A Minor Setback

I can always count on life to be interesting.  This particular variety comes in the form of a minor injury – it absolutely could have been much worse.  The good news is that I’m pretty darn self-sufficient; the bad news is that I cannot weave.  And likely not for many weeks.

Two weekends ago I was out running with friends when I tripped and fell.  Because I didn’t want to crack my head open on a looming chunk of concrete, I threw my arm out and WHAM – I cracked my radial head.  This is the tip of one of the two bones in the forearm, closest to the elbow.  I also managed to lacerate my knee pretty spectacularly (not an abrasion! upgraded to laceration!) but that’s trivial.  A trip to Urgent Care, and x-ray and this:

you can just see the fracture on the interior of the elbow – go diagonally upward from the little arrow and you can see the bone fragment.  They put me in a splint that ran from mid-palm to mid-bicep, gave me a prescription for painkillers (thank goodness I have friends in the medical profession who gave advice in this department) and a referral to the Orthopedic Surgeon with orders to call that coming Monday.  Then they left me to it.

The earliest available appointment was that coming Friday.  I allowed myself a single consultation with Dr. Google, and then all I could do was think about it.  It was painful.  It was uncomfortable.  Small wins included being able to tie my shoes, cover the splint with a garbage bag so that I could shower and buttoning my pants.  I’d read prognoses that went from 1-2 weeks of immobilization all the way to surgery that included pins and plates.  Honestly, it was *awful*.

Then Friday came around and I saw the doc.  The nurse removed the splint as soon as I hit the exam room (scary!) and the next thing I knew, the doc came in, asked a few questions, poked and prodded; “Does this hurt?  This?  Raise your arm.  Make a fist.  Wiggle your fingers.  Well, this looks great.  Here’s your order for PT, make a follow-up appointment next week, don’t lift anything heavy and stop falling down.”  What?  That’s all?  We’re done?  HALLELUJAH!  So I ran right home and started doing this:

He said it’s good therapy.  I also made pie.  I may not be able to weave, but I sure can be ready for the day they let me start.

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