drat - shattered scapula

[maillotpois]

Doing Alpine Dam loop yesterday - a 30 mile lots of climbing ride up Mt. Tam, I slipped on a very wet corner and got a fun filled ambulance ride to Marin General where I stayed for about 6 hours. The paramedics and nurses/doctors were great, and I was fortunately with DH, his sister and our friend Renee who's a doctor when I crashed. (Well, okay, renee's a dermatologist, but she assured me that the place on my face I used as a brake pad won't scar.)

I have a comminuted fracture of the scapula (many pieces). Yippee. Our Death Ride team is shaping up, and I think I will be excellent SAG support for the first month or so.

I get a week off completey then will be re-introducing myself to Coach Troy.

It was going to be a taper year anyway... :rolleyes:

[Wahine]

Ouch. I'm sorry to hear this. That's a very painful injury. It should heal well though and good on ya for thinking about getting reaquainted with coach Troy ASAP. A friend of mine who was a CAT 1 rider had the same type of fracture with some grade 3 road rash, it happened close to the end of the season so she just bailed. She spent a lot of time on her trainer in the off season and came back stronger the next year.

Good luck and I hope you feel free to vent here. It'll help.

[maillotpois]

Hey thanks! Right now it only hurts when the bone pieces rub together the wrong way. Once the knitting starts I am sure it will be better.

I am sure I will also get some good PT as well. :rolleyes:

[salsabike]

Jeez! I'm sorry. Sheesh. In case you needed more medical experiences...

[Blueberry]

Ouch MP! I'm really sorry to hear about that.... Good news on the scarring, and that you can be back on the trainer that quickly, but take care of yourself!!!

CA

[aka_kim]

Sh!t Sarah. Can't you stay healthy for, say, 24 months straight?

Heal well and quickly, and enjoy the quality time with Coach Troy.

[snapdragen]

Ouch woman! You know, there are easier ways to get therapeutic polenta! :rolleyes::D

[OakLeaf]

Oweee. Heal up quickly, we're thinking about you.

[maillotpois]

Sh!t Sarah. Can't you stay healthy for, say, 24 months straight?


I am starting to wonder. well, almost 40 years of perfect health I shouldn't complain....

[rocknrollgirl]

Yikes! I am sending some healing thoughts your way. At least you will be able to get on your trainer quickly. That should hep from going totally bonkers.

Feel better.

[RoadRaven]

Oh Mallio
What a rotten thing to happen!
:mad:
Wishing you FAST healing... and in the mean-time you will make a fabulous person in the SAG-wagon
Like RnR says though, at least you can hop on the trainer and your legs won't be in total withdrawal

[melissam]

Bummer!! Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

One question, though: are you going to switch teams? Maybe from Team Embolism to Team Trauma?

Tell Coach Troy 'hey' for me!

-- Melissa

[SadieKate]

Did the ER staff say, "You again?" :p

I'm waiting to hear what the GrandPois has said about your crash history. I'm sure he's at least thinking something. Though he's probably pretty shook up. Hubbies generally age very quickly when their wifie-poos take a serious bump. I think Bubba would say I've aged him about 100 extra years.

How's the bike, etc.? Any good meds? You're becoming such an expert . . .

[maillotpois]

No familiar faces in the ER - it has been a whole year and a half! ;)

Interesting fact - breaking of the scapula accounts for fewer than 1% of all bone breaks. Tough bone to break - usually the collarbone goes, but all my years of horseback riding may perhaps have perfected the "tuck and roll" fall. :rolleyes:

The GP was immediately behind me when it happened. He though, but did not say, "I told you so." (he had warned me of slick corners earlier in the day.) He's been very helpful. This is the first time I have ever had a serious injury that will affect my ability to do normal life things. I've never even broken a bone before.

[jobob]

That must have been some fall to break your shoulder blade. Did you get style points at least ?? (sorry, couldn't resist)

Sending you a big virtual getwellsoon hug.

[Pax]

Holy COW!! That sounds like one yucky break!

Hope you heal up soon, your Bonnie will miss you. ;)

[maillotpois]

yeah, Queen, wish you could come ride her for me while I'm laid up!!

