* pain blog ~ part 2 *

~ December 03rd 2008 ~

I'm back! Sorry to those who have been waiting for updates but I had been putting it off as I did not have sufficient time to sit and blog. It's funny how when you hurt your arm and suddenly you have so many things to do especially with that arm and you can't or can but in limited ways.....
or hurt your leg and suddenly you have places to go or drive to.....

Anyway, continuing from where I stopped or shall I say slept off...;). I woke up with a terrible stiff arm set at an almost 90 degrees angle. The pain was of course unbearable when I tried to get up. Wincing loudly as I tried to get up on my good side as gently as possible, my face all scrunched up from the sharp shooting pain as it moved against my rather clumsy efforts to be gentle.  

My sleeping off of course did not get me to my painkillers earlier hence the pain. I looked at the time and text messaged  mum to come get me for an X-ray somewhere. Told her to take her time as I was going to take a shower first and it would be quite a while. It was not so bad as it was like reliving the time I fractured my elbow at the ' neck of the radius '  some years back.

However, trying to keep the arm in the non painful angle all the time was hard work as you fight against gravity and at that time, a little bit of dead weight. It was a lot of flinching and groaning as I finished and toweled dry and put on my clothes. By the time I was done, felt like I needed another shower from all the sweat.

I fished out my old arm sling. A dark blue cover with white trimmings and strap. Look closer and you'll see some amateurish paws and bones embroidered in a corner and a little pocket sewn on the inside. I did those the last time for my wallet and cash. Heh heh. That sling helped me keep the arm in place but the pain did not stop there. It came at the slightest wrong turn of the wrist or the position and angling of the arm when I walked or bent over or ANYTHING!!!

So...mum came, all concerned and I told her it was ok and bearable and got my neighbour to come help when my two kids came over. They told us to go to the Government Clinic near my place instead of the General hospital where we may be stuck in traffic to get there and waiting would take ages, etc.

Thanking them we went to the nearer one, asked a nurse coming out from her parked car if they had x-ray facilities to which she said yes. Thanking her, we joined the queue. Doors opened around 0800 hours and I was number 1019. That's good I thought. 18 in front of me, not a long wait. 

Being my first time, we watched what everyone did and asked someone if I had to see someone to register or follow everyone else and attach IC (Identity Card) with number in the basket? It was as everyone else and when your number is called, you then register at the counter. Whilst waiting for the counters to open, I approached a nurse asking how long would I have to wait as I explained my predicament. She said I would need to register first and then wait till a doctor sees me. I was politely trying to ask if I could go first as I was sort of an emergency case...??? I suppose the 'lovely' sling threw them off the urgency of the situation despite my recital....

Anyway, I eventually saw a doctor who spoke very little and so softly and she sent me for Xray where I think I was the first for the day. The guy was very helpful as he asked me to place my arm at certain angles and it was a valiant effort on my part to please him without spouting unmentionables at him to hurry up while my arm was trembling at the painful angling to get the right xrays to detect any fractures or dislocations. After two shots, I retrieved my sling and he was surprised at how I came about one so soon as I had earlier storied him my dumb fall and he chided me for not going straight away to the hospital to get it checked out.

Then he noticed my little handiwork and was impressed. Ahem. ;P

Errr....reasons why I didn't do so was I did not think it was serious as my bone was not sticking out of my skin nor was my arm distorted; I did not want to call mum at that hour to take me to the hospital, nor bother my neighbours next. Maybe if I was bleeding or something then I would have but .....yeah, got an earful for not calling as well. Sigh...

So anyway, he called me in a second time for a 3rd xray just to confirm and soon sent me back to the doctor. She promptly said no broken bones and put it down to soft tissue injury which she said could take longer to heal than broken bones sometimes. She added she was in a sling for almost two months with this type of injury before. Not reassuring. Haha

Breathing a sigh of relief, mum and I thanked her and waited for my meds. A strip of painkillers which the pharmacist said sternly, " Bila sakit sahaja. " (" only when in pain "). Yeah right, like I was gonna be hooked! And a strip of tabs for the swelling. Oh by the way, I did not wake up looking like a budding wrestler on my right arm but more like a oddly fattened arm.

Smiling, we went back to my place, the sight of the kids brightened up whatever dark clouds hovering earlier and mum left for a lunch appointment whilst I tried to get back to my daily routine as close as possible. Thank goodness baby B comes with her maid and that was a big help. I tried to feed baby B but the pain was really bad because of the way I had to position myself so I left it to her, apologising she had to do more for awhile.

I kept forgetting to take my meds. Pain killers I preferred not to and took only when I seriously felt it was inhibiting me from my work. The sling was a boon but also a hot spot for me as it got quite warm in there and my hand was mostly damp inside it. Having to take it off a few times to cool off was painful too.

But I did not complain much, merely winced and flinched alot when I forgot myself. I was dumb enough to start the fall, I was not going to gripe about it but  just have a good laugh that I got off easy.

Day two, the arm was able to do a 120 degrees angle and by day 4, almost straight. The wrist however was a problem as I could not turn it fully without affecting the elbow joint where I would be seeing eensy weensy teenie little stars as the pain shot along the nerves to the elbow to convey it's message ' Don't turn this way! '. I was driving by the end of the week, careful not to turn the arm in weird circles. Heh heh.

Friends were asking about my arm and this was my standard reply.... " Oh, it's much better now. I can carefully straighten it out but I can't get it to beg for alms position! " That caused a few eyebrows to either shoot up with loud 'ha ha's or furrow in 'huh??!'.

Today, exactly two weeks since.... I finally sent a text to my insurance guy. They sent me a claim form to fill out but I felt it ridiculous to do so. Here's the text - 'Aiyo...been trying to sms but never finished it n also forgot when free...Anyway how to claim? I went to govt clinic, xrayed, no broken bones or dislocation, given pain killers and other for reducing swellin. All in all paid RM1.00 only. Claim apa? (apa=what) Never mind la. Keep for bigger claims Othrws hq will write me off. Thanks. My arm is better now, able to do beggin position today or maybe its the pain killer I took ystrday. Hahaha'.

Yep, a doctor friend gave me this 24 hours pain killer and I think it is doing its magic. However I found some bruising on the outer side of my elbow at the end of week one and now another on the inner side a few days ago. Strange way to show improvement no?

I admit to be straining the arm with baby B and stuff. Can't stay quiet and I can't NOT pick up baby B....my left arm's been feeling the strain since as it is not my strong side. Hence the one pain killer.

Guess who's benefitting from all this? Guzz's little buddy whom I have been calling the ' pupster ' as in pup + ster from gangster. He's still 'gardening' and flees when I make discoveries and that's all he's been getting cos I can't smack him with my bad arm and the left is not strong enough for a proper impacted smack! So he gets the feeble attempts to hold him in place while I rain threats and unmentionable intelligibles into his one standing ear!

Moral of these stories, do not attempt what I did and you will NOT have to go through the limited consequences like I am now. SIGH..........but life goes on and it's always gonna be a laugh for me cos crying ain't getting me anywhere better.

Thanks for checking in. Peace! ;)