaches? :)

On second thought, don't answer that. :)

Zz.

 

[Tsu]

Nice.

Honest to God, Sis. You are so unbelievably HOPELESS!11111 I should have never taught you how to make those green apple martinis...

 

[NoTime]

Nice.

Honest to God, Sis. You are so unbelievably HOPELESS!11111 I should have never taught you how to make those green apple martinis...

Green apple martinis -- good stuff.
Medical necessity now. A couple of those will kill the pain for sure.
Perhaps immobilize her as well so she doesn't do any more damage.

Hope you feel better soon Evo. Heal quickly.

 

[Math Is Hard]

What were you doing walking around without your bubblewrap suit, anyway? You'll never learn.

 

[Kurdt]

I just woke up and was hoping this was all a dream, but sadly it seems very real. Hope you heal quickly Evo. I think we should all band together and get Evo a wheelchair and a mobility scooter, and when she gets her suit fitted I think we should sew her into it like nuns and monks into their habits. Then hopefully this will never happen again.

 

[ZapperZ]

oh no! The PF copter is on it's way!

Nice.

Honest to God, Sis. You are so unbelievably HOPELESS!11111 I should have never taught you how to make those green apple martinis...

Oh, so it is you who is to blame for all this, Tsu?!

:)

Zz.

 

[George Jones]

Evo, I don't know what to say. Please take care of yourself.

Did/do you ever watch The Flintstones?

 

[cristo]

That's terrible news, Evo; I hope it gets better soon. I'm glad the Evo child took you to hospital though!

 

[Evo]

Lovely, I just got a call from the doctor's office saying they just looked at my x-rays again and it appears to be a REALLY BAD fracture (gee, no kidding) and NOT TO MOVE IT! They don't know what to do though yet, so I am supposed to NOT MOVE IT until I hear back from them. I told the nurse I CAN'T MOVE IT, because there is so much pain and swelling.

 

[rewebster]

"Ms. Glass"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unbreakable_(film))

(you're not a villain though)

 

[berkeman]

Which bone? Radius, ulna, humerus?

 

[Evo]

Which bone? Radius, ulna, humerus?

They didn't say.

 

[berkeman]

They didn't say.

LOL. If you look at your palm, your ulna is pinky side of your lower arm, your radius is thumb side of your lower arm, and your humerus is your upper arm. Where does it hurt? How did you smack your arm -- on the side or compression like you caught yourself with your hand when you fell?

 

[Evo]

I broke the ulna last year. It's the joint, so no telling. I fell full weight on my extended arm, palm down, CRAACK, that all too familiar jolt of pain and inability to move that says "arm's broken again!"

 

[Monique]

How do you sleep with a broken arm? I'd think it's rather impossible to even sit on the couch in that situation

These types of breaks are handled differently, for some reason. Poor guy that came in right after me had a broken bone on the side of his foot, looked bad, but they weren't casting it either. I know both times I broke my little toe the doctor said, "too bad".

Or in my case where I break my foot, they tell me it is not broken, six months later I still can not walk on it and then X-rays show that it had been broken one year later the injury was still acting up. At least I could've taken some sick leave or slowed down a little.

 

[lisab]

Which bone? Radius, ulna, humerus?

Yes.

 

[Evo]

How do you sleep with a broken arm? I'd think it's rather impossible to even sit on the couch in that situation
Or in my case where I break my foot, they tell me it is not broken, six months later I still can not walk on it and then X-rays show that it had been broken one year later the injury was still acting up. At least I could've taken some sick leave or slowed down a little.

Is it any better? I remember when you were having that pain from standing on a broken foot all day.

Get this, my elbow has been broken twice before and is crooked, and their x-ray technician did not even notice.

 

[rootX]

Get this, my elbow has been broken twice before and is crooked, and their x-ray technician did not even notice.

Shouldn't there be any action against those technicians? It seems like they make these mistakes too often (same thing happened to my mom - only once).

 

[mgb_phys]

Get this, my elbow has been broken twice before and is crooked, and their x-ray technician did not even notice.

The X-ray tech's responsibilty is to check the film is ok - not to make any medical diagnosis. In the USA they are probably explicitly told NOT to say anything in case that is construed as medical advice and you sue them.

ps. Sorry about your arm. I would have commiserated earlier but I asumed this was an old thread. I thought you were you supposed to be being careful now!

 

[Evo]

The X-ray tech's responsibilty is to check the film is ok - not to make any medical diagnosis. In the USA they are probably explicitly told NOT to say anything in case that is construed as medical advice and you sue them.

ps. Sorry about your arm. I would have commiserated earlier but I asumed this was an old thread. I thought you were you supposed to be being careful now!

Yes, I am on the phone, they just said, "oh, we don't know if a radiologist has seen it yet". Well, let me tell you, I can see the bone pressing against the skin and can feel it moving. That might be an indication of a break.

And my car was totaled when some teenaged girl ran a red light and hit my daughter while she was driving through an intersection, so she was going to let me borrow her car until I get a new one, but her car is a STICK SHIFT. Well, there's this little inconvenient thing about not being able to move my arm, because it won't bend.

And the doctor's office has two locations, the after hours one where I had the x-rays done, will not transfer the x-rays to where my doctor is. Nor will they fax the radiologist's report. If one exists. And they bent that policy before, because "they" wanted the report.

I am about to have a STROKE.

 

[rewebster]

Shouldn't there be any action against those technicians? It seems like they make these mistakes too often (same thing happened to my mom - only once).