[crazycanuck]

Owieeee :(

I'm sorry you're injured! Poo! Take care of yourself(some wine with the california ladies perhaps?) and enjoy coach Troy!!!

[bmccasland]

MP - Oy! :eek: The scapula is one tough bone to break. So you got style points for your tuck and roll but couldn't stick the landing? :D

Hope you get to feeling better soon, and then you can rediscover how much "fun" PT is!

[velogirl]

ouch, Sarah! how the heck does one break a scapula and get road rash on her face? do you remember what happened? and at least it happened in winter, right? I bet all the extra clothes saved you from some serious road rash.

heal quickly!

[bikerz]

Wow Sarah! You sure know how to take advantage of your local medical facilities! Get well soon, and take very good care of yourself.

I think you should take Snap on her offer - I hear polenta is very good for the pain - just smear it on warm, like a poultice. Or, I guess you could just eat it, with a nice peppery Zin!

[sundial]

OW! Ow, owie!! Poor you! Bless your heart, girl. I hope you recover quickly and that you are back in the saddle soon. Glad you had your own medic when you took the spill. ;)

[DrBadger]

eeks! :eek: Glad to hear that it wasn't worse and that you will be back on the bike soon. Healing vibes being sent from TX. Feel better soon!
E.

[snapdragen]

Now I'm just being mean...

[maillotpois]

ouch, Sarah! how the heck does one break a scapula and get road rash on her face? do you remember what happened? and at least it happened in winter, right? I bet all the extra clothes saved you from some serious road rash.


Left hand turn, bike went right out from under me. First thing I really remember was my (new! :mad:) helmet hitting the ground (you should see it - and I've not got even a headache nor did I lose consciousness - testament to helmets and making sure they fit right). And I did tuck and roll, but all the force must have just hit just right. Arm warmers, etc., probably saved major road rash - you're right - better to crash in winter. :cool: I have a deep scratch down my cheek (sunglass lenses maybe?) and my chin has what almost seems like rug burn. There wasn't a lot of dirt in it according to the ER nurse.

My wedding ring dug into my hand pretty well, but otherwise my gloves protected my hands. I have mild road rash on my left hip - but my shebeest shorts were unscathed.

They had to cut my 2005 Death Ride jersey off. :( It was so painful to get my vest off that I didn't even want to try to save the jersey. Sad.

[maillotpois]

Snap - that is mean!!!! It's not like I can just pop down to Willow Glen tonight.... :rolleyes:

[LBTC]

Owie! Sending major healing butterflies so that bone knits up totally perfectly and you're back to normal in record time! Be easy on yourself, and if you can really be in the trainer that soon - go for it!!

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[snapdragen]

Snap - that is mean!!!! It's not like I can just pop down to Willow Glen tonight.... :rolleyes:

I know....but I couldn't help myself.:o

[emily_in_nc]

So sorry to hear about your accident, Sarah. Accidents and recovery time SUCK. :mad:

Hope you'll heal up fast as possible and be back on the bike pain-free soon.

Take care!
Emily

[Tuckervill]

And you're able to sit and type? Sounds very painful! I'm sorry it happened. Sending the healing vibes your way!

Karen

[maillotpois]

And you're able to sit and type?

one handed. :D what else am I going to do?

[IFjane]

Oh Sarah! I am so sorry!!! Sending healing vibes from the east coast - heal quickly, rehab even more quickly and hang in there! {{{{HUG}}}}

[sbctwin]

{{{{maillotpois}}}} Sorry to hear of your accident. I was contemplating commuting to work tomorrow and then I remembered the fall on ice I had when I decided to quit the commute until better temps. Luckily, I was only bruised. Let's hope your healing comes along quickly.

[smilingcat]

Oh Sarah,

Heal quick. You are not the first to have a "trophy" jersey cut off. Still its really SAD.

Heal fast,
Smilingcat

[solobiker]

Gosh, I am so sorry to hear about your injury. Feel better soon. Positive energy heading your way.

[crazycanuck]

Hey Sarah,

How long will you be doing one handed typing for?

