The Not-So-Funny Funny Bone
As mentioned, I walk three miles most mornings with my neighbor. It’s been a great way to keep active and get out of doors, especially now that the weather is nice in the desert southwest. On November 11th - a day some consider lucky since it’s 11-11 - I got my feet tangled in some overgrown plants on the sidewalk about mid-way through the walk and started to fall. Unlucky! In my head, I was shouting, “No, no, no,” though I think it came out of my mouth more like “sh#*t!” This was not good for various reasons, not the least of which was the hip replacement I’d had years before. They put some serious fear in you about falling and even teach you how to roll when you fall to protect your hardware.
Remarkably, in the moment, I remembered my training and did the role as best I could. This may have protected my hips, but it devastated my elbow.
Living in a smaller town means having a fairly small ER, so once again, I was sent to the city to be admitted into an orthopedic surgery specialty hospital. I was beyond miserable. My arm was swelling and turning all manner of blue and black, and my body hurt as well. Plus, I was mad. It’s starting to feel like I’m on a once-every-six-month inpatient rhythm - not a schedule anyone wants to be on! The only positive was that it was not my dominant arm! Maybe that’s a bit of luck.
Anyway, surgery was needed and scheduled for the next day. The surgery itself went well, though the bandage was wrapped too tightly for the amount of swelling that I experienced, and there was tissue damage on my arm. Having so much blood leave my vessels and go into the skin gave me fairly serious anemia, so even after I might have been released from the surgery, they kept me to make sure my blood levels improved. Eventually, I got a transfusion, and they sent me home the next day - a week after I’d been admitted.
If you are hospitalized due to a fall, they put an alarm on your bed so you can’t get up without the nurses knowing about it. This is frustrating but useful when they are not answering the call button - swing your legs over and set off the alarm. Many healthcare clinics and hospitals are understaffed, and folks are overworked, so I always try to give them a break. That said, when you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go!
Now, I go to physical therapy three times a week, where they work on the scar tissue and my range of motion. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been excellent in helping heal the tissue and take down the swelling and bruising. And otherwise, it’s just patience. It takes time to heal a broken bone like this one. I miss being able to touch the side of my face. I hate the pain I have to endure at physical therapy. But I know that eventually, things will be pretty close to normal.
I’m back to walking. I went into the business that controls the parking lot where I fell and told them about what happened, asking them to trim the weeds to prevent anyone else from falling. My husband has been an angel helping me through this challenging injury. And I had a great holiday with my family. I hope you had a great few days, too. And I hope you stay balanced and upright!
“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
We have a bookshop store HERE where you can find books Linda has read or that look helpful for folks dealing with chronic diseases of various kinds. You may see links to those books in the text of our blog posts. We do get a small financial reward if you purchase a book through the shop, but the price to you is the same. It also helps support independent booksellers. Thanks!
This blog post is based on personal experiences and is not meant to provide medical advice.
Always consult your healthcare professional for personalized guidance on your health journey.
