Falling Down: A Chronicle of the Broken

On 2nd February 2011, on the eve of the Lunar New Year, I was at my parents' house in Penang looking forward to our reunion dinner and the following festivities. The Universe had a different plan in mind however (if I had a Facebook account, I would so un-friend The Universe). I was going to follow my dad on a walk to a nearby sundry shop to get some stuff. Barely out of the gate, I tripped or slipped and fell forward. My right arm broke the fall and the fall returned the favour. It's been four weeks and the fracture has healed. The after-effects of the fracture and the accompanying sprain are still with me and I'm due to start physiotherapy which I'll cover in another post.

A few days in, as a distraction from the pain, I started writing a little journal of the first two weeks or so of my little misadventure on my phone (it's much easier to type on a tiny keyboard when one arm can't move). I present for your reading pleasure, my writings (with little editing), so that I may remember how I felt back then and to share my tale of misery with the world. The writing may seem a little abrupt and choppy (I'm cranky when I'm uncomfortable). Tenses and such may also be a bit jumbled as I wrote in spurts at different times of the day (usually at night).

Day 1
CNY eve. Accompanied Dad to the minimart. Made mistake of running. Just outside the gate - tripped or slipped... Can't remember which. Next I'm on the ground. Saw my right forearm twist far beyond what nature intended. The pain was... bad... very bad. Family brought me inside. Ice assuaged the pain slightly.

Debated going to the hospital. Family thought I should go. Pain was intense so I did not object. Fashioned a makeshift sling from a bolster case. Got to Gleneagles Medical Centre Accidents and Emergencies. They put my arm in a sling and took x-rays. The machine was big and scary. Felt like I was in a starship sickbay. It hurt to straighten my arm for the machine. Photos were mercifully quick while the radiologist took refuge in a little room.

Was surprised to hear the doctor say there was a small fracture of the radius at the elbow joint. I never felt any pain in the bone and I thought it was only a bad twist. Seems my arm was straight and my radius and humerus collided and the latter proved victorious in the battle.

Prognosis : 3 weeks in a half cast. Healing would be natural, thankfully.

They fitted my arm from my wrist to a few inches beyond my elbow with what they called a back slab. It was this weird slab that they applied water to, put in place and let harden with the sling to keep the shape in the meantime.

Got a week's supply of Panadeine as a painkiller. Decided in advance not to take it if at all possible. Still confident pain would pass.

Reunion dinner that night was mediocre. My condition also put a big damper on things.

Only lasted the rest of the day. Come bedtime the pain was pretty bad from the twisting. I took the painkilers and went to bed.

Day 2
Chinese New Year's day. Should be a happy day, but I was far from happy. Couldn't get comfortable with the cast and sling last night, so my sleep wasn't great.

Simple lunch at home then dinner at an uncle's house. My arm feels like it's on fire and weighs a ton. Simple things like brushing my teeth and putting on pants are big productions. I did manage to shave although getting the cap off the foam bottle and getting the foam out were quite challenging. Weird to have to ask for help to open bottles and jars.

Trying to be as cheerful as possible although it's uncomfortable. I couldn't wear the expensive long-sleeved Dockers shirt I bought because it would be weird with my right arm so fat. Had to make do with one of my dad's old 'new' short-sleeved shirts. Getting the shirt on was quite the production as well but it was successful with help from my sisters.

The cast is really uncomfortable and starting to itch. Still can't get comfortable in bed. Using a pillow on my right to rest my elbow and provide some buffer against turning on my side in the night.

Day 3
Woke up at around 3am. Pain in the shoulder from the awkward positioning and the heavy cast is getting really bad. I've had shoulder pain for ages but this is a whole new level.

We're having people over today. I managed to get into the new T-shirt my sister got me. Took some figuring out to find the correct way to get the shirt on. Still have pain from the twisted arm as well as my shoulder. Strangely no pain from the fracture. Reluctantly took some painkillers. They seem to dull the pain somewhat.

A friend I haven't seen in a long time came to the house and gave me a nifty Star Trek insignia badge he got while he was in Canada since ThinkGeek doesn't ship to Malaysia. On a side note: Why do you hate us, ThinkGeek?

On a positive note, the curry and satay we had catered were pretty good; especially the fat-free satay.

The itchiness is getting to me. I swear this cast was sent by unholy demons to vex me. Started using a chopstick to scratch but afraid to scratch too hard lest I injure my skin unknowingly.

After the guests leave, another fitful night. My mood is deteriorating in inverse proportion to my rising shoulder pain. The arm itself doesn't hurt much.


Day 4
Woke up in the middle of the night to more pain. Slept without the sling attached without meaning to. Marginal improvement. Stopped taking painkiller last night.

Lunch at my uncle's place. Discomfort the whole time. Went to Gurney Plaza to buy Mom a new phone. Car ride was so hot. I long for a shower. Got the SE Cedar... cute phone.

Pain in the shoulder is driving me nuts.

Dinner of leftover curry and satay. Got a sharp pain in the muscles? Tendons? Can't prove causality but I had just drunk some iced Coke. Could be the acidity or the cold. No more cold / soft drinks for me.

Shoulder pain getting really bad. Took painkiller again.