Sending sunny days your way. It's going to be 38C for the next few days so close your eyes & dream of warm beaches & soft sand :)

[maillotpois]

cc - 4 - 6 weeks per the ER doc. the ortho i see tomorrow is the real judge. what about you? how long were you 1 handed? I am just so gld my collarbone's fine. I really landed well.

DH noted I fell so fast I didn't have time to put a hand out. so that saved my collarbone.

[crazycanuck]

I hate to be a dork but the scapula's at the back of your body @ the opposite side of your ribs :o???

MP-I had the sling on for about 3 weeks. One handed typing's not so hard and actually can type faster one handed :o

Keep us updated on the one handed typing!

I hope you're able to do some water walking or something to keep you moving.

:)

[maillotpois]

scapula is the shoulder blade - the thing that sticks out the back. ER doc kept calling it the "wing bone". scapula fractures account for less than 1% of all bone breaks - most likely to occur in men 35 - 45. motorcycle and auto accidents highest cause. :rolleyes:

[snapdragen]

I call it the wing bone too, glad to know I'm up on the correct medical term. :D

[Bike Goddess]

MP- I knew it! You shoulda come with us yesterday. We went out to Nicasio starting in Novato and winding our way back via Paradise loop and a few other fun roads. I thought about you but didn't have your number with me when we rode over the Wolf grade (actually took a steep shortcut from San Rafael that has a wooden bridge). (We were doing the "Bakery to Bakery" ride hosted by Mark Birnbaum)

At any rate, I'm sorry to hear this grim news. I sure understand how you musta felt when they had to cut one of your fav jerseys. :( I'm glad to hear it was just a fracture and that you'll probably be back on the bike in 4-6wks. I found spinning to be my one saving grace last year when I couldn't ride. At least you'll get a good cardio out of it.;)

Keep us posted on the ortho visit tomorrow. Meanwhile get lots of rest.
Here's hoping for a speedy recovery.

[Tuckervill]

That sounds like something that's going to need surgery. Here's hoping not.

Karen

[spokewench]

So sorry - what a bummer to have that kind of injury! Hope you heal fast

spoke

[Trek420]

Isn't Petite'pois old enough to ride captain on the tandem and you can sit back as one handed stoker?

Sorry about the crash, but it sounds like between falling technique and proper winter layering things could have been far worse.

How's the bike :cool:?

[Xrayted]

Ouch!! That is a hard one to break. You hit solid. You're right, you probably saved your clavicle by not putting your arm out.
I hope you are better soon and can get back on the trainer quickly.

FYI: As for the jersey, ladies, there are many ways to cut off a shirt. If you have the presence of mind at the time, have them cut near the seam on one side, right up the armpit. Or if you are sleeveless, have them cut along the seam across the top of the arm on both sides and pull it down your waist. Then it can be trimmed and sewn to save the shirt. I learned that from a veteran medic/cyclist I used to work with. :D

Good luck and feel better soon, MP. :)

[maillotpois]

How's the bike :cool:?

oddly the right shifter seems to be toast. (I fell on my left side.) :confused::confused::confused: otherwise, seems ok, but it is going for a complete exam before I ride again.

x - the jersey saving tips would have been good. i am trying to think how i could patch it together with a little extra material. it would be one of a kind for sure. :D

[SadieKate]

have you seen the orthopod today?

[maillotpois]

got an appt for tomorrow. earliest I could get in. it's not life threatening. (flashback to not being able to see the pulmonologist for 3 months when I had as yet undi8agnosed PEs. :rolleyes: )

[snapdragen]

i am trying to think how i could patch it together with a little extra material. it would be one of a kind for sure. :D

Frame it? Make a pillow? :rolleyes:

[Wahine]

I had a pair of tights that I ripped while running down a mountain side, on national television.:eek::eek: I framed those.

[Tuckervill]

Can we see the video of that? :p

Karen

[Pax]

So MP, how did it go??

[maillotpois]

So MP, how did it go??

I don't go til this afternoon. Will let you know. Thanks for checking on me.

