Humerus broken in two places

[theotherfossilsister]

I'm a complete idiot who fell off the bus. I thinki was jostled slightly and just went straight down, one step. This was Thursday.

Currently casted and really really hurting despite painkillers. Going to speak to shoulder consultant tomorrow about surgery Vs conservative management but they seem keen on surgery. I'm sixteen weeks pregnant though and have so many questions.

I'm also in excruciating pain. DP is great in a crisis and got me to and from a and e and everything but he's dyspraxic so normally I do all practical things and it's maddening I can't. He showered.me last night with bin bags round my cast and it was a real.mess, water everywhere. I'm so grateful for him but also want/need my independence.

Please can you tell me when it got better and how if you did this? Every little move is excruciating.

Anyone please?

so sorry to hear about this. Don't have any direct experience and understand that being pregnant must be making the decisions so much harder for you.

Hello! I broke my ankle in 3 places (both bones) in 2020, fell out my dads car whilst wearing some ridiculously chunky platforms. Cause I'm a tit.

I had surgery due to it being an unstable break, I am the proud of owner of two plates, about 6 pins I think it is and a few screws. They gave me the option to have a general and be asleep or a spinal (like for a c section) and be awake, I chose the general. Honestly, once the surgery was done I felt a lot better. I think much of the pain was from it shifting about. Not nice.

I was none weight bearing for 9 weeks all told, the only thing I was allowed to do was to hop to the bathroom (with my very stylish Zimmer frame) and lay down with my leg in the air. Elevation is really important. Once they were happy with how it was healing, I was on crutches in a ski boot and allowed to walk about a little. I think it was about 12 or 13 weeks before I was hobbling about unaided.

I gave up on showers to be honest, mine is over the bath and my doctor said I wasn't to even attempt it. So I would wash myself down in the sink every day. DH would help with my hair. We turned the dining room into a room for me, I had a bed and a clear path to the bathroom but for the most part I lay on my back with my leg in the air. I got a grabber for helping me to put on my underwear and shorts, really handy for picking stuff up that I dropped. That was really useful. I got mine from Amazon.

This bit, when it's new, is rubbish but you do find a way to get around things, accepting your temporary limitations is important, bone heals when it heals so your job is to give it the best chance.

Mine was a nasty, unstable break, hopefully yours will be a bit more straightforward but obviously it's complicated by you being pregnant. Write down everything you want to ask them. That way you won't forget.

for you because it is shit.

Thank you so much both. @DeadButDelicious that's a brilliant answer although I'm so sorry you went through that. Nine weeks feels like ages but I guess really it's not too long in the grand scheme of things. I'm really hoping to get answers tomorrow.xx

You can buy a shower cover for your cast - they have a rubber seal on the top to keep the water out. You'll probably need DH to help you get it on and off. Much better than bin bags!

If you can move independently at all (maybe you can't due to shoulder) use a cross-body bag to carry stuff around, then your hands are free.

Keep on top of whatever pain meds you're allowed to take, don't wait to be in pain.

(Veteran of 3 ankle surgeries, soon to be 4, but can't help with break!)

Thank you @AllLopsided

I actually struggled to find one which will cover my whole arm up to.my shoulder but I will persevere.

Ugh,three surgeries must be hell xx

Aw thank you! I did it at the start of July and it was probably the beginning of October when I was 'back to normal' and didn't need anything to really help me get about. I've kept the grabber, it is really handy 😂.

My leg has made a good recovery, I have a full range of motion back which is great, I was fully discharged in February 2021 and I've had no issues aside from it being a bit achey in the cold. I'm a bit more wary of things like snow and Ice and I only wear flat shoes now. That's probably me being overly cautious though.

If there is anything you've ever wanted to watch, now is the time! I did a Herculean amount of crochet and Netflix watching.

Hopefully they will give you some answers tomorrow! Good luck!

Hi Op,
Ouch I feel your pain. I broke the humeral head in 4 places, 3 years ago, falling out of bed!

I had an operation the following day. Mine was a bad break so I was off work for 3 months. Others have gone back to work within weeks.

Are you on FB? There is a fantastic support group on there, it started up around the time I joined.

Do you have a recliner or able to get one to sleep in?

I used a plastic poncho (alton towers one lol) to cover myself when washing my hair. I got one of those hand held sprinklers to wash my hair. Then after I would have a bath.

