Broke my arm doing arm wrestling
http://www.sosuave.net/forum/showthread.php?t=181439
Too late to change things now, but will be keeping this journal as a record of my recovery and to keep motivated.
The break wasn't a really bad one (although the bone did break in two!) but it is still pretty debilitating.
So it begins:
25 Jan 2011 - Tue - Date of Injury
Broke humerus while arm wrestling with mates - 9:30 pm approx. Taken to hospital and stay there overnight in the emergency department.
26 Jan 2011 - Wed – 1 Day Since Injury
Released from hospital 9:30am approx. Cast on arm. Mate picks me up, takes me via chemist to get prescription painkillers and then home.
29 Jan 2011 – Sat - 4 Days Since Injury
Initial Adaptions
Last few days have been an annoying case of sitting around doing not too much. And learning to do things with only my right arm. Since I’m normally left handed, makes it even more difficult.
I did have an offer from a friend (the one who took me to hospital) to go stay with his family for the first few days, but I declined since I knew that it would only make me feel worse. Whereas I can get great satisfaction now from achieving small tasks – things which I had previously taken for granted.
So far, I have managed to drive about 200 km (good thing both cars are autos), have went shopping, and learnt how to tie shoe laces one handed (what would we ever do without google?).
Pain has not been that great (Ibuprofen) but the painkillers seem to make me drowsy and have also lost my appetite. I have gone from 6-7 meals (e.g. including protein shakes) down to struggling to eat 3 a day.
Nighttimes are also bad in the early morning once the painkillers wear off.
Resolutions for Recovery
Some things I have decided on:
1) I will try to maintain my fitness while injured – the only way I can see to do this is to use an exercise bike. At the moment, even walking too fast results in my arm flopping backwards and forwards and some pain.
2) I will do what strength training I can for my right side and lower body. It will be complicated by the fact that I will be (once I return to work) spending 5 nights a week up away from the city and with no access to machines. So I will have to do what I can with free weights in these periods.
3) I will keep this recovery journal from now on, since writing about it (even if typing with one hand is a bit slower) will help me to stay positive and get through it.
4) I will not think about the past and what it was like before the injury. Instead I will focus only on the future and recovery.
5) Even already, I’ve noticed there seems to be something funny to some people about getting your arm broken in an arm wrestle. It’s not like I was a weakling, and yet people who wouldn’t have had anything on me strength wise think it’s funny.
This will occur more in the future. My strategy for dealing with people like this is to simply move on. If someone acts in this way, I will simply not bother answering and walk away.
Buying and assembling an Exercise Bike
Today I bought an exercise bike. The bloke at the store was kind enough to carry it out to my car for me.
When I got it home, it was only 20 kg and had straps around the box so could get it inside on my own.
I then had to assemble it out of the box. I could have asked for help from friends to do it, but accepted the challenge myself.
Luckily none of the Allan key or screws needed more than 1 hand to do up. Tricky parts were where you needed to hold a part in place and screw it in. Amazingly you can figure out ways to do this with one hand if you are determined enough.
What would normally be a 1 hour (max) time to install with 2 hands took about 3 hours with one hand. But it was very satisfying to get it done in the end.
http://www.sosuave.net/forum/showthread.php?t=181439
Too late to change things now, but will be keeping this journal as a record of my recovery and to keep motivated.
The break wasn't a really bad one (although the bone did break in two!) but it is still pretty debilitating.
So it begins:
25 Jan 2011 - Tue - Date of Injury
Broke humerus while arm wrestling with mates - 9:30 pm approx. Taken to hospital and stay there overnight in the emergency department.
26 Jan 2011 - Wed – 1 Day Since Injury
Released from hospital 9:30am approx. Cast on arm. Mate picks me up, takes me via chemist to get prescription painkillers and then home.
29 Jan 2011 – Sat - 4 Days Since Injury
Initial Adaptions
Last few days have been an annoying case of sitting around doing not too much. And learning to do things with only my right arm. Since I’m normally left handed, makes it even more difficult.
I did have an offer from a friend (the one who took me to hospital) to go stay with his family for the first few days, but I declined since I knew that it would only make me feel worse. Whereas I can get great satisfaction now from achieving small tasks – things which I had previously taken for granted.
So far, I have managed to drive about 200 km (good thing both cars are autos), have went shopping, and learnt how to tie shoe laces one handed (what would we ever do without google?).
Pain has not been that great (Ibuprofen) but the painkillers seem to make me drowsy and have also lost my appetite. I have gone from 6-7 meals (e.g. including protein shakes) down to struggling to eat 3 a day.
Nighttimes are also bad in the early morning once the painkillers wear off.
Resolutions for Recovery
Some things I have decided on:
1) I will try to maintain my fitness while injured – the only way I can see to do this is to use an exercise bike. At the moment, even walking too fast results in my arm flopping backwards and forwards and some pain.
2) I will do what strength training I can for my right side and lower body. It will be complicated by the fact that I will be (once I return to work) spending 5 nights a week up away from the city and with no access to machines. So I will have to do what I can with free weights in these periods.
3) I will keep this recovery journal from now on, since writing about it (even if typing with one hand is a bit slower) will help me to stay positive and get through it.
4) I will not think about the past and what it was like before the injury. Instead I will focus only on the future and recovery.
5) Even already, I’ve noticed there seems to be something funny to some people about getting your arm broken in an arm wrestle. It’s not like I was a weakling, and yet people who wouldn’t have had anything on me strength wise think it’s funny.
This will occur more in the future. My strategy for dealing with people like this is to simply move on. If someone acts in this way, I will simply not bother answering and walk away.
Buying and assembling an Exercise Bike
Today I bought an exercise bike. The bloke at the store was kind enough to carry it out to my car for me.
When I got it home, it was only 20 kg and had straps around the box so could get it inside on my own.
I then had to assemble it out of the box. I could have asked for help from friends to do it, but accepted the challenge myself.
Luckily none of the Allan key or screws needed more than 1 hand to do up. Tricky parts were where you needed to hold a part in place and screw it in. Amazingly you can figure out ways to do this with one hand if you are determined enough.
What would normally be a 1 hour (max) time to install with 2 hands took about 3 hours with one hand. But it was very satisfying to get it done in the end.