A Bad Break

On Nov. 14, 2009, my horse spooked while we were out near the highway. I fell off and landed on my left hand. Even though the pain was severe and the horse was jittery, I managed to get back up in the saddle and return to the ranch. The ranch owner gave me some ice for my arm. I called Daniel, who came to help me with the horse. He wanted to take me to a walk in clinic, but I declined. Later, I thought Mark should take a look at it since he has lots of experience with bones. After showering and changing, I waited for Mark and Della to stop by. He suggested I visit a walk in clinic, too. The doctor at the clinic took x-rays. He said it wasn't broken, so he wrapped it and gave me instructions. He suggested that I check with my orthopedic doctor on Monday. Dr. Patterson's receptionist said he could not see me until Dec., so I made an appointment with an orthopedic doctor near my work place. He could not see me until Tuesday. He took x-rays and concluded that I had a collie fracture, which needed a cast. When I mentioned in passing that Dr. P couldn't see me, he called Dr. P's office and made an appointment for me. The next day, Dr. P checked my wrist, took x-rays, and told me it was such a bad break that I would need surgery. He planned to be out of the country in just a few days, so he referred me to Dr. Hess in Tampa. I hoped to have Dr. P do the surgery, but he said it couldn't wait until his return. Thursday, I went to Brandon to see Dr. Hess. He confirmed that it was a bad break and needed surgery. He said I would need an incision on both sides of my wrist and some plates and bone chips. The Tuesday before Thanksgiving, my surgery went well. I only needed an incision on the back side of my wrist. He also did a carpal tunnel release on my left palm. The block for the pain in my arm wore off before we arrived at home. Man, that felt weird! The pain was quite severe, so I took lots of pain medication. Although I was thankful for a good surgery, I didn't enjoy my food or family much on Thanksgiving Day. The pain medication made me sleepy. I did not work much in December. My physical therapy sessions were twice a week for about a month. The physical therapists expected hard work and no excuses or complaining. I learned a lot from my recovery. A person can do much more than he/she thinks possible by not giving up or giving in. Pain is my friend, maybe not my best friend; but it serves an important service. I had a second surgery at the end of July in 2010 to remove the plate, which was irritating my ligament. The second time, I did solo physical therapy. I am happy to say that I have full use of my hand. I praise God for working many good things out of this bad break. I am reminded of Romans 8:28-29. I am thankful for God's leading me to the right treatment of my wrist. Had I gone with the first or second prognosis, I probably wouldn't be able to use my dominant hand properly. I am thankful for insurance, even though it was not the best plan available. I am thankful for family members that did many of my chores while I was incapacitated. I am thankful for all the medical staff that helped me through all the visits, surgeries, and procedures.I think I learned patience through this difficult time. I also learned that I can trust God to take care of me no matter what circumstances come my way. I am back in the saddle now. I had my saddle resurfaced with suede so that it is not so slippery. And I wear a riding helmet, too.