vicodin flexeril motrin OH YEAH!

[racermike]

fractured my wrist a few hours ago, and was very pianful experience

luckily, dr feelgood was on duty at the hospital, to apply splint, and gave me somy happy pills

(this kinda sucks typing with one hand)

[Rob]

(this kinda sucks typing with one hand)
You get used to it. ;)

Seriously though, I hope you're well again soon. How did you hurt yourself?

[racermike]

fell down an embankment at construction site (condos) where
i am helping my sister (real estate) hook up the pcs and wifi in the model home

walking back out of site, slipped on plastic over sidewalk, and took header 4 feet down into embankment, where new foundation for one of the units had been recently poured

bad contusion on left knee (watching it more close, as they concerned about circulation), and fracturung my left wrist on rebar

no cast, just a splint, with mri on monday once swelling goes down

had golf ball size welt on wrist where thumb joint is

was luck it was not worse, my phone ended up 6 feet away from me, and there was only a couple of workers working on units a few hundred feet away

was able to call for help

nobody would have seen me

[Rob]

:eek:

Well, if the painkillers wear off, just fantasize about a huge out-of-court settlement.

[Anteater]

I'm glad you didn't break your neck, racermike! :eek: Hope that you're good as new in no time.

[racermike]

doctor from hospital called earlier, said i need to come back in, as the surgeon on duty this morning confirmed there are two breaks, one with thumb joint, and another on wrist near thumb joint

mri tomorrow, and clearance from kaiser to get treated down here (no kaiser in southern oregon)

[TravelGal]

Not good Mike. I see serious money coming out of your pocket. Don't sign any releases until you've thought it all through. Best of luck dude.

>>>worried<<<

[Stu]

I see serious money coming out of your pocket.

>>>worried<<<

Not if Kaiser Oregon is anything like Kaiser Ohio. :thumbup:

[oddlycalm]

Sorry to hear Mike, major ouch. Glad they gave you some anti-owies. Glad you had your phone down there with you.


oc

[Andrew Longman]

Sorry to hear it.

Sounds crazy but it is said now that surgery is actually preferred these days over a cast for fractures. It does a better job of immobilizing the bone and you hear faster/better.

Be mindful of the happy pills. They are sneaky addictive. I have a friend that just revealed to me that he's hidden a pain pill addiction for about five years since he was given them for an injury from a minor car accident.

But get well :)

[TravelGal]

Sorry to hear it.

Sounds crazy but it is said now that surgery is actually preferred these days over a cast for fractures. It does a better job of immobilizing the bone and you hear faster/better.

Be mindful of the happy pills. They are sneaky addictive. I have a friend that just revealed to me that he's hidden a pain pill addiction for about five years since he was given them for an injury from a minor car accident.

But get well :)

Good advice. I was on Vicodin for a nerve in my neck problem. One day someone told me how addictive they are. I quit that day. Mind you, the pain was not all that bad by that time but I was darn lucky I didn't have more than a day or two of feeling "twitchy" as I weaned off the pills.

[Ankf00]

Vicodin never did {beep} for my pain, but 2 of them would sure knock me out for a while.

[racermike]

now going crazy stuck in the house for two days

going for a walk is hard, as the pain killers and muscle relaxers make me feel dizzy all the time (gonna try to find some all natural stuff at health food store tomrrow)

see ortho surgeon thursday, then i have no idea after that.

all i know, is even with meds, my hand hurts like a *&*&%^$

[KaBoom21]

I'm eight weeks out from having a kidney removed and, let me tell you, the first month was a pain medication-fuled haze. Dilaudid in the hospital was nice (who needs black tar heroin when you have access to that kind of firepower?) and ample refills of Vicodin (the 10mg are so much better than the 5 mg, especially when accompanied by a few glasses of wine).

I was never much of a pill-popper after my previous experiences with surgery, but really took to it this time around for some reason. Just stopped taking them and never looked back, but I can certainly see how some go through long-term dependency.

