I bet you take for granted that small luxury, but I have been resigned to tepid sponge baths and lukewarm shallow tubs for the last three months after the Great Arm Break. I manage to take care of business, but it is exhausting, slow going, and I never quite feel so fresh.
But last night, Rye and I took off the bulky fiberglass cast. Prompted by our very dwindling financial resources, I was disgusted by my inability to work, drive, contribute, live. Since we, in our uninsuredness, could not purchase the recommended Humeral Fracture Brace as recommended by the orthio ($400 plus bucks during Xmas..I think not!), I got my fingers walking and found something..similar..on Amazon of all places. It arrived and after relocating the missing instructions, last night we played doctor..not in the fun hanky panky sense.
So after my cry of “Let’s take it off”..we gathered in the kitchen, reread the brace instructions, and heated up the pan of water..more about that later. With both Tristan and Scarlett seated in viewing chairs, Rye started unwinding the already decomposing ace bandages, and cutting away the fluff. The fiberglass had fused together, so at one point the DeWalt drill was applied. Yes, I cringed and squawked. But eventually, with a woozy feel, we unearthed my poor damaged arm.
Ugly is not the word. Coated with a thick, smelly layer with three months of dead skin, it is deformed, warped, skinny and oh, so weak. Very woozy now, I instructed Rye to feed the children, while I went to lie down and get a feel for it all. After a bit, I scrubbed off the dead stuff very gingerly and went down stairs for the fitting of the new brace.
I have to say, this thing was very cool. Looking like a piece of plastic..thin, white…kind of like the stuff one does needle point on..it gets flexible in hot water. Actually, it turns to translucent gel and is completely moldable. Very weird stuff! So somehow we got our way through the fitting, triming, moulding, setting, cooling etc..not too badly considering that we really have no idea what we are doing!
The new brace gives me an elbow now. We allowed that to be free considering that it seems like the bones ARE attached, but oh, my muscles are so very weak. It is very use to staying at the one angle, so even straightening it is very odd. I am having trouble lifting it at all, so while the new brace allows me to actually wear some normal clothing, I am still very far away from 100%. What is lovely, is the fact that it has a ZIPPER on it..hence, OFF for the SHOWER!
Granted it still hung like dead weight, still took forever, and I felt woozy as crap afterwards, but..I am clean! yeah
how did i miss that you have had a broken arm? OUCH! Glad its healing 🙂
this just really pisses me off AGAIN that so many people in this country don’t have access to the medical care they need.
cheers to you, brave warrior girl. Heal, girl, Heal.
wanda
good golly gf. this made my arm hurt just reading it. you poor thing. seriously. get better soon.
That sounds gruesome and what a dreadful indictment of our rotten healtcare system.
Glad it is healing and that you can shower now at least. Take care!
I think you’re very brave (in more ways than one).
I also think the US healthcare system STINKS.
OK, ours is far from perfect, but at least it provides coverage for everyone.
This is one of those occasions where I’m in sync with Anon.
Sending healing vibes.
awww Claud…the feeling will subside soon..the weakness will have to be worked on…I have broken more things then I can count in my life but I have regained use of them all…I am sorry that you have to Doctor thyself…but hey, maybe all the playing doctor can lead to the under the sheets doctor now that the weapon can come off
Wonderful!!! I know the feeling of getting a cast off, so I know what heaven you’re in right now!
You’ll be amazed at how quickly your muscles come back, and after you get the dead skin off you’ll love the new baby-bottom skin underneath. But use sun screen, that skin is defenseless!!
Oooo, enjoy those showers!!!!
And Wanda, you have hit a HUGE nail on the head. Our medical system is out of control – or should I say control is in all the wrong places?? It’s gotta be fixed, period.
I hope the shower felt great!!! I work in a big hosp in boston and we waste 400 bucks every 5 min on things that dont help anyone in the long run, how i wish i could have sent you your fracture brace instead!! the medical system is so screwed up!!
Yey! Shower!
It is insane how we have to adjust to the lack of proper medical care in this country because of its tremendous expense!
I hope for you continued healing!
So now a week later of living with the arm..
I am pretty much 90% convinced that it either really has just not healed..I’m just used to the pain and have compenated on how to move it
OR
It is an attached bone, but it’s all wrong. Not only can I not lift my arm, which can be chawked up to muscle atrophy, but the bone and arm has a distint concave feel to it….like the break area in the front of my arm, bows out..and as I attempt to raise my arm, the bowed area gets more pronounced and hurts! Which is pretty much what happen three months ago when I first broke it.
I’m ready to just cry.
I should have had the surgery. I would be done and better now. I know it’s fucked up..I know I am going to have to get it rebroken or, at 40, I will be one armed and disabled for the rest of my life.
And, really, this is killing my family…not having my income for the past three plus months.. we are so in danger of losing everything.
And I’m not even slightly exaggerating.
Good luck with your arm, sounds like quite an interesting thing that you have found!
OH and enjoy your showers lol