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Damn it

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,580
2,005
Seattle
I basically lawn darted my shoulder into a tree. I did well to make sure that it wasn't my head. Collar bone's in 3 pieces. Full of suck.


And of course, it's my right. And I'm right handed.
 

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,580
2,005
Seattle
Bummer. Better than ligament damage!
True. The last 2ish hours when I was in the ER, I was in a room with 2 old religious Hispanic guys who were alternately trying to get me to pray with them, and going on about how how we all could be worse off because we had a full compliment of limbs and whatnot. While they were undoubtedly correct on that last point, I really just wanted them to STFU.
 

dhmike

Turbo Monkey
Dec 20, 2006
4,304
43
Boise Idaho
That's the suck Hab and good luck on the recovery.I'm sitting here with al and Linton @ the src awards they send there love.
 

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,580
2,005
Seattle
That's the suck Hab and good luck on the recovery.I'm sitting here with al and Linton @ the src awards they send there love.
Tell them I say thanks. I'm moving around relatively well today, which is good. Slept fine too.
 

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,580
2,005
Seattle
Hopefully they aren't going to make you see if it will heal on it's own. Just get the thing screwed together and be done with it.

The Cheese
The ER people seemed to think that letting it stick itself back together was the better idea, but it's also in 3 distinct and not very well aligned pieces, so I'm sort of skeptical. Need to see an orthopedist, and go from there.

Why do you think surgery is better than trying to let it heal on it's own?
 
Jul 28, 2003
657
0
Eat, ME
The ER people seemed to think that letting it stick itself back together was the better idea, but it's also in 3 distinct and not very well aligned pieces, so I'm sort of skeptical. Need to see an orthopedist, and go from there.

Why do you think surgery is better than trying to let it heal on it's own?
Nearly everyone I know who's busted collarbones ended up getting plates put in after wasting months waiting for it too heal on it's own. It's one thing if it's just cracked but usually they snap and it's a freakin' mess to try and align the pieces. Thankfully I've never busted collarbones, just ribs.

The Cheese
 

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,580
2,005
Seattle
surgery is the better long term option and also makes for faster stronger healing
Interesting. I sort of figured I'd need it when I saw the xrays, since the bits don't line up at all, but the er people seemed to think differently. I'll see what the orthopedist thinks, and go from there. My guess: I'm gonna be a cyborg.
 

Secret Squirrel

There is no Justice!
Dec 21, 2004
8,150
1
Up sh*t creek, without a paddle
The ER people seemed to think that letting it stick itself back together was the better idea, but it's also in 3 distinct and not very well aligned pieces, so I'm sort of skeptical. Need to see an orthopedist, and go from there.

Why do you think surgery is better than trying to let it heal on it's own?
Mine was only in two pieces that were relatively well aligned and in a bad place for surgery (pretty near the shoulder joint) so I saw an orthopod and he said to let it heal w/o surgery... Get that second opinion (i was in the ortho's office 2 days after the break). You'll be very glad you did either way.
 

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,580
2,005
Seattle
Mine was only in two pieces that were relatively well aligned and in a bad place for surgery (pretty near the shoulder joint) so I saw an orthopod and he said to let it heal w/o surgery... Get that second opinion (i was in the ortho's office 2 days after the break). You'll be very glad you did either way.
Cool. One of the 3 pieces mine's in is really small, and the break is in what I imagine is relatively easy place to operate on, since it's very close to the middle of the bone. I'm definitely going to see an ortho, though for a variety of reasons, I'm probably going to have to wait about a week to do it.
 

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,580
2,005
Seattle
I wish they had done surgery on mine. My left arm is now 1.5 inches shorter than my right because it healed incorrectly.
Just looked in the mirror. My right shoulder's a lot lower than my left one, and my right arm is thus at least an inch longer if they're hanging at my side.
 

mattmatt86

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2005
5,347
10
Bleedmore, Murderland
My collarbone healed overlapped which pulled my left shoulder in slightly. I have a big notch on my bone and I occasionally get a really bad piercing sensation from the broken area when weight lifting or sometimes when I'm putting a coat on or off. Can't say for certain in Surgery would have prevented this but I like to think it would have...
 

