So, I do believe that I'm the second person on this forum in recent days to luck out by fracturing their hand. I know that butzie has a fractured hand (which, I didn't see that post until today, so major hugs to her
). And, now I can add myself to that very unfortunate list.
My friend picked me up yesterday afternoon so that we could have coffee and talk. Her mom died a few weeks ago and she's having a difficult time and so I went over sometime after 5:00pm. She only had about an hour before she had to pick up her son from a play date, but it would have been enough time for her to get things off her chest and have someone listen for a bit. Except that's not what happeed...
I had to use the restroom and so I did while she went outside to have a cigarette. And, as I was coming out of the door and then trying to close it behind me, her dog (a large, bumbling lab) came running over to see me and wound up jumping on the door -- thus, crushing my hand between the frame and the door in the process. I yelled out, but that only seemed to make him think that I was playing with him and he continued to jump at the door. I couldn't free my hand, my friend was outside and couldn't hear the commotion, and the dog, who just thought we were having fun, didn't understand that he was hurting me. Each time he'd let up, I'd try to yank my hand out, but he'd jump again and crush my hand once more. It was terrible! Finally, after what seemed like ages (but, was likely just a minute or two at the most) my friend came back in the house. She saw what happened and pulled her dog away which allowed me to free my hand. At first, it didn't seem too bad. It was numb, really. She asked me if I wanted to go to the ER or urgent care, but I said I was fine and she drove me home...apologizing all the way.
Once home, my hand began to swell. A lot. And, it started to take on a weird color. The bulk of the pain was coming from the knuckle at the base of my index finger and I wondered if I had broken it. But, since that bone is hard to break, I figured it was just bruised and decided to take some Ibuprofen and ice it. By the time my roommate got home from work, my hand looked horrible. There was major swelling right below the knuckles on my index and middle fingers and both fingers also seemed to be swollen and painful. I also had a difficult time moving my hand and I had developed pain that would shoot up into my elbow. So, off to urgent care I went. And, about 2 hours later, I emerged with a fractured hand in a fiberglass spint.
As it turns out, that knuckle I thought had been broken was, indeed, fractured. My middle finger was also fractured at the second knuckle. The swelling was so bad that the doctors had a difficult time reading my x-rays, but they believe there's at least one more small fracture around my index finger. But, worse than all that, they think it's very likely that my scaphoid/navicular is broken. There were some indications of a fracture there, but it couldn't be 100% confirmed due to all of the swelling. Basically, my hand looked a mess and until I see the orthopedic surgeon a week from Monday and get a second set of x-rays taken, I won't know the full scope of my injuries.
They couldn't put me in a plaster cast due to the swelling and so I have a fitted fiberglass splint with immobilizes my hand, wrist, and forearm along with my fingers (to some extent) and my thumb. It is, basically, a half cast as the top of my hand, where the injuries and swelling is most severe, is wrapped. It can all be removed while I shower and so I'm grateful for that, but, for the rest of the time, it cannot be taken off. Depending on how my second set of films look, I could be facing surgery and time in a plaster cast, but I'm hoping I can avoid that and stick with this setup for the 4-6 weeks it'll take to heal. I refused pain meds last night and have been in agony ever since and so I had my doctor call in some medication this morning. I am going to work and have a doctor's note stating that I can work despite my injuries, but it'll be difficult since I work in a vet clinic where everything is done with my hands. Thankfully, it was my left hand/wrist and so I should be okay. But, none of this is fun and I'm cranky and tired and...who knows...
I don't have insurance, but my medical bills are being taken care of. I guess homeowner's insurance helps in this type of scenario. And, if it doesn't, my friend has made it clear she will pay for my medical expenses -- and will not take no for an answer. Her dog is such a sweetheart and I feel bad as he would never intentionally hurt someone, but it is what it is. This whole situation is what it is. And, you know what? I don't very much like it. C'est la vie, though. I guess.
My friend picked me up yesterday afternoon so that we could have coffee and talk. Her mom died a few weeks ago and she's having a difficult time and so I went over sometime after 5:00pm. She only had about an hour before she had to pick up her son from a play date, but it would have been enough time for her to get things off her chest and have someone listen for a bit. Except that's not what happeed...
I had to use the restroom and so I did while she went outside to have a cigarette. And, as I was coming out of the door and then trying to close it behind me, her dog (a large, bumbling lab) came running over to see me and wound up jumping on the door -- thus, crushing my hand between the frame and the door in the process. I yelled out, but that only seemed to make him think that I was playing with him and he continued to jump at the door. I couldn't free my hand, my friend was outside and couldn't hear the commotion, and the dog, who just thought we were having fun, didn't understand that he was hurting me. Each time he'd let up, I'd try to yank my hand out, but he'd jump again and crush my hand once more. It was terrible! Finally, after what seemed like ages (but, was likely just a minute or two at the most) my friend came back in the house. She saw what happened and pulled her dog away which allowed me to free my hand. At first, it didn't seem too bad. It was numb, really. She asked me if I wanted to go to the ER or urgent care, but I said I was fine and she drove me home...apologizing all the way.
Once home, my hand began to swell. A lot. And, it started to take on a weird color. The bulk of the pain was coming from the knuckle at the base of my index finger and I wondered if I had broken it. But, since that bone is hard to break, I figured it was just bruised and decided to take some Ibuprofen and ice it. By the time my roommate got home from work, my hand looked horrible. There was major swelling right below the knuckles on my index and middle fingers and both fingers also seemed to be swollen and painful. I also had a difficult time moving my hand and I had developed pain that would shoot up into my elbow. So, off to urgent care I went. And, about 2 hours later, I emerged with a fractured hand in a fiberglass spint.
As it turns out, that knuckle I thought had been broken was, indeed, fractured. My middle finger was also fractured at the second knuckle. The swelling was so bad that the doctors had a difficult time reading my x-rays, but they believe there's at least one more small fracture around my index finger. But, worse than all that, they think it's very likely that my scaphoid/navicular is broken. There were some indications of a fracture there, but it couldn't be 100% confirmed due to all of the swelling. Basically, my hand looked a mess and until I see the orthopedic surgeon a week from Monday and get a second set of x-rays taken, I won't know the full scope of my injuries.
They couldn't put me in a plaster cast due to the swelling and so I have a fitted fiberglass splint with immobilizes my hand, wrist, and forearm along with my fingers (to some extent) and my thumb. It is, basically, a half cast as the top of my hand, where the injuries and swelling is most severe, is wrapped. It can all be removed while I shower and so I'm grateful for that, but, for the rest of the time, it cannot be taken off. Depending on how my second set of films look, I could be facing surgery and time in a plaster cast, but I'm hoping I can avoid that and stick with this setup for the 4-6 weeks it'll take to heal. I refused pain meds last night and have been in agony ever since and so I had my doctor call in some medication this morning. I am going to work and have a doctor's note stating that I can work despite my injuries, but it'll be difficult since I work in a vet clinic where everything is done with my hands. Thankfully, it was my left hand/wrist and so I should be okay. But, none of this is fun and I'm cranky and tired and...who knows...
I don't have insurance, but my medical bills are being taken care of. I guess homeowner's insurance helps in this type of scenario. And, if it doesn't, my friend has made it clear she will pay for my medical expenses -- and will not take no for an answer. Her dog is such a sweetheart and I feel bad as he would never intentionally hurt someone, but it is what it is. This whole situation is what it is. And, you know what? I don't very much like it. C'est la vie, though. I guess.