What pain meds have you got? I needed to go to my GP for stronger stuff.

You just need to take it really easy.

Hope your appointment goes well tomorrow

Ah thank you @SpaghettiHettie, please can you link me to the FB group? I'm quite bad at taking it easy. Do you have full movement now?

@deadbutdelicious I'm so glad you recovered by October but sorry the injury stole your summer xx

It wasn't so bad @theotherfossilsister I'm a notorious hater of the summer, plus it was the pandemic so it's not like I would have been up to much anyway. Silver linings and all that!

I am so sorry this has happened to you - it sounds horrendous. My DH broke his humerus up near his shoulder (falling off a kerb on the way TO the pub!) and it was awful. He says it is the worst pain he has ever felt and he broke 2 vertebrae when he was 17! He was offered surgery, too, but went for conservative management and every single breath, let alone movement seemed to cause him pain. So I totally understand what you are saying about the pain. In hindsight, he says he wished he had had surgery as he would have felt 'safer' if that makes sense. And, this was nearly 2 years ago and he still doesn't have full movement in his arm, in spite of intensive physio and daily exercises. I hope you get some good advice and are able to make a good decision.

@Fantasmic143 ah these injuries always seem so catastrophically stupid don't they, like mine off One Step, such small falls with such big impact. It is horrible pain, I dread going to the loo because it means standing up and the arm sort of swings back in its cast. Just woke up desperate but psyching myself up to standing

From reading your husband's story I would really like surgery. I'm terrified of the impact on a sixteen week fetua though which is why I'm wavering.

@DeadButDelicious that helps. I love spring and am so mad to be missing it.

You poor, poor thing!!! Just popping in to say that anaesthetic a during pregnancy are not advisable, but they are still done when necessary. It may be the case for you if you wish to retain a full range of movement in your arm. I think the fact that you are pregnant also brings to mind the effects of relaxin and progesterone on ligaments. You may also have torn your rotator cuff during this fall. You should discuss this with your shoulder guy too. Obviously you can’t take NSAIDs during pregnancy, but your pain relief is obviously not cutting it. Maybe ask about cocodamol, depending on driving, etc. Might take the edge off at night at least.

My late dp broke his humerus in 2 places near his elbow drunken arm wresling, he was in a full cast for 6 weeks & then 6 weeks in a brace which was basically a light pot from shoulder to elbow to stop him twisting it. He should have had it pinned & plated but refused, it took a good 6 weeks to start to heal, was absolute agony because it has the most nerves of any limb, it took a good 4-5 months to completely heal.

If you don't want to get a cast cover, bin bags & gaffer tape are your best bet for showering, tuck a tea towel in the pot, then the bin bag over & gaffer tape, cut it off afterwards.

Good luck today OP

@Nat6999 that's awful although part of me wishes I'd been doing something like arm wrestling to justify it more than fell off bus, if that makes sense?

@Justilou1 I've got co codamol but even on that I'm struggling.

At the appointment yesterday said normally this would definitely be a surgery however as I'm sixteen weeks pregnant they are going to try conservative management. I have a far tighter brace on which is uncomfortable but necessary and neoprene so I can shower if up to it (still not sure how.) I'm going for weekly x rays. I kind of wish they'd just operate but understand they want to at least try this first.

Get a good calcium supplement, I'm convinced it helped late dp's heal quicker

Thank you @Nat6999. Is there a particular one you'd recommend,? We have vanilla Hagen daaz for tonight which I justified with calcium needs.

I can't remember, I just went to Holland & Barrett & bought the biggest dose they did, he was an alcoholic & wasn't the best healer. Don't be afraid to ask your GP for different pain relief if co-codamol aren't working, there must be something else you can use if pregnant, have you thought of trying a tens machine?

Dear god, you poor woman.
Honestly if the pain gets too much, push for surgery. Pregnant people have to have operations every day for all sorts of reasons and their babies are fine x

@Nat6999 oh no. Was he able to give up drinking while he healed or was that impossible.

@somebodylikeyew I think next week I might
An obstetrician friend told me that second trimester is the best time for it so don't want it to get too late, or need to be induced early for surgery or something which I can see happening if it keeps on like this.

I might ask about a tens machine. Thank you xx

Not sure a tens machine is going to help you at the moment @theotherfossilsister. They work by stimulating muscle contraction. Right now you need your arm (and muscles) immobilized to allow it to heal.