Olecranon Fracture: Part Seven

A very short update on things. It's been exactly a month since my last physio appointment. Time has flown by. I've been doing my exercises twice a day, morning and night, and hate them. But - there's improvement. I'll keep doing them, as the physio said, until I feel things have levelled out. 

So, the flexibility. Once I've stretched, I can touch my shoulder. I'm still about an inch or two away if I try cold. I can fully straighten my arm against a wall - using my knee to push my elbow out. Hopefully the photos will give you an idea of what I mean. If I'm not pushing, there's still a good couple of inches of air. But as I can push it straight with relatively little pain, I'm hoping that one day - once my muscle is back - I'll be able to pull it straight myself. 

All in all - it's good. I'll report back in another month!

Touching my shoulder for the first time since October 19th. The joy!

My good arm flat against the wall

My wonky arm flat against the wall - with help of knee

Olecranon Fracture: Part Six

A good week was had last week, and a good weekend too. After the news from my surgeon last Friday, I saw my kommune physio (the one given to me by the hospital - for free), on Wednesday and told her about both the surgeon and my private physio, whereupon she told me that we'd actually used up all my appointed time so she could give me a measure and some advice, but then I'd have to be on my way. She was very pleased with the range of movement. I wish I could remember the degrees now, but I can't.

Short of the long is that it's now me, painful stretches at home, and gym time. I'll see slow improvement over the years (!), and while it'll never be straight, and the likelihood of me touching my shoulder is pretty slim, it'll get to the point that I rarely notice it. So I'm told.

I really hope the creaking goes, and the general stiffness too, but only time will tell. Here are some photo updates. 

A huge improvement from the last time I took photos back at the end of December. In a painful, passive stretch (pushing my arm against a wall, towards my shoulder), I can just about touch my shoulder, although I have to use my other hand to bring my fingers down on to it! Still, that's something. 

Another good thing is that I went to the gym today. Finally. I could have gone sooner, really. I just fell into a hole after this accident and it's taken me a long time to climb out of it, and back in to any form of exercise. It felt good. A good session on a bike, and then on a rowing machine! Really didn't think I'd be able to, but I could! Kettle bells as well! I hit a lot of other machines, mostly to see what I could and couldn't do, but really, there was little I couldn't do. It felt tight, and sore if I pushed it, of course, and it's depressing to see how weak I've become, but I'm so excited to really be on the path back to the old me. 

Now I just have to find the time for workouts between mother duties and work duties. Can't complain though. 

Suppose I should do those evening stretches. 

Olecranon Fracture: Part Five

Yesterday I had what turned out to be my final appointment at the hospital. 

My appointment last month didn't go as I had hoped. My usual surgeon must have been busy, so another one saw me, and saw me quickly. He seemed perfectly happy with things, told me I'd have to have the metal removed in a year, and all but threw me out. He was perfectly kind and nice, but it was so slapdash. After talking to my physio, she recommended I write to the hospital and request another appointment. So I did. To my surprise they came back very quickly with a new time - yesterday. 

My range of movement has increased since my last post. It's now the point that in a stretch - after a good warm up - I can touch my shoulder. Imagine that! I honestly didn't think that would ever happen again. I'm still a good 4 inches away when not warmed up and not stretching, but that will get better in time. Life has all but returned to normal, actually. I can't put my headphones in my right ear very gracefully, nor can I loop my bag strap over my right shoulder with my right hand, and it can get uncomfortable to lie on or put my elbow on hard surfaces. It's also fairly awkward to do things to the right side of my face or upper body, but not to the extent that I favour my left hand. 

I went into my meeting yesterday in good spirits, and was greeted by a surprised and very impressed surgeon. He was extremely happy with my progress, and said that I didn't have to have the metal out unless it bothered me. Everything looked perfect in the x-rays, so when I left, we said we hoped we'd never see each other again. 

It's strange to think that that was it. My visits there are over. Now, I'll see if I even need to continue with my phsyio. My private physio said we'd be done in a month, so I think now it's all a matter of continual stretching and building up strength - things I can do at home and in the gym. 

I can still get pretty down when I think about the fact that I'm probably going to have some serious issues the older I get, and I'm definitely not as limber or fit as I was 5 months ago. I'm still doing three rounds of exercises a day, and they're still extremely painful. Right now, that's the worst thing, knowing that every morning, every afternoon, and every evening I have to hurt myself, quite a lot. But life goes on. I'll get more limber, and my fitness will improve. 

Next step is to get my soft arse to the gym, and see if I need to go on with my other physio. 

It feels odd, slipping out of the system. Odd, a little scary, but good. 

Back to life. 

The beautiful Bispebjerg Hospital