And I had no idea how many people are willing to pay you for the leftover Vicodin. Quite the secondary market going on. No one seems to be interested in the stool softener medication, though. :rofl:

[Gangrel]

Take care of yourself, Mike! Been a little over 4 years since the drunk driver tried to take me out. Broke my radius about 6 inches below the wrist and dislocated the wrist at the ulna. Commonly called a Galazzi fracture. The next day, they opened my arm up, shortened up the radius, set the wrist, then spaced out the radius to the proper length and set it with a 4 inch plate and 6 screws. Quite the piece of medical handiwork. ;)

Pain pills were great in that first week, but after that, didn't really feel like I needed them. They casted me a week later from halfway up the bicep to the knuckles. After 4 weeks, they recasted me from just below the elbow to the knuckles. After another 4 weeks, it was off with the cast and on to occupational therapy. Took about 7 months total before it pretty much felt some semblence of good as new...still a tiny bit of range of movement reduction, and big ugly scar on the forearm...but hey, chicks dig scars, no? :D

Hope all goes well with your recovery. Let us know what the ortho's thoughts are....

[KaBoom21]

oops

[racermike]

See doc tomorrow and get MRI, to get an idea how bad the fractures are (most likely nothing surgical for them), the big injury is called a "scapholunate separation", which are the ligaments in base of wrist, in which mine separated nearly 7mm, which most likely will need surgery.

[racermike]

Well, injury and prognosis is worse than i thought. Tore the scapho-lunate ligament nearly 4mm.

The ligament is 3 bones in the base of my wrist, which will need surgery. If i dont go the surgical route, i could endure very severe arthritis in 5-10 years.

Am pretty upset right now, as the realization that my job is in jeopardy for the remainder of spring/summer at a minimum.

I see an Orthopedic surgeon in portland next friday (9th), and will discuss my options. No surgery means I probably get back to work quicker, as compared to getting the surgery done, and being out a couple of more months. I want to get the surgery done asap, so i can be on the road to recovery.

Appreciate everyones support here. I have been lucky to not be seriously hurt ever in my life, so this is tough for me to deal with on more than one level right now.

At least i can still type decent with this brace on, so I can still get around the different forums and make people laugh, or, piss'em off!

[damiandoan]

Hi Mike, sorry to hear about your accident. Thinking about you...

DD

[Anteater]

Hope it goes well at the consultation next week!

[rabbit]

Bummer, Mike. I hope all goes well. My doctor has me on 800mg ibuprofen and Tylenol-3 right now. I slipped on some ice the other day and landed hard on my tailbone. I was in so much pain Thursday that I had to skip my classes because I couldn't sit down anymore. It was hurting so bad that I bumped into something and my legs buckled. I went in for x-rays and will find out today if I broke my coccyx or not. If so, Uncle Rico will have to watch the kids for a couple days.

[Gangrel]

Real bummer Mike. I feel for ya...Injuries suck!

[grungex]

That stinks. Best of luck, heal quickly...

[racermike]

surgery for sure now, either the 15th, or sometime the following week

gotta check on my transportation/housing situation over the weekend

nervous as hell now, as I have never had to be in the hospital for anything surgical. to make it worse, under full anethesia, which by itself kinda gives me the willies

with cast for 3 months, and 9 months rehab, both surgeons only estimate that I will only be able to move that wrist 35-55 degrees (normal is about 95 degrees). I did more damage to that ligament than they normally see with that injury.

[Cam]

surgery for sure now, either the 15th, or sometime the following week

gotta check on my transportation/housing situation over the weekend

nervous as hell now, as I have never had to be in the hospital for anything surgical. to make it worse, under full anethesia, which by itself kinda gives me the willies

with cast for 3 months, and 9 months rehab, both surgeons only estimate that I will only be able to move that wrist 35-55 degrees (normal is about 95 degrees). I did more damage to that ligament than they normally see with that injury.

Pre surgery tips.

When they wheel you into the operating room the surgical techs will ask what you are in for.

Tell them a boob job!

It makes them ROFL and makes the whole procedeure a lot easier.

Believe me... I did it! :D

[Sean O'Gorman]

Believe me... I did it! :D

How do they look?

