I fractured my elbow!

[justjulia]

I''m guessing 6 weeks with a light brace for 2 more after that. That''s what my son did.
He did it late winter falling backwards in a soccer game and catching himself with an extended arm. OUCH.

 

[soocool]

Poor Haven!

I know what you're going through as I fractured my left elbow earlier this year. I was carrying a bowl of ice cream in my right hand and I tripped over my dog (dark room/black dog). In trying to save the ice cream I landed on my left elbow on a tiled floor. I was in a cast for 6 weeks. Luckily, I have a very high tolerance for pain so extra strength Tylenol (for some reason ibuprofen/motrin is not good to take for pain while healing. interferes with the healing process acc to the doctor) was fine. I also iced the area above the cast & shoulder as there is where it began to ache after awhile and the cold seemed to help. DH rubbing neck and shoulder helped also.

I did make sure once the cast was off and the doctor said it was ok I did some easy exercises to get the strength back in that arm.

Hope you're feeling better soon!

 

[dani13]

So sorry to hear this, Haven!!! Feel better soon, sweetie!!!!

 

[sevens one]

Geez I''m so sorry

 

[GoingCrazy29]

I broke my left elbow when I was 9 falling out of a tree. I had a cast up to my shoulder for 4 weeks I think (maybe longer), then I was in a sling for awhile too. When I was in my sling I just had to be careful not to put any pressure on it.

Apparently only a few cases of broken elbows don''t require surgery (from what my doctor told me 20 years ago)- so count yourself lucky!

I hope you heal quickly!

 

[Bliss]

OMG! I am so sorry! Feel better!!!

Most people automatically think calcium for bones, but make sure you take your vitamins. Vitamin C helps promote healthy bones and all the tissue surrounding it, too!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

So sorry, Haven!!! Definitely use something for pain, even if it is just Tylenol! Those kind of pain pills make me sick, but do try them if you have too much pain. I hate it when accidents happen on a Friday and you have to wait until Monday to see the doctor!

 

[Fly Girl]

So sorry to hear about your elbow, Haven.

I fell while ice skating about 12 years ago now, and broke the radial head in my right arm and sprained both wrists. Saved my face, so I suppose that was good. I remember doing physical therapy fairly soon afterwards (within a couple of weeks, or so) because they were concerned about the elbow freezing. I broke my elbow on Super Bowl Sunday, and a few weeks later I remember trying to bend the elbow enough to get a Valentine''s chocolate to my mouth. My little girl said, "Do you want me to help you with the chocolate, Mommy?", and DH saying, "No, don''t, she has plenty of incentive." It was pretty funny, and I did manage to bend the elbow enough to eat the chocoate.

Today, I have full range of motion in that arm, but the elbow is a bit crooked compared to my other arm. I hope you heal up well, and what a miserable way to begin the summer. You have my sympathies!

 

[kittybean]

Hey Haven!

I hope you are doing okay, darling! I''m sorry to hear about your fall. You''ve probably already heard this, but R-I-C-E was my athletic trainer''s motto: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. So try to wrap your elbow, keep it elevated, ice it for 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off (then repeat), and get some rest!

Hope you get well soon and are back to the summer sports. My FI and I are taking dance lessons at the moment (will dance lessons happen at the Haven at some point

?). It''s fun to learn a new sport, especially in the summer!

Let''s stay in touch this summer, Haven--maybe I will somehow find you on Facebook (no idea how).

GET WELL, FRIEND!

 

[gwendolyn]

Oh my gosh, sweetie, that sounds so incredibly painful! I am so sorry you''re hurting, and that this is how you''re kicking off your summer vacation!

Hopefully you will be feeling better soon, and if you''re hesitant to take the prescription painkillers, maybe you could start with something over the counter to ease yourself into taking them? The thought of you just enduring the pain for at least 6 more weeks without anything to dull the pain makes me want to cry for you!

 

[Haven]

Thank you (x 3) EVERYONE for your kind thoughts and great advice! I am definitely going to use it and start eating super healthy, RICEing, and using my arm whenever possible. And I did take the vicodin before bed last night, that *really* helped. DH bought Ibuprofen for me for the daytime, too.

We went to a roller derby bout last night and it made me really look forward to getting back on my skates, so it was great motivation to heal well.

I''m hoping to get an appt with the orthopedist tomorrow, so I''ll update then. I have this hope that the ER doc was incorrect and I don''t really have a break. (I know, I''m an eternal optimist.)

One more question for everyone who has broken something in an arm--could you drive one-handed? I''m going to try driving around the block today, but I''m a bit scared. I start teaching summer school in a week, though, so I guess I''ll have to make it work!

Kittybean--We will DEFINITELY have dance classes at the Haven!

(Oy. This just took seven minutes to type out!)

 

[April20]

Haven, when I broke my thumb, I ended up having to have surgery to repair it and was in a cast for a week or two. My car at the time was a manual and I could not drive it one handed. I think if it had been an automatic, I could have done it.

You might want to check the driving laws in your state. I had a work friend that got a really nasty break in her upper arm skiing one year and was in a cast for months. If I remember correctly, it was actually illegal for her to drive while in a cast. I never knew that and I don't know if it varies from state to state, but you might want to check it out just in case.