Pesqueeb

bicycle in airplane hangar
Feb 2, 2007
40,138
16,537
Riding the baggage carousel.
My guess: I'm gonna be a cyborg.
Its not nearly as cool as you think it might be. :think:


Just looked in the mirror. My right shoulder's a lot lower than my left one, and my right arm is thus at least an inch longer if they're hanging at my side.
Yup. I broke mine, along with my shoulder blade in a couple places when I got hit. Apparently they only opted not to do the whole plate and screw thing because they thought that since I was in a coma I wouldn't be moving around too much and it would heal on its own. :nope: I recommend the surgery, if mine didn't heal right while I spent 3 weeks on my back out cold, chances are yours isn't going to while your up and about. I recommend chasing vicodin with beer to heal faster.
 

kazlx

Patches O'Houlihan
Aug 7, 2006
6,985
1,957
Tustin, CA
Interesting. I sort of figured I'd need it when I saw the xrays, since the bits don't line up at all, but the er people seemed to think differently. I'll see what the orthopedist thinks, and go from there. My guess: I'm gonna be a cyborg.
Note to self: No trips requiring an airport with HAB or Mandown.
 

kazlx

Patches O'Houlihan
Aug 7, 2006
6,985
1,957
Tustin, CA
I was referring to having to go through a metal detector :)

That sucks though dude. I have known a few people that have broken collarbones and I hear it's right up there with ribs.
 

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,580
2,005
Seattle
I was referring to having to go through a metal detector :)

That sucks though dude. I have known a few people that have broken collarbones and I hear it's right up there with ribs.
Durr... slow on the uptake this morning.


I've cracked ribs and this is worse, but it's also more broken than my ribs were, so it's a little hard to say.
 

rockofullr

confused
Jun 11, 2009
7,342
924
East Bay, Cali
Oh oh, I broke mine too!

It healed without any special help and I was able to ski within 6 weeks (I was really careful not to fall), I had a clean break mid shaft so I guess I was lucky.

Honestly of all the bones to break I'm glad I did that one. It was way easier than when I broke my leg.
 

brungeman

I give a shirt
Jan 17, 2006
5,170
0
da Burgh
HAB, I am sorry bro, that sucks! painful injury for sure! The docs at the ER were like "no big deal" even though the bones were doing everything they could to pop themselves out of the skin.
this pic was taken 2 days after the break on my way to the Orthopedic docs office.



he said "we normally don't do anything with these and just let them heal themselves"... "but" he looks at me again and says "let me take a look at these x-rays"... pauses and said "thats not really an option, you have 1 bone that has turned into 5 pieces of bone and it will never line up right!" and he scheduled surgery.
before


after



I would say get the surgery, if it is an option, you will be back on the bike in ~8 weeks... there are some things that suck about it like wearing a back pack or camelback can rub the wrong way where the plate sticks out slightly which is irritating. But for the most part I wouls say surgery will get you back quicker.
 

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,580
2,005
Seattle
HAB, I am sorry bro, that sucks! painful injury for sure! The docs at the ER were like "no big deal" even though the bones were doing everything they could to pop themselves out of the skin.
this pic was taken 2 days after the break on my way to the Orthopedic docs office.



he said "we normally don't do anything with these and just let them heal themselves"... "but" he looks at me again and says "let me take a look at these x-rays"... pauses and said "thats not really an option, you have 1 bone that has turned into 5 pieces of bone and it will never line up right!" and he scheduled surgery.
before


after



I would say get the surgery, if it is an option, you will be back on the bike in ~8 weeks... there are some things that suck about it like wearing a back pack or camelback can rub the wrong way where the plate sticks out slightly which is irritating. But for the most part I wouls say surgery will get you back quicker.
Thanks for the info. Mine's not that bad, but it's not very well lined up either. How was the recovery time as far as day to day stuff goes? My car's a manual, so driving's kind of an issue, etc.
 

Mulestar

Turbo Monkey
Sep 18, 2007
1,061
0
in the dirt
I broke my left one a few years ago. Clean break in the middle but was aligned kinda funky. I didn't have surgery and it healed fine but I have a big lump on my left collarbone now. It was however, somewhat painful to lay on my left side or wear a heavy backpack for over a year. Its a weird and sensitive injury, but once the bones are back together its not too painful, and be thankful you don't have to wear a cast. I crashed on it hard enough since then to think I broke it again and it held so I guess I healed up all right. Heal up!
 

CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
12,862
4,159
Copenhagen, Denmark
I have broken both mine but only in one place and they healed fine by them self and healed really quickly. Getting an operation is no joke I have learned so would not rush into that unless it was really necessary.
 

RUFUS

e-douche of the year
Dec 1, 2006
3,480
1
Denver, CO
Nearly everyone I know who's busted collarbones ended up getting plates put in after wasting months waiting for it too heal on it's own. It's one thing if it's just cracked but usually they snap and it's a freakin' mess to try and align the pieces. Thankfully I've never busted collarbones, just ribs.

The Cheese
Broke mine twice and never got surgery. I am very glad that I let it just heal with no plates.