[RoadRaven]

Be thinking of you Mallio
:)

[sundial]

Hi Maillo, hope you aren't in too much pain today. I was thinking of your sad little injured jersey. When one of our relatives was involved in a car accident, a kind soul made a quilt out of the the clothing that was cut by the EMT's. Maybe you can make something like that if your jersey is too far gone?

[Triskeliongirl]

Just read about this now. Warm healing thoughts are headed your way! Do keep us posted on what the orthopod says.

[maillotpois]

Saw the ortho. It's non-surgical for many reasons. But it's pretty well messed up. He went over the x-rays and CT scan with me, and it all makes a lot more sense.

Going with the idea that a picture is worth 1000 words (and thanks to SK for helping me figure out how to do this), here's a general overview of the issue.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j285/maillotpois/MPswingboneoobie.jpg

The top part of the bone sheared off, and the bottom part is broken up in pieces, which are displaced from where they should be. (The lines in the bottom part are simply an approximation of the breaks. He showed me the pieces.)

So he says 2 months. We'll see. I can start on the trainer soon - I just need to get someone to take it downstairs for me. :D And hook it up. And buckle my shoes. And pull up my cycling shorts. And close my water bottles.

[salsabike]

Wow. Nuts to this crap! Who would believe it?

It must be time for me to send you another book...

[SadieKate]

Shorts? Who needs shorts? You're indoors. Ride nekkid! :D

[Veronica]

That's just freakin' scary looking Sarah.

Coach Troy will keep you in shape. :D

V.

[bmccasland]

OOOOWWWWIIIEEEE - the shoulder, not the riding nikked part.

Healing vibes coming your way.

[maillotpois]

Wow. Nuts to this crap! Who would believe it?

It must be time for me to send you another book...

Yeah, and send me to Hawaii where read your last book... :D

I'm actually really lucky. And I got a cool new sling that's lighter and leaves my hand free. So although I have to hunch over the key board, I can type with 2 hands now - which is huge for me, from an occupational standpoint.

[maillotpois]

Oh - and yes, in spite of the new, cool sling, there are downers. They won't know how the displaced bone will affect my range of motion long term. But it is NOT surgical, so there's nothing they can do. Ok. Whatever.

But I also didn't state the positives:

The joint all seems to be in place. (The who top part came apart together.) So that's good.

The other thing which I am using in a positive way from this (a demonstrative tool for my coachees) - HELMETS. Mine is toast. Completely compressed at the temple. The noise my head made when it hit the ground was startling. (And of course there's the road rash on my chin. :rolleyes: ) But I had not so much as a headache.

Helmets work, folks.

[crazycanuck]

:eek: OWIEEEEEEEEEEEEEE ..make that double owieeeeeeeeeeee

Yep, helmets work!

MP-I had a thought/theory on why your right lever may have been smushed...Did you twist in any way by chance on your way down? When i mistook the sidewalk for flat ground in 06 i hit the left side of my head but my right brake lever was pushed in. Just a theory but then again i'm not great at theories..Newton i'm not :o

[OakLeaf]

(a demonstrative tool for my coachees) - HELMETS. Mine is toast. Completely compressed at the temple.

Yep. Before the owner of my former LBS retired, he was still using the helmet I crashed in in 1987 as a sales demo. I had a pretty dang good concussion as it was... but I'm still here, and so is that 2 cm deep depression in the EPS in that hat (in those days, they were that thick). Good on yer for wearing yours.

PS any time I've crashed I've always had marks all over me and no idea how they got there. Road rash on my right side from when I smacked my left side hard on the ground. No clue.

[snapdragen]

Dam mp - that's scary. Next time you make it down here, the polenta is on me!

[Wahine]

MP - the reason why it's not surgical is that they would have to go in there and find ways to join all those bits together which is really hard because the bone is shaped such that you can't use screws and it would be impossible to wrap it in wire to try to hold everything together, that would mess with the muscles too much and likely leave worse off.

The good news is that it will heal. You might always have small floaty bits but it will heal. You will likely have some long term loss of ROM, most likely reaching overhead and behind the back. But you'll be able to ride no problem.:D:D

Take care. I'm going to google some stuff tomorrow and if I learn anything else I'll let you know.

[Pax]

Wow Sarah!! You don't mess around when you break something do you? ;) I'm glad they expect it to heal up and you don't have to have surgery.

