Post #16 - Broken wrist

Post #16 - March 21, 2017

On Sunday, Feb 12th,  I was hiking on the Beaver Brook Trail (west end), slipped on a rock and broke my right wrist.  I knew immediately it was broken and I'm fairly certain I heard the snap.  It was excruciatingly painful. I was about 1 1/2 miles from  my car.  I was by myself, however, a couple of hikers were at that same place.  They hiked out with me. The lady carried my poles as I had to cradle my right wrist with my left arm/hand.  I took deep breathes and stopped occasionally to let my stomach settle down.  I also was a much faster hiker than the other two folks, so I waited for them (mainly the lady) just so we were all together.  When we got into cell phone range about 1/2 mile from the trailhead, I called my 'friend' MP, because he knew where  I was.  I asked him if he would come and get me and take me to an emergency room.  His response was 'won't the folks you're with take  you?'   Note to self and everyone else:  If  someone asks you to come and  get them because they've broken a bone, you fucking go!  Unbelievable.  He was about a 20 minute drive from the trailhead.  We got to my car and the couple would've taken  me to the emergency room, but I drove myself. I figure I had hiked out, so I could also drive myself.  I went to an emergency room in Golden.  They first hooked me up to an IV with pain killer, then they took xrays, although it was clear it was broken.  The xray technician wasn't very  good.  He kept trying to move my arm into  the position he wanted it. Guess he may not realize that broken bones hurt like hell!  The  doctor asked me if I wanted to be sedated when they reset the bone or they could just deaden my wrist via needle into the joint.  I told her I wanted to be sedated - I was so tired of being in serious pain, I didn't want to feel anything! So they told me they would give my Propofol (the Michael Jackson drug).  It was to knock me out for about 5 minutes.  There were 4 people in the room when they started the Propofol: the doctor, an EMT and 2 nurses.  The doctor and EMT reset my wrist, but the Propofol didn't knock me out.  I looked to the left as I didn't want to watch what they were doing, but I was aware and awake.  That sorta pissed me off!  The doctor said she hadn't ever seen that before, especially for a person my size.  I think I had enough pain killer in me that  it didn't hurt too terribly bad tho....thank goodness!  They put it in a splint and told me to go see an orthopaedic doctor as they thought I may need surgery.  I was at the emergency room for about 4 or so hours.   I had to have someone drive me home, because of all of the drugs they gave me, so MP came and got me (somewhat redeemed himself).  We went to a pharmacy and got Percocet.  I broke my wrist on a Sunday and saw an orthopaedic dr on Wednesday.  Thankfully, surgery wasn't required, so they put me in a hard cast.   I chose purple for the color.  I  had that cast for 2 weeks,  then went back.  They took xrays again, said it still looked pretty good, although it had shifted a little.  Still no surgery required, so they put me in another cast (I chose light blue this time) for another 2 weeks.  I got the 2nd cast off on Wednesday, March 15th and they put me in a removable brace.  I started therapy yesterday.  Lots of work to do to get my strength and full range of motion.  This thing is sore!