Hello everyone,
Checks last post date … 20 August ! Oops. I should have posted before going up to the Creator North meet up on 13 September.
I … got badly hurt and I’m not long back in the world after nearly a fortnight i hospital with a shattered wrist and broken shoulder. I’ve had 2 operations and was very well looked after up in Manchester, so the long term prognosis is good but it might take a while to get there. Hopefully by the end of the year. I’ll hopefully be able to get a decent amount into this post but I am on one handed typing and my body and mind are overdrawn on reserves.
So what happened ? Short form is that the meet up was held at a skate park, there was an introduction session and I found out the hard way that skateboarding is not for 50 year old me.
Caution warning medical injury details follow but what I’m going to do is surround that by a couple of pictures. So if you find that kind of thing upsetting, PLEASE skip to the picture after the one below that will become the thumbnail to this post. I’m not out to upset anyone here with details that could cause someone nightmares. With that, here goes !
Right, so I fell off a skateboard at low speed pretty much on to my bum. My left wrist broke the fall and shock went into my left shoulder. I felt no pain at this point (I’m weird like that) but reaching over with my right hand, I realized that both bones of my forearm were broken just before the wrist. I could also feel that my left shoulder felt very wrong. I could barely bend or lean over later with waves of excruciating pain.
I was then very well looked after by the instructor and then one of the park’s first aid people before being taken to the local hospital’s Accident and Emergency by the very lovely Billietrixx (will link later) who is one of the organisers. At 4am and about 5 hours of feeling grating bones and increasing pain post adrenaline and shock in my wrist and my shoulder with my left arm locked to my side, initial treatment was complete, I could move the arm slightly, my wrist was in a cast and sling and I was off to the ward.
The damage was a broken shoulder, with the ball broken off the end of the humerus bone. Both my wrist bones were badly fractured in patterns that were giving the medics quite a bit of concern.
On Thursday 18th, I had the operation to sort out the shoulder, enabling enough movement to allow an operation on the wrist. The operation went well although there was concern about loss of feeling on the front of the shoulder.
On Monday 22nd, I had a second operation to sort out my wrist which had had complex fractures of both radius and ulna. This operation feels like it went well too although there is uncomfortable swelling still.
Both ops were under general anaesthetic, the initial reduction was in A&E with me having eyes firmly closed puffing on the anti pain vape. That’s hopefully enough of the detail bit … I have some movement (it’s restricted by a heavy cast and sling) but the bones aren’t grating inside any more. The ops installed plates and screws to stabilise everything. It’ll make things interesting around metal detector scanners.
It should be safe to read again if you are sensitive to the caution warning stuff. I did an escape on Thursday 25th, so I’m back home currently. The trip back was by train, the first half was comfy and smooth, the second half past Birmingham south was a rollercoaster. I felt heavily battered by the end and I also picked up a complex cramp in my left leg which felt like I’d turned the ankle.
So how about now ? I’m pretty much able to look after myself at home one handed. I have maybe 5% function in my left hand which will get back to … let’s see. Lots of healing to do. A lot of the restriction is in a very heavy cast which interferes with gripping things. Did you realise that putting on a headset is pretty much a two handed action ? Possible but tricky to do that one handed.
My energy is extremely low. I was able to crack open the work laptop on Friday to do some essential things. It was great to see the people on our weekly team call too. My mental state is … interesting. My emotions are wide open at the moment, so I’m going to concentrate on positive vibes (catching up on videos and streams there). I need to avoid negativity (while not pushing a very worrying family situation away that I’m not going to talk about here).
I have what’s called a Fit Note which states that I’m unfit to work for a while, that leaves an option to still work at the discretion of the injured person so I’ll continue to be on the work laptop. I just need to understand that it’s going to take much longer to do tasks and there are going to be other restrictions.
It’s not just the left arm that I need to look after, it’s my other 3 limbs and my head too. I get mental zoomies which I need to direct into things that keep me happy and/or productive. Can’t help that. I can’t just rot more and play one hand compatible games for the next few months. My right arm is already complaining at the extra awkward work it’s doing too. Legs are ok now after the cramps.
I’m running out of energy so I need to close out, quick stuff :
Billietrixx (twitch link) and Lookitstilly (twitch link) looked after me so well by first taking me to the hospital and staying there until having to go back to the event. And then by rescuing my stuff from the hotel room. I owe a huge debt to these two incredible ladies.
There was also an incredible amount of kindness and positive vibes coming from the online communities and friends that carried me through too. If you’re reading this and helped or thought of me in any way, you are an absolute LEGEND to me. Thank you so much.
Thanks to the gentlemen with me on the ward, there was a little core of lovely guys there who made it a very chill healing place to be for the almost fortnight. Get well soon guys. I think the staff appreciated our bay being a chill place to be too.
The doctors who patched me up. I’m restricted in movement still just two weeks after the severe injuries but it’s with huge thanks to them that the ops went well and I’ll hopefully get most of my left arm function back, if not all of it.
MASSIVE thanks to the nursing staff up in Manchester who looked after us so well providing a wonderful safe healing environment.
A to Z challenge for pointing me at most of the books read. I read no less than 7 while I was there : The Last Emperox by John Scalzi (recommended but it be book 3 of 3, Quarter Share by Nathan Lowell (good book to start a series), Under Fortunate Stars by Ren Hutchings (interesting but long), The Twisted Ones by T Kingfisher (good, not her best), The Year Stardust Fell by Raymond F Jones (reads old but story is good), Status Quo by Drew Wagar (fast start to series needs better edits) and Star Centurion by Miles Rozak (pulpy sci fi adventure fun). I’ll talk about these more some time, they all deserve more words.
As for me, it’s going to take time to heal but I am ok now. I hope to heal up well, I realize that it’ll take a while and I need to put limits on myself to keep myself safe and so I don’t set my healing back. These injuries are the worst I’ve had out of a long list of damage I carry.
Right – my right shoulder is screaming at me now, time to say goodnight.
Be well everyone, live your life to the full but keep an eye on the risks you take. Don’t be scared of them, be honest with yourself with them. I found out that skateboarding wasn’t for me the hard way but if I hadn’t taken the session, I would be left wondering what might have been.