BTW - I think this gets you out of cooking, cleaning the house, and laundry for a long, long time. :D

[Tuckervill]

ow ow ow ow ow. Just looking at the diagram makes me hurt. Are you in a lot of pain?

Karen

[bikerz]

All I can say to that picture is :eek: ! That's about the scariest image I've seen in a while. Wow.

Since you have a proven capacity for healing, I'm not sure this will slow you down much at all! Take very good care!

[Adventure Girl]

Wow! You don't do anything half-way, do you? You're such an over-achiever!;) Nice job!

[Duck on Wheels]

Ai ai ai ai, woman! May the goddess of pain relief smile upon you and may her myriad healing assistants work effectively. Then treat yourself to a gorgeous new helmet, and ... hey, how about some body armour to go with it?

[sundial]

Ow, ow, owwwww. You're as bad as Evel Knievel.

[maillotpois]

You're such an over-achiever!;) Nice job!

I am glad someone recognizes this!! :cool:

Thanks guys. It only hurts if I move (laugh, go over a bump in the car) and while trying to get dressed, showered. That really hurts.

Wahine thanks for the info. Yeah I completely understand why it's not surgical - that bone's way too thin to attach anything to anyway. Any info on ROM stuff for when I am mobile is appreciated. I will have PT eventually.

[Wahine]

I am glad someone recognizes this!! :cool:

Thanks guys. It only hurts if I move (laugh, go over a bump in the car) and while trying to get dressed, showered. That really hurts.

Wahine thanks for the info. Yeah I completely understand why it's not surgical - that bone's way too thin to attach anything to anyway. Any info on ROM stuff for when I am mobile is appreciated. I will have PT eventually.

You should ask the doc if you can take the sling off to fully extend your elbow, 10 reps, every 1 - 2 hours. Lots of times the biceps will get tight and limit elbow extension if you don't have opportunity to straighten it out for extended periods. You don't need any other problems from using the sling. You've got enough to deal with.

[maillotpois]

He does want me to take the sling off and hang the arm down straight, while bent over, so the arm is slightly away from the body, 3 times a day. When he first asked me to do it, I was terrified. I will ask about elbow extensions as well. Thanks!

[Wahine]

If you're allowed to do the above, you should be allowed to do the elbow extensions but double check because part of the triceps muscle attaches to the scapula and depending on where all your bits are, you might not want to do it. Having said that, if you just relax the arm to a straightened elbow and keep the triceps relaxed, you should be able to do that now.

[yellow]

I've been wallowing in self pity lately and away from the computer...I come back and lo! MP is broken! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!

I'll be thinking about you as I lay around with the dogs and contemplate sweeping up dog hair. :p

[maillotpois]

Oh I miss sweeping...

[jobob]

Owie sorry that happened. :( Feel better soon.

Pssst ... that all happened over five years ago. mp healed up nicely. She might even be up to sweeping by now ... :cool:

[Blueberry]

But the world has changed, and I have left my prior career and am taking all the fun pre-medical classes - which means I have an exam on these bones and the muscles that hold them a week from today:) Bet I won't forget this one:D

[OakLeaf]

But the world has changed, and I have left my prior career and am taking all the fun pre-medical classes...

Wait, what? How did I miss that?

[Blueberry]

Wait, what? How did I miss that?

I've been to busy to talk about it much here;) I'll PM you...

[Catrin]

I just saw this, OH MY!!!!!! How are you feeling now MP?

Blueberry, I hope things are going well for you :)

[spokewench]

That's a real bummer. Heal up well!

[indysteel]

Just to repeat: MP broke her scapula some years back. I'm not sure why this thread got dredged, but MP's fine now (at least I'm pretty sure).

[maillotpois]

Yes - as Jo and others noted, this is an OLD thread. My scapula (while still technically broken) has healed up just fine in the past 5 years. Thanks a lot for the well wishes, though!


Pssst ... that all happened over five years ago. mp healed up nicely. She might even be up to sweeping by now ... :cool:

God forbid. I try to avoid it.


I've been to busy to talk about it much here;) I'll PM you...

