Perhaps a bit too much information?

I don't know if I'm just weird, but I decided that I wanted to read the actual reports from the x-ray and CT taken in the E.R., so, I stopped by the hospital and picked up copies.  I have to say, it is a bit enlightening.  The most obvious fact that I take away from these findings are that even though my 30+ year old elbow injury hasn't really bothered me much, it was just a matter of time.  Yikes, no wonder the ol' elbow is not liking any part of this .......

X-ray (June 9, 2010)
There is a suprachondylar fracture of the distal left humerus with posterior displacement of the proximal humerus fragment with respect to the distal humerus.  Significant overlap of fracture fragments is demonstrated.  Fracture line appears to extend into the joint space within the distal humerus but this is difficult to determine with certainty.  There is an abnormal appearance of the radial head which appears related to significant degenerative change,  A definite fracture line is appreciated.  There also appears to be degenerative change in the proximal ulna involving the coronoid with some bony spurring,  However, this is difficult to evaluate fully on the limited views obtained.  Left elbow joint effusion is demonstrated.

Impression: 

1. Complete fracture of the distal left humerus with displacement overlapping fracture fragments in gross deformity at the left elbow.
2.  Proximal radius and ulna appear grossly intact but these are limited.  Degenerative spurring is suggested.

CT (June 9, 2010)
There is a supracondylar fracture of the distal humerus.  The fracture is comminuted and anteriorly displaced by 1 shaft width.  In the proximal ulna and radius demonstrate no acute change.  However, severe osteoarthritis is noted involving the entire elbow with greater involvement in the radiocapitellar joint.  There is joint space narrowing subchondral sclerosis and subchondral cyst formation.  Osteophyte formation is present.  Multipile intra-articular bodies demonstrated anterior to the radiocapitellar joint and anterior to the coronoid process.

Impression:

1.  Comminuted distal humerus fracture with anterior displacement by 1 shaft width,
2.  No acute change of the proximal ulna or radius.  There is severe elbow osteoarthritis with multiple intra-articular bodies anterior to the radiocapitellar joint and anterior to the coronoid process.

I have a special request

In addition to all that is going on with my elbow and hand, I have been struggling with my shoulder. My physical therapist and I have been discussing it for weeks, and over the last month I have a heat treatment on the shoulder before we start working on my elbow. I have noticed that as the elbow pain is improving, this annoying shoulder is not. So, last week I told the therapist that I had a special request - that we NOT worry about the arm or hand and concentrate on the shoulder because now it is keeping me up at night.

Because of the shoulder pain, I am unable to lift my arm out to the side or over my head. I was given a series of exercises to help stretch my shoulder that I have added to my daily repertoire but unfortunately there is no improvement.

So, today I was told that they suspect I have a torn rotator cuff. Really? They believe that I injured it in my accident but because I have been so focused on the elbow, I just kind of ignored the shoulder. Ugh! That's all I can say!

It actually makes perfect sense. It has bothered me since I was in the hospital. I first noticed that I couldn't lift my arm almost immediately, but I really thought it was because my arm hurt so bad I wasn't really trying. I then spent 6 weeks in a sling where I didn't need to, but still struggled getting dressed.

Next stop: MRI.

The things that make you go hmmmmm ........

I have been told so many funny (and outrageous) stories that I thought I would write down my favorites.  I'm not sure if I can remember even one outing since I started wearing my contraption that a stranger didn't ask me, "What did you DO to your arm?"  Many times, a simple reply of "I broke my arm very bad," is enough for me to move on.  However, most if the time I get 20 questions and a story - and some of them are worth sharing!

At a Starbucks in Knoxville, TN this summer I heard from a mother of a college aged son that her boy once had a contraption just like mine.  "What happened to him?" I asked.  She replied, "Well, one night he had too much to drink and passed out on a lazy boy and when he woke up his wrist was paralyzed."  I told her that in the medical world that was called 'Saturday Night Palsy."  (as opposed to Radial Nerve Palsy following an injury)  "Really?"  This young man was very fortunate to have a full recovery in just 5 weeks.

On another afternoon I took my daughter to the bank to do some business and the young man who helped us kept staring at my arm, but didn't say a word.  Finally, he blurted out "How did you hurt your nerves?"  I was impressed!  I asked him how he was familiar with this type of device and he said, "Well, it's kind of a funny story.  In college I had a good friend who decided to prove to his suite mates that he was "really strong" so he put his hand in the blender and turned it on."  Wow!  Clearly he was neither stronger than the blades of a blender nor smarter than a box of rocks.  WHO would do that????