[rabbit]

How do they look?

http://indymotorspeedway.com/06pics/IRLintro/sitebuilder/images/Image001-507x377.jpg

[Gangrel]

with cast for 3 months, and 9 months rehab, both surgeons only estimate that I will only be able to move that wrist 35-55 degrees (normal is about 95 degrees). I did more damage to that ligament than they normally see with that injury.


Don't listen to the doctors about your prognosis post-op. The occupational therapists know more about how you will come out than the surgeons do. Talk to them when you go see them. When I messed up my arm, the doc told me there was a better than even chance I will lose 50+% of the rotation in my wrist. After the cast came off and I went to my first OT session, the therapist looked at my arm and said "nonsense!" Two months later I had 95% of full range of motion.

The surgeon generally aims low on the "case scenereo" scale, probably because they don't want to get sued for malpractice if you don't come out on the better end of the scale. I almost didn't sign off on the surgery because of the prognosis I was given. The doc did a fine job of putting Humpty Dumpty back together again. ;)

[meadors]

Mike,

Hope all is going well. Not sure if you've made it back to PDX, but I live down here in SO, and wife has very good medical contacts. If we can do ANY thing let me know.
Sorry to hear about your fall, and hope to see you waving flags by June.

meadors, aka hobbes

[racermike]

Mike,

Hope all is going well. Not sure if you've made it back to PDX, but I live down here in SO, and wife has very good medical contacts. If we can do ANY thing let me know.
Sorry to hear about your fall, and hope to see you waving flags by June.

meadors, aka hobbes

Kaiser is going to authorize me to get rehab down in Grants Pass or Medford, not sure if they will recommend someone, or if I get to pick.

I am leaning towards getting this done thursday, even though my parents and sister are remodeling thier houses at the same time, and they are disaster areas, I just wanna get this overwith.

Sister up here is an ER Nurse, so she has been helping me prepare for this mentally.

[racermike]

Well I get a one week reprieve

Gonna happen on the thursday the 22nd now, rather than this thursday.

Based on new MRI, and visit to Neurologist today, there is also some nerve damage they want a closer look at before surgery. For the last 3-4 days, been having muscle spasms in 2 fingers and wrist, along with a little bit of numbness in pinky finger.

Just as I was getting psychologically ready to get this done thursday, it gets pushed back a week, so I have longer to think about it. I hate having to take the Vicodin and Flexeril, but the pain just gets unbearable at times.

22nd, gotta be there at Noon, surgery from 2:30p-6:00p, wake up around 7:30p, and hopefully on my way home by as late as 10-11p.

[racermike]

surgery tomorrow

Will try to post saturday, or sunday, depending on how I feel to update on how things went.

Will see if I can post my pre and post-op xrays

[dando]

Best of luck, RM. Sorry to hear about your travails. Hang in there. :thumbup:

Take care.

-Kevin

[oddlycalm]

Hope it goes well Mike. Sorry you're having to wait around for it to happen.

oc

[grungex]

Good luck, Mike, hang in there.

[Ankf00]

good luck buddy

[racermike]

Hospital just called

get to bump everything up 6 hours

6am checkin, surgery 8-11:30am, home around 3pm

They gotta deal with 2 pinched nerves, and the scapholunate separation. 2 or 3 pins inserted in wrist. Amazing surgery for wrist could take upwards of 3.5 hours.

[Joelski]

Tell them to rig a mirror so you can watch!

[TravelGal]

Just got off the phone with Mike's sister.

Things went really well. He is still in recovery at this moment but the doctor told her that they did not have to do a bone graft (which they were afraid they would have to), they put in 2 pins but they expect to be able to check them in 12-14 days and remove them if things are healing as well as they expect. They did not even put on a cast, just a splint.

More bulletins as they become availabe!

whew. good news!!! :thumbup: :D

[Gnam]

Glad it went smooth. :thumbup:

Hopefully, they'll give him some different drugs so this thread doesn't get stale. :p

[TravelGal]

Double WOW.

I just got off the phone with Mike!! He says to say hi to all his friends (and the rest of you lugs too, I suppose, but I'm making that part up). He also admitted that he feels like he just got run over by a truck.

