March 12, 2014 started out like any other day in Upstate New York... it was a "beautiful" beyond freezing cold, grey skied filled day with the added bonus of an intense ice storm paying us a visit - lucky us! I sat at work starring at the clock anxiously waiting for my computers clock to hit 5:30 - and just as it did I was out the door.
As the door closed behind me I was slowly watching my steps to my car and in an instant I was laying on the icy cold black top parking lot on my back. I sat up and tried to just shake it off, assuming I just slipped - no big deal, right? WRONG! Warning to all readers to stop reading here because "spoiler alert" it gets pretty graphic. As I sat up I slowly swayed my head, stretched my neck, wiggled my toes and moved my legs - perfect they were all working perfect and nothing hurt. Then I realized something though just was not right. My left arm was behind my back in a 90 degree angle and my hand and fingers were wiggling and touching the inner part of my right arm - gross!
I somehow was able to stay completely calm. I was able to reach in my pocket and grab my phone to call for help. My co-workers flooded out to me sliding also. Generosity goes a long way, everyone stood in the freezing rain with me until paramedics arrived and even gave me blankets and extra coats to keep me as warm as possible.
I had successfully made it to 26 years old without any broken bones or surgery of any sort and in the blink of an eye I had then just shattered that healthy streak. The movement onto a stretcher, up into the ambulance and then the pot-hole filled ride to the hospital will forever be remembered. My parents couldn't make it u due to how severe the ice storm had become. So two of my co-workers came with me to the hospital (Thank you thank you thank you Kelena and Ann). They stayed until my brother and his girlfriend were able to come stay with me.
I had x-ray's and a lot of sitting around and waiting with zero pain meds. Finally an IV was put in but I could still feel everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING! The two ER Doctors got into position as they quickly "reset" my arm and put it into a makeshift cast - I still felt everything and I do not know how I didn't cry once. I now know that I have an extremely high tolerance for pain.
Finally around midnight I was released and went back to my brothers to try to sleep. Thank you Steven and Heather for being with me in the ER and for helping me home. My parents came the next morning to bring me to their house until I healed. Here is my first cast from the ER...
I had to suffer with the pain because the meds were making me sick until Friday when I was going to see a bone specialist. That appointment was almost as painful as my initial ER visit. They cut me out of the cast and my arm had to hang freely for awhile and then due to the severity of my break: Left humerus broken in 3 places. I was placed in a weighted cast to try to keep my bones, muscles, and nerves all aligned. I kid you not this sucker weighed about 15-20 pounds and was over an inch thick. I was told no work for another 2 weeks and went back to my parents.
It was a long 2 weeks of doing nothing because of how heavy my cast was. I went back for my follow up and my Doctor said everything was healing perfectly! I was beyond happy! It took 2 people to saw me out of my cast. I was then put into a small brace with a sling and made another follow up appointment for another 2 weeks. Still out of work and living at my parents.
I was loving the freedom the brace gave me but I was in a lot of pain. I went through the whole weekend with this pain and it not getting any better so after the weekend we went up for an emergency meet up with my doctor. He said he was so impressed by how I was healing he may have taken me out of my weighted cast too soon. So I was taken out of the brace and put back into a cast nut this one was a fiberglass cast so it was SOOO much lighter than my previous one. I got to pick a color - if you know me you know what I chose. Black. I was to come back in another 2 weeks again and continue to stay out of work.
I returned to the doctors 2 weeks later where he instructed me to stay in the cast another 10 days :-[ FINALLY on April 23 I was cast free!!!! I'm back in the arm brace and I will go back to see him in about 3-4 weeks - unfortunately he wasn't overly excited with my x-ray results so surgery is still a possibility if my one bone continues to mess with my nerves.
I came back to Albany, my life, and to my apartment this week and returned to work yesterday on a modified schedule: 4 hour work days for two weeks. So there you have it - my story from the beginning break to now. Here's a picture from my first day back at work which perfectly shows how I felt to be back:
I'd like to finish this post by stating I typed this entire thing with one hand and I'm exhausted.
Side Note: I have been asked by many people how it is living home again with my parents. I love my parents and we have a great relationship. As much as I hate losing my independence while healing I am loving this time I'm getting to spend with them. We've been laughing, crying, arguing, and making up all together and as terrible as this accident is, I feel blessed to have all of this time to spend with them. Thank you Mom and Dad. Not just for taking care of me through this but for everything you've already done for me and for the things you will do in the future for and with me. Infinite xoxo's
