# Busted elbow



## Pat-H (Oct 30, 2009)

Well after more than 25 years riding motorbikes and doing all sorts of DIY work I finally came a cropper tripping over an extension cable across the garage.
caught one foot and when I tried to catch myself with the other leg it too got caught so down I went face first to the concrete floor.
I managed to get my left hand out and that saved my handsome face from damage but by the time I landed my left elbow was at 90 degrees and just wasn't able to support all 85Kg of me.
A loud crack and I was surprised to see my elbow 3 inches or so further back than it should have been.
On my own as wife, daughter and grandchildren out swiming so called 999.
10 hour wait for an ambulance.
Nearest A&E 35 mins away.
So my wife had to drive me.

A&E were great and re located the elbow and set me in a temp cast.
unfortunately by the next morning the swelling had gone down and it popped straight back out.
Had a fracture clinic appointment the next day so rather than add to the A&E load I waited.
They re located it at the clinic. did xray and CT. multiple breaks and torn ligaments etc.
Their upper arm surgeon had just gone on leave so I was referred to Addenbrooks.
Saw them Last Tuesday (8 days after the accident). Hope to have surgery this Friday 18 days after I broke it.

Apparently the break(s) is called the Terrible triad elbow.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Sorry to hear that Pat.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Oh my, poor you, I have never broken any bones, but dislocated my shoulder going up the stairs of the hospital, that was extremely painful and brought many tears to my eyes ( well I cried really) good luck with the surgery, take good care of your arm and don’t forget, old bones take a bit longer to mend 😁


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Oh Pat, two second lack of attention and now two months of recovery. Sorry to hear about your tumble. Get as much sympathy and relaxation as you can.

Ray.


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

You have my very deepest sympathy, the whole episode sounds horrendous and having to wait such a long time cannot make you feel good.

I did a very simple break on one of my elbows by falling on ice where someone had washed the snow off his drive and the pavement with a hose on a day when it reached -5C - very simple break and just plastered for six weeks. That made getting to School “interesting” but a colleague collected me each morning, thankfully.

I hope that it all goes well, presumably it will be pinned and plated by the surgeon to stabilise it rapidly ?

Even with that, you are still managing to type better than me - or do you go back and reread each time !


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## Webby1 (Mar 11, 2012)

Sounds horrible and so easily done...........wishing you a speedy recovery.
So surgery 18 days after the break,how much longer might it have been if you.........................no I'm not even going to say it to lighten your mood


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## Pat-H (Oct 30, 2009)

I can get by typing one handed pretty ok.
after surgery the cast comes off and I can start physio to regain movement. 6 weeks of light use (cup of tea weight) then build over the next 2 months. But I'm still getting stuff done. just needs some thought and a different approach. My wife is also now learning DIY skills as we work on our retirement bungalow. She fitted 4 rain water butts the other day under my tuition. We now have over 1000 ltrs of rainwater collected.


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Well done, we have bought 2 x 1 m cubed containers for 70€ each, now to plumb them in to the rainwater system and each other, then all we need is RAIN +++

We already have 4 x 600 l containers on other downpipes, they are still full but ready to use when we’ll water becomes impossible to pump up usually about 9 m below surface.


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

Ooh, Pat, that sounds very painful! A friend broke *both* elbows in a fall and said that's when you learn who your friends are, when you need the loo!


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

Ouch! Sorry to hear this. We had a tip the other day about our options for A&E. Our nearest would be the Norfolk and Norwich which is about a twenty minute drive from here and we have used it fairly well pre Covid. Our experience, then, was very positive but much has changed recently. We do, thanks to the incredible generosity of a wealthy local lady, still have the Cromer hospital. It serves a much smaller area and so is much less busy! This situation worked well for us, too, when we visited the Isle of Wight A&E. They apologised for the wait due to high demand. There were about nine or ten people at the most waiting to be seen. We were in and out within a few hours which included "resting" in a cubicle, for Chris, while numerous members of staff checked on him.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

I can speak into my iPad very slowly and it prints what I say.
I have even told it a full stop and new line.
This is what I have just done.


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

Sorry to hear about your mishap Pat.

Getting old is a terrible thing...


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## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

Ooooh! Sounds painful, I've broken a few bones in my youth and (broken/fractured) my ribs 4 times but never thank goodness done that. You have my sympathies and best wishes for a full recovery. Ps no matter how young you were when you broke your bones when you get old your body will occassionally remind you exactly which limb it was and where abouts.


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## Pat-H (Oct 30, 2009)

Yes I broke my shoulder 30 years ago. It zti randomly hurts if I use it in a different way.
Waiting to be discharged from surgery back to motorhome.


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## Pat-H (Oct 30, 2009)

Just an update. Discharged late last Friday a week ago.
Cab back to motorhome at nearby Cherry Hinton.
Pain blocker on whole arm so restless but not too bad nights sleep.
Issue was 65mile drive home next morning just as the pain blocker wore off.
I could feel the work done to put the 2 screws and wire ligament in place.
But no cast and encouraged to start movement.
A checkup 4 days later and all good.
Have 1st physio appointment Tuesday so will know more then.
Mostly painkiller free except some ibuprofen on to reduce the swelling.


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## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

Well done!


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Brilliant news, well done, good to have positive news, obviously you have a long way to go with physio etc., but each day should make things better, even if it hurts like hell at the time….


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

Glandwr said:


> Well done!


.... or a bit silly really! But glad it worked out for you n hopefully the physio will get you back to normal soon.


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

Pat-H said:


> Just an update. Discharged late last Friday a week ago.
> Cab back to motorhome at nearby Cherry Hinton.
> Pain blocker on whole arm so restless but not too bad nights sleep.
> Issue was 65mile drive home next morning just as the pain blocker wore off.
> ...


Nice one Pat. I hope that the recuperation goes well for you.


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