I had a broken right fifth metacarpal one time --it's the small finger, the break was in the palm area--its called a 'boxer's break--from a fight. I had it re-cast about three times, and the x-rays kept showing that it still wasn't healing and 'in place' after about 5 weeks if I remember right. The doctor said that it should be pinned in place, otherwise 'bad' things could happen. He set up a surgery time and told me get get one last x-ray before the surgery.

He used a Bier block--that's where they put a tourniquet on around the upper arm and anesthetize the lower part of the arm. Part of the process to get to the bone was they have to 'split' the tendon on the upper part of the hand--that 'ribbon' that pops up when you raise your fingers upward. He got to the bone (I was awake) and he said that the bone seemed to be healing in place.

I said, "Didn't the x-ray show that?"

He said, "What x-ray?"

I said, "The x-ray that I brought in with me."

He turned around and opened the envelope with the x-ray, looked at it, told one of the residents to 'close', and walked out of the room.

The tendon that he split (he later said that it may 'hurt' for a while--'maybe a couple years') scar tissued down against the bone, and still after 25 years still hurts when I write, type, work with my right hand --I'm 'right-handed'.

so, there's my excuse for doing 'typos'--(and not doing much with the guitar either anymore.)

I forgot--moral of the story:
be careful who the doctor is, and talk to him/her about EVERYTHING!

 

[Evo]

I had a broken right fifth metacarpal one time --it's the small finger, the break was in the palm area--its called a 'boxer's break--from a fight. I had it re-cast about three times, and the x-rays kept showing that it still wasn't healing and 'in place' after about 5 weeks if I remember right. The doctor said that it should be pinned in place, otherwise 'bad' things could happen. He set up a surgery time and told me get get one last x-ray before the surgery.

He used a Bier block--that's where they put a tourniquet on around the upper arm and anesthetize the lower part of the arm. Part of the process to get to the bone was they have to 'split' the tendon on the upper part of the hand--that 'ribbon' that pops up when you raise your fingers upward. He got to the bone (I was awake) and he said that the bone seemed to be healing in place.

I said, "Didn't the x-ray show that?"

He said, "What x-ray?"

I said, "The x-ray that I brought in with me."

He turned around and opened the envelope with the x-ray, looked at it, told one of the residents to 'close', and walked out of the room.

The tendon that he split (he later said that it may 'hurt' for a while--'maybe a couple years') scar tissued down against the bone, and still after 25 years still hurts when I write, type, work with my right hand --I'm 'right-handed'.

So, there's my excuse for doing 'typos'.

I just tried taking a picture of my "finger that was not broken that now looks like this ^. The "radiologist" couldn't dfind the break for 3 months. Probably because it was multiple fractures, including a spiral fracture and pieces of the bone had been chipped off. The broken finger next to it faired a bit better, it's just a little crooked.

I should have gone to the ER and paid the $125 co-pay and had more experioenced people work on my arm. Noooo, I went to to the "Urgent Care" clinic with the trained monkeys instead.

 

[rewebster]

yep--


---and don't worry about your typos

 

[Monique]

Is it any better? I remember when you were having that pain from standing on a broken foot all day.

It took a very long time to get better, I still can not walk on shoes with heels for some reason, that really hurts. About two months ago it really started acting up again, I had to put ice packs on it any time I sat down to keep the inflammation down (probably damaged my tendons). If I just had rested for two weeks, or walked with a crutch continuously it would have healed fine, but they told me to keep walking on it and not use crutches in hindsight it was just too stupid for words (especially since I was working all through the weekends, instead of taking some rest). Oh well, it doesn't compare to what you have to go through

 

[Redbelly98]

Wow. Just looking through today's new posts and came across this. Wow. Hope things start healing soon but looks like it's going to take a while. Wow.

 

[Tsu]

Has she been posting anywhere today or is she off getting her arm fixed? All we need now is bubble wrap and duct tape. That'll fix 'er.

 

[turbo]

Has she been posting anywhere today or is she off getting her arm fixed? All we need now is bubble wrap and duct tape. That'll fix 'er.

Send her up here. I'll splint her with some sticks and baling twine (no frou-frou casts!) and she can live in the junked Olds Rocket 88 down back near the beaver bog (no old GMC pickup or Ford station wagon for Evo - the other two accommodations available - she gets the presidential suite). I'll chain her up and give her enough slack so she can get out to take care of "natural" functions. If she's good and doesn't re-injure herself, she'll get regular food, water, etc. When she's healed up, I'll ship her back (after the garden is weeded and next winter's wood is cut and split). I don't take payment from major health-care plans, but the Maine redneck barter system should defray costs as long as she pays for the air-fare, gas, etc. I haven't had the Rocket 88 rented out for a while so I can afford to give up that revenue stream for the sake of a PF sister. By the time she's ambulatory, I expect the garden to be weed-free, then we'll start on the firewood. The turbo-spa will whip her into fighting trim in just a couple of months.

 

[Redbelly98]

Has she been posting anywhere today or is she off getting her arm fixed?

Seems to have been active all day, up until 2 hours ago (5:30 pm Eastern USA time):

https://www.physicsforums.com/search.php?searchid=1215460

Hmm, there is a mysterious absence from PF between 11 pm last night and 9 am this morning. I wonder what possible legitimate reason could explain this! OMG, this is just like the gap in the Nixon tapes.

 

[rewebster]

Seems to have been active all day, up until 2 hours ago (5:30 pm Eastern USA time):

https://www.physicsforums.com/search.php?searchid=1215460

Hmm, there is a mysterious absence from PF between 11 pm last night and 9 am this morning. I wonder what possible legitimate reason could explain this! OMG, this is just like the gap in the Nixon tapes.

well, she may have been on a date (with that x-ray tech)?