got a broken wing. how long will i have to....

[Matno]

Yes, but that means you probably have some sort of ligament involved - they usually take at least 10-12 weeks to heal. I hope it heals well. Usually the only really bad part is moving your wrist after having it immobilized for so long. That's painful, but it's a good kind of pain because you can work through it. (Once you get the cast off, do as much physical therapy on it as they'll let you - the sooner the better, and you'll have less pain in the long run).

[proflex252]

no. there is no ligament involved.

it's only a clean broken bone.

Consulted a friend of mine who is a doctor as well.
he told me it'a bit long for a broken bone and he wobdered why my doctor made the plaster cast up to the shoulder. normally, he said, it is enough to have it up to the ellbow.

well. after all this curiousity I decided to consult another doctor.

the one who made the surgery on my knee.
will be next week. let's see what he says.

CU!

matti

[Matno]

Wow. 12 weeks for just a bone and a long arm cast to boot?! That is a long time. Plus, the long arm cast is a bit excessive. It used to be the standard for some wrist fractures, but the evidence is starting to show that it's not necessary. Does your fracture extend directly into a joint? That could also explain the long time, but opinions vary on that...

Overall, my impression has been that orthopaedists in Germany are among the very best in the world, so I wouldn't be too worried if I were you. I have a friend here in New York who is as good as they come (spine surgeon), and he goes over there every year to learn new stuff.

Think on the bright side, at least bones heal, nicht wahr? In the mean time, I hope you have a trainer or a good gym where you can at least keep your legs in shape...

[orange]

We had a rule when we were younger (and poorer!) that if you could see that you were about to crash, make sure if you could that the bike got a soft landing as the bike costs money to fix while your bones heal themselves!!! Mind you that only applies where your healthcare is free as here in the UK!

[proflex252]

hmm. can't see a bright side at the moment.

it will be september when the arm cast will be gone. summer what is that? biking? forget it! going swimming? no way!

I hope the other doctor is saying something different.

What I found out is:
My first doctor can't do surgeries, but the second one can.
Maybe I can get alittle srew in the bone and it will be ok sooner.
Hopefully!
What do you think, matno?
Or is it just my being a master of industrial engineering that makes me feel a screw will solve any problem?!?

CU

Matti

[proflex252]

indeed! health care is free in Germany.
Not really as everyone has to pay a monthly amount in a health assurance.

And there are differences in that insurance.

The private ones nearly pay for everything while the obligatory does not.

As much as I heared privates will pay for the tiny screw while most of the others don't.

And what do you think which kind of insurance do I have?

right! I'm not privately assured.

[jeffhop]

orange, health care may be free here in the uk but lets see how long its going to be before i get something done about my hernia (ok not life threatening but its starting to get me down big time) its been a week since the diagnosis and i havent herad anything yet. i may have to go private if i can afford it, i might yet even have to sell the oz to pay for it  :-(

[shovelon]

Wow, you guys are bummin' me out! Having to go outside of your medical plan to get something done is horrible.


Good Luck

[Matno]

If it makes you feel any better, I just found out that I get free medical and dental coverage (okay, the dental only covers 80% of "major" procedures)! My wife was very excited. Of course, as with anything, there are drawbacks. In this case, we can only use doctors who work for the same health care system that I do. Fortunately, it's the largest hospital system in NYC (unless you count the combined Columbia and Cornell).

Matti, I'm a little biased, but I would feel better 99% of the time going to a surgeon than someone who can't operate. Some of the non-operating guys are very good, but they don't always treat the same way because they have limited options. Of course, if it's going to cost you an arm and a leg (no pun intended) to have a minor surgery performed which will save you 4-6 weeks of recovery time (at best), then it's probably not worth it. And keep in mind that while I've had a lot of exposure to orthopaedics, at this point I'm just STARTING my specialized training... But I have broken my own bones on at least 7 (confirmed) occasions!!!

[proflex252]

here a little update:

went to another doctor.
next week on tuesday i will have my surgery.
and till that day i got a shortened cast. my ellbow hurts a bit as it was fixed for 2 1/2 weeks but that'll be ok soon i think.

well. the screw is coming and afterwards i will have to suffer for another 4 weeks and it will all be over.
better than another 10 weeks with the long arm cast.

straight forward and allways the chain to the right!

cu

matti

[kiwi]

its longer than a leg or arm break,but as matno said those little bones can be tricky..do as the doc says eat well,sleep well,excercise,but dont do anything to risk that thumb.Best wishes mate....

[Matno]

here a little update:

went to another doctor.
next week on tuesday i will have my surgery.

Ah. Leave it to the surgeons to fix things right!

Just think how sore your elbow would be if you had left it in a cast for 12 weeks! I broke the metacarpal at the base of my right thumb once when I was 13. Had a short arm cast for 8 weeks, which was plenty long enough! (I've also had a long arm cast for 6 weeks on the same arm - and my elbow was REALLY sore).