Oops!… I Did It Again

Yeah, that’s right. I am once again recovering from a fracture. This time its a lot serious than the last; I have a complex fracture on my left arm just below the shoulder.

This happened last Monday (21st December, 2009) and the doctor, Dr. Gaurav Sawhney (Omni Hospital, Chandigarh) a family friend advised surgery that he would perform the very next day, Tuesday. Before the surgery, I did some research and found out that orthopedic surgeries are quite similar to conventional carpentry; using wires, nails, and adhesive to bind wood pieces, and if the chair is usable after a couple of weeks, remove the nails and wires, else they are left there for good.

This is precisely what percutaneous pinning (Link 1, Link 2) is all about. The surgery was thankfully done under general anesthesia so I didn’t come to know when those weird pins and wires were put into my arm. By evening I was home, but here’s when the real fun started.

Unlike last time, potty isn’t an issue, as my legs are fine, but sleeping, yes, that’s still a pain. At best I can take a 90 degrees turn to my right, or sleep straight on my back; both of which aren’t very comfortable. If I sleep on the side, the entire arm droops on my body and it hurts; if I sleep straight on my back, well the arm is left hanging and it hurts.

But with some helpful advise of using cushions and pillows from my good friend Sajid’s wife Dr. Rubeena Husain (a physiotherapist in Hyderabad) I do manage to get sleep, not continuous, but better than none at all.

I think there is more pain coming my way once the six-week post-operative period is over. Dr. Gaurav mentioned that the pins will be removed without any anesthesia. I’m trying not to think about this, but as you can see I can’t!

Note to self: In reel life bones don’t break, but in real life they very well do!

Unsolicited Advice: Do not run after auto-rickshaws that bang into your car! Trust me its not worth it.