Decided to start writing this. Keeps my mind off the pain.

Painkillers seem to work on the shoulder pain. Think I'll sleep with the sling off tonight.

Day 5
Woke at 0330 in a fair amount of shoulder pain. Even my bicep aches when squeezed. Didn't think that was possible. Should have taken painkiller at a later hour before bed. Eventually got back to sleep.

Spent most of the day wallowing in pain and discomfort. I'm not usually one to wallow in self-pity, but I'm perfectly open to wallowing in pain. A bit of TV broke the monotony. Had dinner out. Was in a fair bit of discomfort the whole time. Food was better than the reunion dinner although it's the same restaurant. Cheaper too. Took painkillers after dinner about 2030. Hope it lasts through the night.

Slept with the sling off. Still hard to get comfortable. Arm flat across the abdomen with elbow resting on a pillow to my right seems a far compromise between comfort and security. Painkillers doing their work to dull the shoulder ache.

Day 6
Woke at 0436 but pain was not that bad. Went back to sleep and woke at 0900. Didn't have the intense shoulder pain. To maintain the balance of the Universe, I got a headache instead. Hopefully coffee will help. Took painkillers after breakfast of eggs and baked beans.

My sister returns to KL this afternoon - without me. Sent her to the airport. Strange to say, but I'm sad about not being able to go back to work.

Sent SMS notifications to some close colleagues to tell them I'm off for the week. Received some well wishes. Some people working today. Got some enquiries by phone, so I feel slightly useful. I'm not much use without my laptop though.

Rest of the day spent doing nothing much. Painkillers dulling any pain but still can't shake the feeling that there should be pain though I can't feel it.

I have an appointment with the doctor tomorrow afternoon.

Day 7
Woke up at 7am. Finally, a full night of sleep. Plenty of discomfort but no real pain. Friend of my father visited. She had a broken wrist from a fall. Plenty of that going around. Another member of the broken tribe joining my great aunt and my cousin who also broke sections of their arms recently.

Waited about two hours to see the doctor. Saw a few other broken people there. Oddly comforting to know I'm not the only accident-prone one. When I finally saw the doctor, they removed the bandages and the back-slab. It's hard to describe how I felt, but let me just say that having air on my skin after 168 hours wrapped in a hot itchy bandage is a most luxurious feeling. The doctor looked over my arm and said it would heal and I didn't need the cast any more. I would have leapt for joy if it wouldn't have made me look like a complete idiot. I had almost given up on feeling comfortable again for weeks to come.

I was advised to do minor exercises within the pain threshold. I still can't lift my forearm under its own power or turn my wrist much. I was prescribed an anti-swelling drug (Danzen) and more Panadeine. Still need the sling for support.

My skin has a rash from the bandage but being able to scratch itches that have been building up for a week is positively sublime.

My sling is itchy from the fibres of the bandage. Pro tip: Get a new sling if your bandaged arm has been in it for a week. I lined it with an old pillowcase for now.

The rash on my skin is subsiding.

My mood has improved several orders of magnitude. I feel almost normal. Took the anti-swelling pill but skipping the painkillers. Leaving the sling on tonight. Should be ok without the cast.

2am... Better sleep.

Day 8
Note to self: Don't sleep with sling on. Woke at at 4am with bad pain in the shoulder. Guess the painkillers were masking the pain quite well since I used almost the same position last night.

Tried to move my arm a bit. Still weak but the pain-free range is increasing when assisted by my left hand. Without the painkiller and the overwhelming discomfort of the cast, I can feel the dull ache of the twisted muscles in my forearm and elbow.

No real pain all day. Went to the market with my parents. Bought a new sling - feels much better than that old itchy thing. Only took the painkiller at night.

Tried to move my arm again later. Managed to move under my own power a teeny bit. Quite pleased with that.

Day 9
Woke up at 7-ish without pain. Thanks Panadeine.

Took my first shower in a week. Soooooooooo nice. Did it with the new sling on and let it get totally soaked. Managed to put on a new t-shirt and my freshly washed old sling without help.

An aunt is coming to visit today. Going out for dinner.

Food was fairly good. There was air batu campur for dessert but I dared not eat it for fear of a repeat of the Coke Incident.

Days 10-12
Uneventful days. I still wake up with pain in the shoulder muscles. I still wear the sling at night to limit my movement. I'm taking Panadeine only at night. Its efficacy seems reduced with only one dose a day.

I continue to gain more moblity in my arm. Doing the minor exercises as the doc recommended. I can now hold my arm at 90 degrees without the sling. I still cannot extend or contract my arm much without pain. I'm holding off on more rigorous exercise until the x-ray confirms the fracture has healed. There is still no pain from the fracture but there is a faint dull ache in the muscles.

I return to KL tomorrow. Probably returning to work on Wednesday. Gonna have to take a cab for a while. I'm still debating coming back to Penang for the x-ray next week. Seems wasteful but I would prefer to see the same doctor. Still have a while to decide although I'm leaning towards it.

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That's where I stopped writing regularly. In the end, I decided to do the checkup at KL, but that's a tale for another post. Looking back, it sure was sucky being broken. I hope this serves as a cautionary tale. Moral of the story: Walk safe!