FrankenElbow

I saw my orthopedic surgeon today to have my staples removed. A student doctor removed them a little hesitantly and a couple just didn't want to come out. The doc said my incision looked beautiful. I'll let you be the judge. I guess when I'm brave enough to clean off all the dried blood it won't be quite so bad. There is still a lot of swelling and bruising, but I guess the incision itself does look pretty good.

He started wrapping my arm with a roll of white fuzzy stuff and I asked what he was doing to me. I was mostly just suprised that he didn't clean my arm before he wrapped it. He told me he was going to put me in a new clean splint and then he said, "Wait a minute. I don't do this for most people, because most people don't listen to me. But, I think you'll listen to me." He left the room and came back with an elastic tube, slid it on my arm and told me to keep my sling on all the time, even in bed and to try to keep it in that position as much as possible. He said that would allow some movement, but not much. I'm not to use my arm until I see him next. I'll have to go back in three weeks to start therapy, or as he said, to "start moving this thing."

I love the fact that I can take the tube off to shower and I can get my arm in tops that I couldn't get that log of a cast in (goodbye baggy t-shirts, hello warm sweaters!), but there are definitely some trade-offs. The cast offered protection and support that I don't have now. My elbow hurts going over bumps in the car, with very slight movement and when it is touched. I'm going to have to be especially careful with my grandson, my dogs and door frames (yes, I'm clumsy). I tried moving my arm both up and down and it just won't do it. That is a very strange feeling. I'm sure it will get better over the next three weeks, but therapy is going to HURT!

I had a good look at my incision in the mirror when I got home and had my son take the photos above. I'm not sure why, maybe just the cast, but my wrist and hand are really bruised and swollen. I should have had him photograph it next to my left hand to show the difference. The lightest color in the image is my usual winter skin color.

I'm hoping it will be a looooong time before I fall again and I'm going to do my best to stay as far away from the hospital as I can. I'm not looking forward to therapy or to the bills that are headed my way.

I did learn today that the bone I fractured is called the olecranon (O-Leck-Ra-Non).

Isn't life just a little too interesting sometimes?