Decision Day & A Week Of Firsts

Amazingly I had quite a good nights sleep - my blood pressure came down to within the high end of normal so the nurse said she wouldn't disturb me through the night.

Breakfast came round so had a coffee & some toast, and then just as I was finishing off the last mouthful of coffee the consultant burst in and said I was on the operating list and was nil by mouth !!!!!

More paperwork, a visit from the anaesthetist, another doctor (who wasn't sure what procedure would be done as it would depend on what they found when they manipulated my arm under x-ray, maybe no op, maybe wired or screwed !) blood taken (after 5 attempts - finally got it out of my left wrist - PAINFUL !) - I was finally whisked away  by a lovely chatty theatre porter at 1.40pm.

All the theatre staff were really nice and I can remember being given an injection in the cannula - but can't remember going to sleep. I can only remember waking up in recovery at 3pm with my arm all bandaged up and in a sling.

They did an open reduction and internal fixation with a screw and the consultant was very pleased with the result - but boy does my arm hurt now - it is more painful than when I broke it on Friday. 

This week for the first time in my life I have :-

Broken a Bone
Had a CT scan
Had a general anaesthetic
Had an operation other than C-Section
Had my arm in a sling

Note to oneself - I really must be more careful.

Fracture Clinic

Today was my fracture clinic appointment at 9.45am. My arm was feeling alot better, still didn't have the ability to straighten or bend it, but I did manage to get Sam ready for school. I thought about cancelling, but decided to go just so they could give me the all clear. I drove up to the hospital and then put my sling on for the first time since Friday, just so I didn't get told off, and also so I would actually look as though I was there for an appointment.

I didn't have too wait long to be called through. The doctor looked at my x-ray and said he needed a 2nd opinion and went off for a chat. I had decided he was going to send me home, but no, he told me I needed a CT scan to see if there was anymore damage and that I might need an operation :( He then decided to admit me to the orthopaedic ward as I would get a CT scan much quicker.

So a quick call to Julian to explain what was happening and to request an overnight bag and I went back in to start the admission paperwork.

They took my blood pressure and after about 5 attempts, it was really high 208/something - this caused quite an alarm i the department, and a message put in my notes that it needed checking 4 hourly and that if it didn't drop below 170 then the Dr was to be paged and I was to be given some medication.

I walked with the nurse up to Gately ward where they found me a bed in a side room with a lovely lady from Londonderry, I was so glad I wasn't on one of the main bays as it was quite an elderly ward and I was probably the youngest one there by about 40 years !

I got to the ward at about 11.15 and my CT scan was booked for 3pm. A porter came to get me with a wheelchair which he insisted I had to sit in and be pushed all the way to Radiology.
The results of the CT scan were not looked at by my doctor so I had to stay in overnight - still convinced I was wasting everybodies time & money.

A Broken Arm !

I took the car to the garage today to have the exhaust looked at as it was starting to become noisy.

They put it up on the ramps and had a look & fiddle then called me through to discuss the problem - after being told the catalytic converter probably needed replacing and that we had one bald front tyre - I turned round to return to the waiting room and ended up on the floor - SPLAT !  I landed on my hand - so dusted it off and rubbed my arm.

The manager was as surprised as I was to find my lying on the floor.  He led me to the washroom so I could wash my hand, we then went through to the waiting room - my arm felt sore but guess that was to be expected.  We then sat down and filled out an accident report form.

While waiting for the tyre to be replaced, my arm ached more but not unbearable.  When the car was ready I got in to drive and realised my arm was quite sore - I couldn't straighten it properly or bend it too far - I drove home, had a coffee and decided to make a doctors appointment at 3pm  - amazingly got one for 3.40pm.

Drove down to the Dr's carefully - mainly left handed. the Dr thought I had just sprained it, but thought it best to get an xray to rule out a fracture.

So a quick call to Julian to see if he could leave off early and meet me in Norwich to drive me to the hospital, a call to Ben to say where I was going - and then again I carefully drove to Norwich.

After registering at the A&E, seeing the triage nurse, then senior nurse, then x-ray, then back to senior nurse I found out I have a severely depressed fracture of the radial head (which is in the elbow joint), she gave me a sling and I made an appointment for Tuesday morning at the fracture clinic.

This isn't my x-ray - but looks similar, except mine is a slightly bigger bit of bone that has slipped down a bit further.

I tried to sleep in bed but couldn't find anywhere comfortable to put my arm so ended up sleeping in the reclining chair in the lounge.