Just back from A&E

[briantrumpet]

So annoyed with myself for not stopping to fix that zip instead of trying to do it on the move.

As the farm vet once said to me, "Hindsight is a bugger". My one little chain link will have probably cost me, hmm, £6000ish by the time this is all over, but, well, sh1t happens, and in my case, I console myself with the fact it could have been a whole lot worse. And trying to find positives, I've had lots of time to get out and talk to locals and take photographs... the stuff that I don't have time to do when I'm in normal manic work-life routine.

You did what all humans do, which was to try to save a bit of time, because most of the time we get away with it. This was just one of the days when it didn't work out so well. Don't do your head in over it... you're still alive, if sore.

 

[Globalti]

Unfortunately for GC the time off the bike will coincide with the arrival of Spring. Let's hope it heals fast by itself or there's quick recognition that the ends are not going to meet and plating is required.

I feel quite bitter about the first specialist I saw, who I think my granny would have described as "a spiv". He wanted to operate on the frozen shoulder before the collar bone, which my current specialist thinks was bonkers. When, after about 6 weeks I told him I didn't think the bone was knitting, he pressed down hard on it, told me to raise my shoulder and scoffed: "Your shoulder is making your collar bone rise up, stop worrying about it." He ignored my request for a follow-up x-ray and he kept talking about a well-known amateur racer he treated whose CB never healed and formed a pseudo-joint "and he cycles competitively with no problems." This filled me with dismay because my shoulder had lost a good inch of width and my armpit was squashed shut and sweaty and I couldn't contemplate living the rest of my life like that.

At about 3 months I was typing a long email and I had a sudden episode of intense pain. I went to Urgent Care and got it x-rayed, which revealed that the two ends were a good inch apart with no sign of joining. Saw the specialist the following Monday and his reaction was priceless but I then discovered that he couldn't plate it for another 4-6 weeks so I found a different specialist who did it a week later. If it had been plated when the injury was fresh I'd be back on the bike by now and wouldn't have had to go through two lots of trauma and pain. I completely agreed with the philosophy that an operation should be avoided if there's a chance it will heal naturally but if the healing process hasn't started within a week or two and both ends are still resolutely separate, action is needed.

 

[vickster]

If @glasgowcyclist needs surgery and has private healthcare, the process should be quicker (and he can choose a Consultant who suits his needs and any time/date restrictions. I can imagine the wait for elective surgery could be quite lengthy?

 

[Globalti]

Consultants are strange beasts (I cycle with one so I know), surgeons are stranger and orthopedic surgeons even stranger. They all have different areas of interest so it's always worth shopping around until you find one you like. I saw both mine and had the op under BUPA, which is supposed to get you seen quickly so I couldn't understand why surgeon no. 1 couldn't do the plating for 4-6 weeks while surgeon no. 2 did it within a week.

Actually I received an appointment for the first follow-up at my local fracture clinic within a week of the accident, by which time I had made a private appointment, so I cancelled the NHS appointment. It would have been the same consultant and I think the experience would have been not very different.

 

[vickster]

Consultants are strange beasts (I cycle with one so I know), surgeons are stranger and orthopedic surgeons even stranger. They all have different areas of interest so it's always worth shopping around until you find one you like. I saw both mine and had the op under BUPA, which is supposed to get you seen quickly so I couldn't understand why surgeon no. 1 couldn't do the plating for 4-6 weeks while surgeon no. 2 did it within a week.

Actually I received an appointment for the first follow-up at my local fracture clinic within a week of the accident, by which time I had made a private appointment, so I cancelled the NHS appointment. It would have been the same consultant and I think the experience would have been not very different.

Maybe surgeon 1 had a holiday planned, training or conferences etc etc etc? If they have an NHS practice, they may only operate privately one or two half days a week. The very popular specialists also get very booked up in my experience, you can wait a month plus just to see them. Getting non urgent surgery on the NHS within a week or even six would be unlikely unless lucky to get a cancellation

I've actually been very lucky with the orthopaedic surgeons I've seen over the years...now the neurosurgeon I saw last year for my back was a strange bloke (although brilliant by all accounts)!

 

[glasgowcyclist]

I phoned the GP this morning and spoke to the helpful receptionist. Apparently my hospital visit wasn't yet added to my medical records so the doctor might want to speak with me or I'd need to go see her before she would prescribe strong painkillers.

I was waiting for the GP call when the trauma nurse from the hospital phoned and told me someone had reviewed my x-rays and would I mind coming to see the surgeon tomorrow morning as they reckon I need surgery as soon as possible. After the awful night I had, I couldn't be happier. The end of the bone where it should meet the shoulder is about 2cm higher than it ought to be and is very painful.

@vickster I do have private medical insurance but it sounds as though they want to fix me very quickly anyway so I'm not sure I'll need to call on that. I'll mention it to the surgeon tomorrow anyway.

 

[vickster]

I phoned the GP this morning and spoke to the helpful receptionist. Apparently my hospital visit wasn't yet added to my medical records so the doctor might want to speak with me or I'd need to go see her before she would prescribe strong painkillers.

I was waiting for the GP call when the trauma nurse from the hospital phoned and told me someone had reviewed my x-rays and would I mind coming to see the surgeon tomorrow morning as they reckon I need surgery as soon as possible. After the awful night I had, I couldn't be happier. The end of the bone where it should meet the shoulder is about 2cm higher than it ought to be and is very painful.

@vickster I do have private medical insurance but it sounds as though they want to fix me very quickly anyway so I'm not sure I'll need to call on that. I'll mention it to the surgeon tomorrow anyway.

Good luck

 

[viniga]

Hi GC, sorry to hear about your injury and wish you a speedy recovery.

I broke my collarbone on 15th May last year after going over the handlebars. It healed naturally - a plate being a bit risky. I got back on the turbo after a month and my first cycle on the road was on the 28th June. I have a callous and I'm a bit less symmetrical and my right arm is weaker even after almost a year (likely nerve damage) but that is still slowly improving - I can do a press up or two now.

I remember the frustration and anxiety of losing fitness and is this going to heal etc. In my case and most others the outcomes are pretty good.

BUT do talk your fears out with the consultant and the physio. If you don't think it is improving shout out. Do do the exercises and go for long walks for fitness and sanity. If you have a turbo you might be able to spin easy quite soon though getting on and off was tricky for me at first.

I could do a lot of work from home (being an office desk worker). I couldn't use a mouse for several weeks so a tablet or phone with predictive text was a god send!

All the best for your recovery!

 

[Oldbloke]

Ouch. Wishing you a speedy recovery GC

 

[Markymark]

It’ll be fine, I have a big lump full full range of motion and no pain. Don’t notice it ever happened.

I did struggle to do any one arm press-ups yesterday though....

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Good news! The bike has only cosmetic damage; a few paint chips on the downtube.

 

[Globalti]

Excellent news that they seem to think it needs plating. If that happens you can look forward to steadily diminishing pain and a return to cycling in 2-3 months or sooner. Take advice, but I was told no physio for ten days after plating, then get cracking so as to limit muscle loss. The latex stretchy bands are very good for this; the physios will give you some.

 

[DCBassman]

The latex stretchy bands are very good for this; the physios will give you some.

Picking up my collection of those next Friday!

Good news, @glasgowcyclist, it's moving along at best pace.

 

[Globalti]

The end of the bone where it should meet the shoulder is about 2cm higher than it ought to be and is very painful.

Do you mean the outer end of the collar bone where it meets the shoulder at the AC or acromioclavicular joint? If that has separated, yes, you do need surgery.

So the bone has not actually broken mid-shaft?

 

[simon the viking]

Ouch... GWS