Lessons learned from breaking a bone

Left: after 1 week; right: 2 weeks in

The lessons learned from breaking a bone

The only bones I had broken before January 6 of this year were toes and maybe hairline fractures on fingers (learning basketball after 40 could have caused those).

Then I tripped, fell sideways and heard CRACK! I hoped it was my phone. I felt terrible, couldn’t get up, and got to ride in an ambulance for the first time (noticing the good looking firemen once my blood pressure went back up). An adventure I could have done without… but any experience should move us forward in some way.

I had broken my right collarbone. As fractures go, that is not the worst one. There is no need for a cast — how would you do it, anyway? The treatment consists of a sling and limited movement.

The pain wasn’t too bad as long as I didn’t move the offending arm, the one attached to my collarbone. I fainted a couple of times. At the ER, I was offered morphine! OxyContin! by the doctor, as if it were candy. I demurred and accepted a strongish NSAID. As I understand it, in France, it’s the other way around. First you get minimal painkillers, and only if you are really, really, really hurting, do they (grudgingly) offer you the big guns!

Anyway, many painful x-rays, 5 hours in the ER, and begging 3 people for at least a cracker, we were able to leave the hospital (with a souvenir small box of tissues).

I looked up the healing process. Apparently the collarbone is nested in muscles that hold it, removing the need for a cast. And the bone heals itself, as long as you are careful. At the beginning, the new bone is very soft.

That’s when the learning experience started. I had never given too much thought to the way my different body parts work together. I was so worried about not moving my collarbone that even stretching my legs appeared dangerous, as I could feel it in my shoulders.

If I had been alone, I don’t know how I would have been able to get dressed, feed myself, wash, for the first week. After that, I found either which clothing items I had with me that had buttons, or that were at least very loose and stretchy; I learned to rely on my left arm and hand (I am right-handed); and not to worry about how I looked.

By the 10th day, I was getting more range of motion, and became more independent. The physician’s assistant told me I could start doing some exercises with my right side, as long as I didn’t carry anything over 2 lb (even that seemed too heavy) and didn’t try to do anything involving pressure. I still sleep on my back with a couple of firm pillows.

Almost a month in, I am feeling blessed to be almost independent again, and very grateful for all my body parts! What an incredible piece of machinery we have.

Orlando in the early morning

I am also grateful to the emergency and medical staff I found in Orlando!