Earlier this week I was at Best Buy at the customer service desk when I was asked what happened to my hand.  I didn't even get my answer out when the young man told me that he had a friend once who had to wear something that just looked like mine after he was shot with a shotgun in the hand.  OUCH!  I responded by saying, "Well, mine was a very boring accident involving ... " Again, before I could finish my sentence I learned that he broke his leg a few years back and because of the cast on his leg he was forced to learn how to sleep in his back.  Well, alrighty then - thanks for telling me! 

Some of the stories sound like they should be in the running for a Darwin Award and make mine seem incredibly dull and boring!

11 weeks ... let's check the progress!

Today marks the 11 week anniversary since my accident and while it seems that the range of motion in my elbow is just not getting better, it actually is.

Extension - 12 degrees - a 28 degree improvement!  *8 degrees with active pushing on the arm.
Flexion - 122 degrees - a 22 degree improvement! *128 with active pushing on the arm.

In the big picture, this is all great news.  I really want to see my elbow flexion at least 145 degrees but it continues to be a very slow process.  They have had me moving my elbow since 10 days after the accident, but it wasn't until the 6 week mark that I began the 'active' physical therapy - or as I sometimes like to refer to it as physical torture.  I must admit that I expected to see more progress by this point, but progress of any kind should really be my goal.

It's a week to celebrate these small accomplishments!  :)

Pain + an itty bitty sign of progress makes me one happy girl!

I have spent 3 days just waiting for this arm of mine to stop hurting so I can sleep.  Nothing seems to make it feel better so I have been trying to distract myself by getting out of the house.  I have gone out to eat. seen a movie and just walked around the mall - anything to NOT think about my arm.  Last night, in addition to the constant pain I am feeling, I started feeling some shocks in my hand and the back of my triceps - is the nerve waking up?  Trying to tell me something? How great would that be?

I took my brace off and I notice that my wrist isn't as droopy as it has been.  Every day, for 10 weeks, I work on my wrist and hand, moving them both so they do not stiffen up.  Every day I also try to lift my fingers, thumb and wrist.  There has not been an ounce of change ... until now!  Today is the first reason for celebration - I can move my wrist on my own.  Not much, but it is a sign that the nerve is trying to fire to the muscle and I am SO excited!  It is an itty bitty sign, but after 2 and 1/2 months it is SUCH good news and I guess it is why I am having so much pain.  Let me just tell you, I can handle pain knowing there is something good coming of it!  Hooray!

If only everything in life made sense, right?

This whole experience just continues to be puzzling.  I severely fractured my arm but it really didn't hurt.  In the ER I thought it was shock, but a few days after surgery I decided that I must have a high tolerance for pain.  The first real nagging pain came on the day it was set in a cast, 5 days post surgery.  When I woke up from surgery, my arm was extended in a straight position and when it was set in the cast it needed to be bent to about 90 degrees.  Bending the arm wasn't bad, but several hours later it was screaming in protest.  But, that too passed.

It has been about 9 weeks and for the life of me I don't see any rhyme or reason to why I can have little to no pain one day, but the very next it starts hurting so bad I just want to chop it off.  Some days I think that growing bone just hurts.  Other days the bone feels great and I have aching muscles and then there are the days when it just aches all over.  Weird.  It's just all part of the healing process.

Today I am experiencing a new pain and it's not fun - at all!  The pain is in the back of my arm, my triceps muscle and my hand and it hurts!  Ugh.  I wonder if it is the nerve.  If nerve regeneration is painful then I am a little worried about this because I have months of nerve regeneration to look forward to.  I'm crossing my fingers that this to shall pass.

Is this just the magical tool I've been waiting for?

Ok, so here it is.  It's called a JAS elbow device and if my elbow is going to start moving like I really need it to, this is just the thing that is going to to make it happen!  3 times per day for 30 minutes at a time.  It's kind of sad to admit, but I'm excited to get started.    Let's get it going!

"Mom, your arm kind of looks like a chicken leg"

"Actually, it looks kind of like a giant squash,"  said John.  haha ... This was our dinner conversation tonight after I took my brace off to give my skin a rest.  It really is very swollen at the elbow and I'm told it will be for a really long time. 

I'm still waiting on the elbow device to arrive so we can really work on bending the elbow.  At PT earlier this week we figured out that with about 135 degrees (and a working hand) I should be able to reach my ear to put in my own earings ... a simple wish that I have.  When that day arrives I'll just have to treat myself to a cute pair of earings.