Anything again

[Hopalong]

You don't need a MRI? I might worry about concussion but imagine the arm pain is so nasty all the other bits are a distraction.

What a miserable event, that you will stubbornly survive until not too long from now, you'll be thriving fully again.

Did the ER give you any hint of average healing time for this kind of break? My rib has taken a couple months but feels normal again.

Hope sleep positioning gets less miserable faster.

hugs and comfort,
Hops

[sKePTiKal]

 Since this is just a crack in the bone, after the cast, it'll likely be 6 weeks. I have a couple questions for tomorrow. Head only has the ugly bruise and tender spots - doesn't hurt. Arm - unless I forget & move wrong - only is achy most of the time. Swelling is way down.

Hol has been pretty good - not hovering, mother-henning. Gives me plenty of solitude time. But has really done the things I simply can't do right now. Chopped my 3 basic veg's I use in eggs, italian sausage, tacos, etc. So I can cook. I usually have soup for lunch... and the first day, couldn't open the pop top with my left hand. Claw part of a hammer solved that. Brushing teeth left handed still feels "wrong".

I have a pretty good tolerance for some types of pain. I ain't bragging coz some types curl me up into fetal position right quick! The consequences right now, are that I'm more tired than normal - but I'm reading a good epic saga & sleeping well. I've iced most of this week, and have tried heat, which right now only seems to increase achiness. The back & body aspirin, 3x a day has been all I've been taking for pain. Trying to wean myself down to just 2 a day (bedtime is important). But that might not happen till the cast is in place.

Tired of sitting all day. Yes, I've navigated the demon steps a few times since... B & I both have issues. I think the carpet is part of the problem (we can't rebuild the stairs because of in-swinging exterior door). Still have business stuff to attend to next week - I've let that settle because it's been an absolute bugger all year, and we all need a break from  it.

Hol & I will run errands after cast appt tomorrow and I've already done the winter stock up. In good shape around here.

[sKePTiKal]

Well, orthopedist recommended surgery for plate & screws, for a more reliable outcome. Did that yesterday morning at OMG-thirty AM. An hour away. He gave me a nerve block in that arm, so I felt absolutely NOTHING yesterday or last night. Low dose oxy & acetaminaphen which I halved the dose to see what it was like... how bad pain was when I got feeling back. I think, since it's just achy again, I'm going back to the aspirin. Works better & doesn't make me half loopy. That's just inviting another accident.

So, achy I can deal with. Hol needs some time off to deal with her stuff - I'm not really restricted after this first week (nothing heavier than my coffee cup and no soaking in water) so it's my call what to try/punt on. Glad I went this way instead of messing with the cast.

Last night my arm was Mr. Flopsie Mopsie - nerve block meant I had no muscles essentially. That was weird. I'll take aches over that any day.

[Hopalong]

Well, sounds like you've got a good but not pushy doc, who respects your choices.
That's a lot of aspirin for the gut...hope it comes in enteric form. But good on you, you're obviously healing and will be back to your lumberjill hobbies in no time. Or, not much time.

I just took a friend home from her cardioversion appt (afib) and had my own dermatology zap-a-precancer thing done while she was getting through sedation. All went well for both of us. I may look like Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer for a couple weeks, but a bandaid will do it.

Tgiving I'm going to C's place, where he and his daughters and their mates are doing up dinner. My offerings aren't home-made but seemed like a fun idea: "Stuffing rolls" that include savory stuffing ingredients like onions and celery and lemon bars to contribute to dessert. I decided not to join them in the hot air balloon as space is limited and I'd have trouble standing in the basket for an hour or so without back spasms. C says he and I can do it on our own in the spring (I'll take a camp chair or something).

I'm relaxing into this relationship and really liking not feeling alone in the world. C's made it very clear he loves me and loves being helpful. He's TOO helpful at times so I back off for a bit, but it's better than being UNhelpful. He's really a good person and so far we're meshing pretty well for total personality opposites.

Pup is walking all over me to see if he missed any crumbs...

hugs
Hops

[sKePTiKal]

Bit of a bump in the road.

Bandage and arm were feeling a bit - shabby & dirty. It's a softer fabric than an ace bandage so putting sleeves on/off shreds it. So yesterday morning I unwrapped it with an eye to having Hol rewrap it. She's got great hands, having tattoo'd for years. And a little fresh air wouldn't hurt the healing either.

Except when I got it unwrapped, the thread for the stitches was loose and incision pulled apart. This was just the top layer of skin - there are deeper stitches around the bone. Good thing I don't freak out but I was WAS shocked & we had just enough time for Hol to come carefully wrap it & take me back to ER to deal with it before her appt.

Well, protocol between doc/hospital meant surgeon had to drive in and decide. That took over an hour. But sure enough he was there, saw what happened (somehow thread was cut) and he fixed it & rewrapped it. It was a sheer accident. I didn't do anything wrong - and it got missed in the original bandaging. And it was a damn good thing I unwrapped it - otherwise I'd have had an open wound for weeks... and you KNOW that would've been infected. Now I'm on a short round of ABs, too.

There is no pain to speak of. I've got full range of motion in my fingers and am using one of Knuckle's balls to rotate my arm gently on a flat surface. Let's me gently exercise my grip too. Sleeping is the worst; I do wear my splint over the bandage at night - because I'm just not in my body while sleeping. I could bang my arm on something.

Hol is wiped out. Yesterday was supposed to be her day off from "babysitting"; I was well set. She did sleep long/well the night before... but one look at her, and I kicked her out around 7:30.

I've gotta make a run to the bank in person in the next few days. Silly rule - but it makes sense from a security perspective, given all the internet disruption and hacking going on. Might wait till Monday. And I have to reschedule my haircut.

[sKePTiKal]

OH! and B is coming home the last weekend of the month.