ETA: I love roller derby! I went to a bout a year or so ago and it was blast! Those girls are tough.

 

[strmrdr]

prayers continue!!!!

 

[Lilac]

Ohh, I''m so sorry, Haven! It really isn''t fun especially in the summer

- but hopefully it''ll heal quickly and you won''t have to be in a cast the entire summer! I really hope your doctor appointment goes well and you feel better soon!!

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

How rotten! I dunno what I''d do if I couldn''t lift a wine galss.....

Get better soon!

cheers--Sharon

 

[Lauren8211]

Yuck!

Ouchie, Haven! Sorry you fractured your elbow!

Feel better soon!!

 

[princesss]

Awww, Haven, I''m sorry.

***Healing Dust*** is on its way over to you.

 

[geckodani]

Oh no Haven! Owie owie owie!

I''ve driven one handed with a sprained wrist, but I wouldn''t reccomend it for long drives!

 

[Kaleigh]

Haven hoping you get to see the orthopedist tomorrow or maybe today? And here''s to hoping the ER doc was wrong, you can always hope right?? Good luck!!!

 

[Beacon]

Oh no! I am so sorry to hear of your accident. Make sure you get really through medical advice so your elbow heals up properly. Gosh, I am really sorry it happened.

 

[CJ2008]

Oh, no! Get better soon, Haven!

 

[joflier]

Good luck at the orthopedist today. Hopefully they''ll say it''ll be a quick heal.

 

[loriken214]

Date: 6/1/2009 10:49:14 AM
Author: geckodani
Oh no Haven! Owie owie owie!

I''ve driven one handed with a sprained wrist, but I wouldn''t reccomend it for long drives!

Me, too! How are you feeling today? Please take your pain medicine when you need it!

Lori

 

[Ellen]

Hoping for good news Haven!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 6/1/2009 4:07:05 PM
Author: Ellen
Hoping for good news Haven!

Ditto

 

[Dreamgirl]

Awww. Well I hope you get to feeling better soon!

 

[vetrik]

Ouch - so sorry about your fall!

I fractured the femoral head of my left elbow in an ice skating incident 2 years ago. I was fortunate in that mine was really not too bad, I think because I never actually landed on my elbow. I landed on the palm of my hand when I fell, and the impact was so hard that it jarred my entire arm and fractured my elbow.

I had to wear a removable cast that covered from my fingers almost up to my shoulder for 2 weeks. I only took it off to change and shower. My doctor wrote me out from work, and I did not drive during that time. They also prescribed me vicodin. I hate taking medication, and almost never take anything, but I did take one for the first two nights and they helped a lot. I don't think I would have slept otherwise!

I also wanted to ditto everyone to follow any instructions for therapy/recovery! My fracture wasn't even that bad, and they didn't send me for any physical therapy. However, I still found that it was a good 6 months to a year before my arm was back to normal strength when I was carrying and lifting things.

I hope your recovery is quick and you are able to avoid surgery!

 

[Haven]

Oh, your kind thoughts and great advice are so very much appreciated, everyone. Thank you!

SO . . . the ER doc was wrong. He thought that I fractured my olecranon.
The good news? The olecranon is just fine.
The bad news? I fractured my radial head. It is so clear in the x-ray that I can''t believe the ER doc missed it.

The Ortho doc said that my radius likely compressed upon impact (he likened it to crushing a soda can) and that caused a fracture all the way through the bone.

Alas, I can definitely see the fracture in the x-rays now, so I can''t hang on to that hope that the doc is wrong.

This particular doctor doesn''t cast or splint elbow fractures, he only puts them in a sling as needed and encourages as much movement as possible. He said that they see stiff elbows with severely limited motion when they cast, so no cast for me. That''s just fine, as far as I''m concerned.

He also prescribed OT or PT to begin in one week. DH is an OT and an MAT Specialist, and he is really against starting therapy so soon, so we''ll see. DH also freaked out because the ortho doc forced my arm into total supination even though it made me cry. He was assessing my ROM and for whatever reason he told me to let him move my arm into supination no matter how badly it hurt. And, it hurt--the tears started pouring out almost immediately. DH wants to get another x-ray of my elbow to make sure that the movement didn''t force my radial head to separate at the break. He''s really worked up about it, but I think he''s just being overprotective.

Anyway, I asked the doc when I can be back on my skates and he said 6 to 8 weeks, but that I can run and bike now, so that''s good!

I also called our local police dept and they said it''s legal to drive as long as I can safely operate the vehicle, so I''m going to practice in the neighborhood to see how I do.

SO, that''s my story. The pain has gone from a 9 to a 6, so I''m really happy about that. Here''s hoping that it keeps getting better each day! Oh, and I''ve become really competent with my left hand, especially with typing, so there''s a positive!

Thanks again, everyone. I feel like such a dork for injuring myself on the first day of summer, but your kind thoughts have been so comforting. Thank you!

 

[strmrdr]

prayers continue for fast healing!!

 

[jstarfireb]

Glad to hear things are going better! I''ve never broken my elbow, but I fractured my left wrist while rollerblading on the first nice day of the year during my junior year of high school. It eventually healed nicely, but I had to wear a long-arm cast for 6 weeks. The worst part was that I was the piano accompanist for my school''s 3 choirs, and it happened about a month before the concert. Not cool at all!