A small clarification. They put on splint (hand to elbow) so that they can look at it again when the swelling goes down from the operation. At that point, they expect to be able to remove the pins and to put on the cast.

He hopes to be back on line in a few days.

Oh, and yes, Gnam, they gave something super duper but he can't quite remember the name at the moment...........:D

[Anteater]

Thank you for the reports, TravelGal! Please tell racermike "Hi and have a speedy recovery" for us! :)

[racermike]

anetehesia is kicking my ass ,,, i feel like shiat

glad its over, back on the air late this weekend, thanks for all the thoughts and prayers, as i really needed it

[nrc]

Hope you're feeling better soon. :thumbup:

[TravelGal]

anetehesia is kicking my ass ,,, i feel like shiat

glad its over, back on the air late this weekend, thanks for all the thoughts and prayers, as i really needed it

Holy Crap (remember that guy from 7G days?) anyway, I said a few days and Mike pops up in a few HOURS. Way to GO!

Now GO back to bed. This is your (online) mother speaking.

[Joelski]

anetehesia is kicking my ass ,,, i feel like shiat

glad its over, back on the air late this weekend, thanks for all the thoughts and prayers, as i really needed it

Diprovan: Milk of amnesia. :D

[racermike]

Diprovan: Milk of amnesia. :D

not sure what it was that i got first

once they had iv in my right wrist, anethesioloist injected something that did make me very relaxed, once i got into the OR, they asked me a few questions in which they put me to sleep (dont remember falling asleep at all)

[Joelski]

not sure what it was that i got first

once they had iv in my right wrist, anethesioloist injected something that did make me very relaxed, once i got into the OR, they asked me a few questions in which they put me to sleep (dont remember falling asleep at all)

Pre-ops are usually demerol or versed. Narcs and benzos will make you plenty relaxed. Next is the diprovan whitch knocks you clear the hell out and reverses as soon as the drip is stopped. After that, you get a quick combination of atropine to dry secretions and succinylcholine to paralyze you; it blocks motor impulses. After that you get a long-acting paralytic and the diprovan rolls on to keep you quiet and forgetful. Cheers! :)

The entire procedure can be done with just the Dip, but then you'd scream a lot (although you wouldn't remember a thing), and we like quiet patients. :D

Anesthesia = No sensation

Analgesics = no pain
Amnesics = no memory
Paralytics = no movement

Enjoy!

[Gnam]

Analgesics = no pain
How do they administer that one? ;)

I guess the memory loss helps prevent uncomfortable silences in the post-op.

[Joelski]

How do they administer that one? ;)

I guess the memory loss helps prevent uncomfortable silences in the post-op.


Uhhhhhhh... Heh-heh. uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...........

What did he say? :confused: [/fiveyearold]

[racermike]

Went to Portland today for first post-op. Had have splint/plaster cast removed, and stitches removed.

I only glanced once at the incision, and the THREE pins sticking out of my wrist. Somehow I dont have a problem seeing others, but looking at myself with that was hard.

X-rays checked out good, and the area where the two ligaments were torn were back down to being at about half a millimeter between the bones (where they should be), compared to the 4 mm scapholunate separation that I had pre-surgery.

Got myself a pretty blue fiberglass cast (they were out of carbon fiber :D )

I have to have this cast around april 5th, and one more cast to be on until late May when I have the pins removed. (Gonna have fun and go with the "salmon" color next).

Now its just healing time, and got one more prescription filled for oxycodone, even though I am down to 2-4 per day (mostly at bedtime), compared to the 6-7 per day I was taking for a week after surgery. A lot of pain and muscle spasms to endure for awhile, which is normal.

Until then, its just healing time

[racermike]

6 week post op yesterday, and xrays look good

Here is a photo of what my cast looks like. There is actually some coban wrap around the wrist, because new cast they cut hole over where pins are, so I can take apart and clean with peroxide everyday. (I will post a photo of that tomorrow, but will link it so those of you that really dont want to see it dont have to)

http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/6033/img2024cs8.jpg