NHS treatment related....

[SukiTheDog]

My sister has broken her arm (humerus). It's a nasty break, she fell off a very big (stroppy) horse. I'm an ex nurse but not orthopaedics especially. When the ambulance arrived to take her to hospital, they felt she'd be kept in for surgical stabilisation of the bone (pins and plates). I did too. Hoever, they put her in plaster and sent her home with advice to take paracetamol 4 hourly. Today, she was back at her local (different) hospital and was told by the consultant that he felt she should have had surgery (metal work). Now, she has to wait and see if it heals but they feel (it being a bad fracture) that ultimately, surgery will be needed.

I'm really cross on her behalf. My 56 yr old sister is in absolute agony as she has the entire weight of an unattached limb grinding every time she moves even ever so slightly. The hospital today have given her stronger painkillers so, that's good but AIBU to think that a mistake was made (for whatever reason) and they're now going to put her in an upper body brace and "see what happens".

Part of me thinks that the first hospital probably didn't have any beds so "potted" her and sent her home. I saw her yesterday and I was shocked; she looked pallid and sweating and almost passing out with the pain, 10 days on!

I broke both of my arms on the 20th of June. My radius is dislocated and fractured. I got sent home from fracture clinic with a sling to see if 2 weeks rest would settle the dislocation. If not then I will need surgery. My other arm is in plaster for a wrist fracture, it's been a difficult two weeks.

I'm sorry to hear about your sister.

Maddogs that sounds grim. Poor you. How in earth are you getting anything done?

I'm not suki! I'm supposed to wear a sling on the wrist fracture as well . Think Egyptian mummy lol.
I can't wash my hair, wipe/wash my self. It's basically crap. I'm going slowly crazy. Fracture clinic tomorrow and I'm hoping they'll have some answers.

Honestly, if it heals well without surgery, that I think is the best option for her. Unfortunately, sometimes that is a case of 'wait and see' being the best approach (I feel really horrible writing that because she is clearly in a lot of pain).

You could contact PALS to see what they suggest. It may be that something was missed, or an x-ray wasn't read correctly - would it make you feel better if it was investigated and there was a reason behind it, or it would it make you feel worse?

How is she feeling now with the stronger painkillers?

The pain killers have had a better effect than Paracetamol. Last Friday, she was sitting propped in a chair and suddenly, her colour drained, she was wringing in sweat and she passed out. Again, an ambulance was called as she wasnt making much sense when she came round and was grey with blue lips. The paramedics took her on a blue light to A&E as her vlood pressure was 68/40 (hers is usually high; she takes antihypertensives). They kept her in to monitor and said it was the constant pain which had caused a shock-type reaction and her BP plummeted.

My poor 5 year old girl has just had surgery as they missed her dislocation (spotted her fracture). So they do get it wrong. We are at the moment in the process of contacting PALS (not that they answer the phone so email it is)

We hope she will get full use of her elbow back and she does have age on her side. But it should have been sorted weeks ago and she should have cast off and be recovering instead of facing another 6 weeks in cast plus whatever after

Lucky. Poor little thing. And just in time for the summer holidays too.

Thing is, the consultant has said it would be a stronger healing process with the support of metal pins but, IT WILL HEAL (obviously) with just a pot on. This is what annoyed me. I dont think that it's a risk a person should be asked to take. "Well, it'll heal ... but not as it would have done if you'd have had surgery". My sister needs the BEST HEALING available as she has a job which involved a lot of lifting/ohysical work. And that horse (don't get me started on the horse!)

Go back to PALs to complain. I would also get squeaky with the department about it not being enough and either even stronger meds or they do something now

I did the same thing when I was 19. Fell and shattered the lower end of humerus at the elbow. Ambulance took me to cottage hospital who gave me a sling and said come back for an x-ray tomorrow. I was in agony and delirious all night.

When I went for the x-ray next day they were horrified that I had been sent home. The base of the humerus was in tiny pieces and should have been operated on straight away. By that time my arm was like a football and I had to wait a week before surgery for some of the swelling to go down before they could operate. There was nerve damage and I nearly lost the use of my right hand - I am lucky that I only have lack of movement in my elbow.

A similar thing happened 3 years ago when I broke my foot - a fracture was missed and I still limp. The most exasperating thing on that occasion was that I could not get the doctors to listen to me when I said I could not put my weight on it. The only possibility now is extensive surgery to fuse the bones in my foot - surgery with a poor outcome I am told. So I limp on.

The NHS can be great; but arrogant doctors who do not listen are a total pain.

Hope your sister gets sorted soon.

Good grief, Blossom. What a total mess.