Elbow Update

I had an appointment today to have my giant pink cast removed and to determine the next step in my treatment. The choices on the table were...

1. Get a fiber glass cast for a few weeks
2. Put a bandage on and let it heal itself

The doctor ended up going with #2 which made me really nervous. As soon as they took the cast off, I felt dizzy and sick to my stomach. I was really afraid to move my arm and it hurt to put the elastic bandage on. Supposedly this type of broken bone is best to treat without a cast so you don't develop stiffness in the joint. However then you read stuff like this. I don't have a follow-up appointment. I am just supposed to stretch it and work on the range of movement. I didn't get a list of exercises or anything like that. She just said to extend it, rotate it, and avoid lifting heavy things. I am allowed to do exercises like walking or the recumbent bike. If it doesn't get better in 4-6 weeks I should call about physical therapy.

I took a nap after getting back and feel better now. At least I can type and wear normal clothes. I cannot straighten or curl my elbow all the way, and it does hurt to rotate my hand. Ironically my European patent law mentor at work had the same injury two years ago. He actually had the same history of injuries because he had broken the wrist of the same arm as a child and the elbow as an adult...just like me. They never gave him a cast at any point in his treatment and it took 6 months to not hurt everyday. He showed me that he still can't extend it all the way.

So I am nervous, but happy to not have a huge cast. I have painkillers and I know the gym at work offers some kind of rehabilitation class so maybe they might know some exercises to do. I just feel kind of weird having a broken bone and nothing to really stabilize it. We fly to the UK on the 23rd to visit Charles' family and I go back to work on January 3rd so I guess I will try to take it easy until then.