Weather.... late 2009

[Lori S.]

... a clean break called someone's fracture.

Colles?  (I was looking into such things the other night.)

I was plastered for 8 weeks (what a lovely thought )

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks Lori. Colles looks right or rather, sounds right. Don't think I saw it written down. I just turned quickly in my sitting room, somehow caught my foot on the carpet and went down. Put my hand out to break the fall and SNAP. The same sound as when you snap your thumb and middle finger together. I knew instantly that it was broken. That was back in the halcyon days when you didn't have to wait for ages before someone noticed you in the waiting room at the hospital.

[cohan]

Lori I think your break must be much worse than mine was, back in 1979. It was a clean break called someone's fracture. Can't remember who the someone was. I was plastered for 8 weeks (what a lovely thought ) but the day after the plaster came off I was carrying full cans of water to water my seeds so the healing was very good. Never a suggestion of pain from it since even in horrid weather when Roger's ankle break of 40 years ago plays up "something awful." I do wish you well with yours. A chair by the fire is probably the best place with winter arrived.

mine was a bit messy too--first went to the nearest hospital, where it was cast, but not really straightened or anything... when i went back after a week as requested, got a second doctor, who didnt like the look of it  and sent me to a bigger hospital in the nearest city,, they decided i needed surgery, which meant laying about half a day waiting for an overnight sugerybed; after my ride had gone back home, they decided to do it the next day as a day surgery instead, so sent me off again, back the next day to be put out completely as they re-broke and inserted a pin--luckily i had no idea how long that pin was til they pulled it out weeks later!
i was never able to use that hand at all for the entire healing period, which i've mercifully already forgotten--4weeks? interstingly, they didnt restart the clock after the re-break and surgery...

[Lori S.]

Yikes, what a lot of rigamarole!  The "rebreaking" bit sounds fairly appalling too.  
I suppose I might be in the same situation too... I'm just supposed to get there at 6:30 am and "get in the queue", I gather!

EDIT: Well, to clarify, I was told I'd get bumped if there were emergencies, which is certainly reasonable...

[johnw]

Lori I think your break must be much worse than mine was, back in 1979. It was a clean break called someone's fracture. Can't remember who the someone was. I was plastered for 8 weeks (what a lovely thought ) but the day after the plaster came off I was carrying full cans of water to water my seeds so the healing was very good. Never a suggestion of pain from it since even in horrid weather when Roger's ankle break of 40 years ago plays up "something awful." I do wish you well with yours. A chair by the fire is probably the best place with winter arrived.

mine was a bit messy too--first went to the nearest hospital, where it was cast, but not really straightened or anything... when i went back after a week as requested, got a second doctor, who didnt like the look of it  and sent me to a bigger hospital in the nearest city,, they decided i needed surgery, which meant laying about half a day waiting for an overnight sugerybed; after my ride had gone back home, they decided to do it the next day as a day surgery instead, so sent me off again, back the next day to be put out completely as they re-broke and inserted a pin--luckily i had no idea how long that pin was til they pulled it out weeks later!
i was never able to use that hand at all for the entire healing period, which i've mercifully already forgotten--4weeks? interstingly, they didnt restart the clock after the re-break and surgery...

Sounds like my friend's experience, she broke it in Prague and had it set in the hospital there. The next week a Doctor friend who was away at the time saw it, x-rayed and and re-set and pinned it himself.

When she returned to Nova Scotia all was fine until several years later when the screws had to be removed. They didn't have the exact tools here with a peculiar bit head, the med system even arranged to send her to Prague for removal which would have cost an already taxed system a bundle.  In complete frustration she suggested maybe the screwdriver bit could be sent to Halifax which was done as a simple procedure, the bit returned for the cost of postage.  

johnw

[Lesley Cox]

My God! People say the NZ health system is in disarray but maybe we're not so bad after all. My break was set by an immigrant Polish doctor and for some reason he had a reputation as a bit of a quack and when I said who'd set it, people kept commiserating and say "oh you poor thing, it will always be a problem" and other like comments. But in the event, I was very happy. The Polish doctor is still there in the Tmaruhospital and highly thought of now, even affectionately I believe.

[cohan]

my surgery ended up being more than a week after the original fracture--first off, i didnt go to the hospital the same day...lol (btw, i broke it pruning an apple tree when the ladder fell, and it was wrist and arm, i think...) then the follow up doctor then surgeon in another place the next day, and actual surgery day after that!
the part i was never exactly sure about: it was all about the angle the wrist was at, and while they all seemed sure the initial doctor had not corrected it it had still somehow gone from beeing out by 15deg to being out by 9 by the time of the surgery (those numbers may be totally off, i dont really remember, but the idea is that after a week in the cast that supposedly didnt correct it, it seemed to be noticeably corrected compared to the original x-ray..oh well, they seemed to think i needed the surgery; it was unclear whether it was to be a screw or a pin-really a wire, surprisingly long--when i saw it come out i realised why any movement was uncomfortable...lol

all sounds unpleasant, but they put me right out for the surgery so i felt nothing, and pulling the wire out felt like nothing, surprisingly..
good luck with the surgery, lori...

[Maggi Young]

Crikey! I hope the snowy weather has abated somewhat, because after these tales of broken limbs and assorted troubles, poor Lori is most probably heading for the hills in fear!


 Here in Aberdeen our next door neighbours need access to our seed frame area for a builder to repair the wall that is letting rain water into their house extension ----it's a long story.... would be better in moan moan moan... but I'm trying to lower my blood pressure  

[derekb]

Maggi Have some Chocolate,
Derek

[Maggi Young]

Derek,
 Luit says I eat too much chocolate.... so I'm having a cup of hot chocolate to drink, instead..... very soothing.  

[Lesley Cox]

all sounds unpleasant, but they put me right out for the surgery so i felt nothing, and pulling the wire out felt like nothing, surprisingly..
good luck with the surgery, lori...

I was an absolute wimp about getting the plaster off and refused to let them use the little circular saw, absolutely certain it would bite into my flesh. So they used a gadget like a pair of lopping shears and yes it hurt as it was pushed under the plaster but at least I knew it was temporary and my arm wasn't being shredded.

[Lesley Cox]

Here in Aberdeen our next door neighbours need access to our seed frame area for a builder to repair the wall that is letting rain water into their house extension ----it's a long story.... would be better in moan moan moan... but I'm trying to lower my blood pressure  

Tell your neighbours to forget about the wall repairs and build an indoor spa in the wet area.

[Anthony Darby]

Maggi Have some Chocolate,
Derek

I'd give up chocolate, but I'm no quitter!

[Maggi Young]

Lesley, I'm having a tough time resisting telling them to forget about breathing, permanently  


 Think I need a packet of crisps......

[angie]

Only one Maggi
Angie