I believe I am due one as well... ;) Especially as I debated the exact change you are doing 16 years ago...


Just to repeat: MP broke her scapula some years back. I'm not sure why this thread got dredged, but MP's fine now (at least I'm pretty sure).

Don't assume. ;) You know nothing of my mental health. :p

[Blueberry]

I believe I am due one as well... ;) Especially as I debated the exact change you are doing 16 years ago...


Whoops! Thought you knew. PM sent:)

[jobob]

Whoops! Thought you knew. PM sent :)


Aw, no fair! [stomps foot and pouts] Inquiring minds want to know. :)

[Catrin]

Aw, no fair! [stomps foot and pouts] Inquiring minds want to know. :)

stomping feet as well :)

I caught that original thread was older, but not THAT old. I saw January...not the year. Glad this isn't a fresh injury for you, sounds like it was dreadful.

[maillotpois]

stomping feet as well :)

I caught that original thread was older, but not THAT old. I saw January...not the year. Glad this isn't a fresh injury for you, sounds like it was dreadful.

Thanks - it was bad, but nowhere near as bad as it would have been if the joint had been affected, which it really wasn't. My father-in-law-in-law (father of sister in law's husband) is an orthopedic surgeon and he is amazed at how my range of motion is just about perfect.

[Blueberry]

It's not THAT interesting. Nor is it a huge secret - I just try to keep too many personal details off the searchable parts of TE. If you want more, PM me.

The general gist is that I've left my prior career (as a lawyer) and am in my 2nd semester of pre-medical classes. I hope to matriculate in medical school in the fall of 2015 (1 more year of classes, MCAT, applications). There are a lot of reasons, and I spent a long time debating whether I was too old to start 10+ years of school/residency/etc. But - the decision came down to wanting to do something I'm passionate about for the rest of my life that I believe will be meaningful in a more concrete way than what I did in law ever could. I didn't know how much I missed science until I got back in it - so far, 1000% the right decision for me:) There you have it!

Now....hopefully poor MP can stop being reminded of what I'm sure must have been a g-d-awful injury. ;)

[maillotpois]

I'm just so excited for you, Blueberry. You know I get it. So now maybe I can live vicariously through you. ;)

(Although I have found a way to make law fulfilling for me even though I really doubted that would ever happen.)

So... you guys want to hear about the hole in my hip bone?? :D

[Catrin]

So... you guys want to hear about the hole in my hip bone?? :D

How did you manage that? Yikes! Do tell :)

[OakLeaf]

So... you guys want to hear about the hole in my hip bone?? :D

Oh ouch! Hoping you're donating/donor testing - most other things would be too scary for that ":D"!

[maillotpois]

How did you manage that? Yikes! Do tell :)

Ah it's lame. (Pun intended.) I've had hip pain on and off for 10+ years. Recently, it has been more consistent and more painful - on and off the bike. My bike fitter suggested I get it checked out to be sure there wasn't anything wrong, so I went to my orthopedic doc and had an X ray and exam. That revealed a "tumor" inside the hip bone (head of the femur), so he ordered a MRI and I waited around til I could do that, googling bone cancer and all that all the while. MRI showed no "bad" tumor, I have impingement of my hip bone such that the pelvis has worn a hole in the femur and the surrounding cartilage. Doc wants to try to avoid surgery because in his description, any hip surgery is "heroic". So I did some bike fit tweaks, and watching how I move it and will do some PT.

Ironically, now I have had to take a few weeks off the bike because of a trip and bad bronchitis, so it hasn't been hurting at all. I'm doing a 200k tomorrow so we'll see how it does. I didn't really feel like complaining about it on here, but when this thread got resurrected, I suppose I figured I'd just throw all MP's bone issues in to one place! :D

[indysteel]

(((MP))). That sounds awful (although I'm very relieved it's not cancer)! I hope the rest and PT help!

[Catrin]

Sending warm hugs and thoughts MP, SO glad it isn't cancer!

[OakLeaf]

+1 - hugs and healing thoughts, but very glad it isn't leukemia, ITP or any of the other things I usually think of them drilling a hole in your hipbone for...