Clavicle havoc...le...

[maillotpois]

Nice looking x-ray!!!

I also have a hard time with a lot of the standard pain killers (like vicodin - can't hold that stuff down). Try darvocet if you have not yet. It is a LOT easier to take. Really helped out with my broken scapula last year from my crash.

Good luck - heal well. and go easy on yourself like the others said. Give yourself a break.

[lph]

Oh man, that looks painful! I've never broken mine, but remember vividly my mother breaking hers falling off a horse when I was a teenager, and she was in a LOT of pain afterwards. It's maybe not a major bone but I know it can give you major pain.
In general I second everybody's thoughts on finding pills that work, painkillers are a true miracle when they work and will help you heal so much better.

Good healing to you and lots of strength!

[AnnieBikes]

OH OH OH!!! I sympathize so very much. I broke my collar bone a few years ago (are you sure it wasn't my xray up there!!). It was awful sleeping, dressing, showering, and anything else for about 2 weeks, as someone else mentioned. Then the bones begin to lay down callus and get "sticky". That is when the pain decreases, albeit very slowly.

I second everyone who says you should get different pain meds!! They will not all make you sick (and shouldn't) so get a change! I took Lortab and only a half at that, as it made me so spacey. The button down the front shirts were all I could wear and I bought a few at Walmart and wore a few of my son's shirts.

As far as surgery, I would avoid it like the plague. You will heal without it. You go to Midas, you get a muffler, you go to the orthopod, you get surgery!! The ends hook up, make a bumpy heal and then remold them selves. I am a little shorter on that side but the bump is gone...it took about a year. Do work your shoulder in a few weeks to avoid the frozen shoulder that Deb talked about.

You are not a baby. This is one of the most painful fractures you can have because there is no way to totally immobilize it like for a wrist or ankle and so much of what you do with your arms is dependent on your shoulders (collarbone) stabilizing for you to move. Good luck and take care of yourself. This too shall pass!!! I am thinking of you!!!!

[Irulan]

As far as surgery, I would avoid it like the plague. You will heal without it. You go to Midas, you get a muffler, you go to the orthopod, you get surgery!!

That is a pretty broad, stereotypical (and incorrect) statement. It depends on the surgeon and the situation. DH and I BOTH have shoulder injuries. He broke his clavicle, and I tore the labrum. We see the most respected shoulder guy in the community, who is not "knife happy" as you imply. Some may be, ours is not.

You are not a doc, you don't know that she will heal without it.

The game plan on DH's clavicle was to let it knit naturally as is most common with collarbones. However, after 12 weeks there was no bone growth. This is a legitimate reason for plan B which involved 7 screws, a plate and yes, surgery.

My torn shoulder could have gone either way. He recommended a "wait and see" approach, to be re assessed after six months. Then at six months, I was re diagnosed with a frozen shoulder. While this can be corrected with surgery, the surgeon suggested aggressive PT instead. Now, I am doing just great and have not had surgery in either situation.

Do you homework, ask around for who is the respected medical professional, and get a second opinion.

I.

[singletrackmind]

Welcome to the Collarbone Club!! It's supposed to hurt, that's what's (supposed to) keep you from letting it heal.


Mine didn't fix the second time around.....
I don't recommend racing on it is all I can say about that!

[roadie gal]

Broken clavicles are very painful, but it's better than breaking something in the shoulder joint itself. I tell my patients that the clavicle is the "giveaway bone". It absorbs the impact and breaks (like a bike helmet) and protects the shoulder joint. A humeral head fracture is a LOT more disabling than a clavicle fracture.

We used to tell everyone that if the pieces of the bone were in the same county they would heal. The thinking on that has changed somewhat. Now some of the orthopods are fixing clavicles if there are a lot of pieces or a lot of overlap. The idea is if it heals shortened it can limit range of motion for very active people or those whose jobs require a full range of motion. Yours would probably be a toss up as it looks (from the one film) like a clean break, but there is a lot of overlap.

I would speak to a sports medicine doc if you can find one in your area.

Also, definitely keep up with the pain meds. Being miserable helps nothing and sleep is essential for healing. There are a number of meds to chose from. Don't settle for something that makes you sick.

Good luck.

[orlyysrly]

I really appreciate all your good wishes and suggestions -- I swear I'd be issuing individual thank-you's if I could type a little faster one-handed!

I'm doing a little better with the drugs -- I'm now taking pretty much just extra-strength Tylenol and getting by with that; walking and showering are getting easier as the road rash heals.

I saw a second orthopod today who recommended surgery to prevent shortening of the shoulder. I was initially kind of gung ho but now find myself leaning against it: three other doctors (ER, orthopod #1, and a family friend) have said based on X-rays it's not necessary. I'm torn between thinking it's generally good to avoid the additional trauma of surgery if you can and thinking I should do everything possible to be solid in the long-term. Conflicting opinions suck! I'm in no position to weigh one MD against another...

Next up this evening is a CT to check out my bonus fractured scapula, which (not at all reassuringly) nobody but the family friend looking at the X-ray long-distance even noticed. Most of all I'm just trying to figure out how the hell I'll lie down in the machine...pffft.

Many, many thanks again; you are wonderful.

[smilingcat]

Hi,

I've shattered both clavicle. Right side was in three big pieces and smaller ones. Left was shattered in separate crash and that one snapped into only two pieces.

In both cases, the doctors advised against it saying that the surgery will risk further nerve damage and it was best to leave it alone and let it heal on its own.

I had a sharp point on the bone. The doctor did say that over time the sharp point will disappear and will be just a bump. Apparently, the bone can re-sculpt on its own. Add extra bone here and removing excess from there. The sharp point was really bother some for about a year as it happened to be right under the bra strap.

Both times I was fitted with a figure 8 brace of sort. It was uncomfortable. Still it was lot better than not having it on.

Be patient, take one day at a time.

Sending you healing thoughts,
Smilingcat