The Incredible Shrinking Splints

On Thursday my mom went to the surgeon so he could check on her progress.  He took x-rays and said everything looked really good.  All the bones were in alignment and the plates/pins were in the correct places.  The incisions still have dissolvable stitches inside and there is still glue holding things together on the outside.  The surgeon said she should start physical therapy right away and gave her smaller black braces with velcro so they could be removed when necessary.  On Friday morning she had her first physical therapy session.  Mainly it consisted of making another set of braces that were a little less cumbersome, but not very comfortable.  These were supposed to replace the black ones and they can get wet, but they are just really irritating.  He also gave her some exercises to do at home 3-5 times per day.  The bones won't be healed for 6-8 weeks, but she will be having therapy 3 times a week for a couple weeks and then only 2 times a week thereafter.  He is pretty positive that after about 3 months she will be able to do most of what she was doing before, but the last 5 percent of range of motion/strength/flexibility will take another several months to get that last little bit done.  We think we have figured out a way to open the fridge/microwave/etc. by taking a strap and putting it around the handle and her upper arm so she can pull the strap to open them up.  No strenuous movement for a while.  We have arranged meals, rides, and other necessities for a while so hopefully things will be taken care of until she can do more for herself.


Original splints

No splints

Black splints

Songs to Heal the Soul (and arms)

After my mom's aunt stayed with her for 10 days, we had the "changing of the guard."  I flew in on Friday night from Virginia, and her aunt flew back to Salt Lake Saturday afternoon.  She is able to do a little bit more for herself, but things don't change drastically from day to day.  She will go back to the doctor on Thursday to get more x-rays and hopefully get smaller splints.  We will see what the doctor has to say about starting physical therapy.  Lest you think I'm a really cruel child, I did get permission to share the "Broken Arms Playlist" and my mom even helped me make it.

Against All Odds --  Phil Collins                  

Day Tripper--The Beatles   (this is one of my mom's favorites-haha)

Don't Ask Me Why--  Billy Joel                                

Don't Get Around Much Anymore-- Rod Stewart  

Drive My Car-- The Beatles 

Falling Slowly --  Josh Groban         

Help!-- The Beatles   

I Am a Rock-- Simon & Garfunkel                           

I Can't Tell You Why --The Eagles              

I Feel Fine--   The Beatles    

I Get Around--The Beach Boys       

I Go To Extremes-- Billy Joel                                   

I Should Have Known Better -- The Beatles                                 

If I Fell -- The Beatles          

It's Going to Take Some Time-- The Carpenters               

Just Once In My Life --- The Righteous Brothers                         

Let Me Fall--Josh Groban                             

Never Got Off the Ground--Alison Krauss                         

The Old Woman --  John Barry                               

Someone To Watch Over Me--Rod Stewart           

Take It Easy-- Eagles                        

Tryin' To Get The Feeling Again---Barry Manilow                        

Where Have All the Flowers Gone?---Peter, Paul and Mary                                 

You'll Never Walk Alone---The Lettermen                        

You've Got Your Troubles--- Fortunes    

Recovery

My mom has had a rough couple of days since coming home from the hospital on Saturday.  She says the pain is pretty bad and she was sick on Sunday--not sure why.  Maybe lingering effects from the medications.  She doesn't feel like doing much and is just trying to rest and recover.  Hopefully the pain will improve soon and she will be able to do more with her arms.  Please continue to refer to the blog as it will have the most current information.  Thanks to all for the flowers, notes, cards, etc.

Plates are the pits:(

My mom had surgery on Friday to put plates and pins in both of her arms.  The surgery went well, but was delayed about 3 hours so she was not able to come home the same day.  She went home Saturday late afternoon.  My mom has a lot of pain, which is to be expected with having surgery and two broken arms, but hopefully by putting in the plates/pins, the recovery should be much quicker.  The doctor says she will get the splints off in 2 weeks and have arm braces with velcro that she can take off to shower.  She will also be able to start physical therapy in 2 weeks.  My mom really appreciates knowing that so many people care, but she really needs to rest and recover for the next several days.  She asks that people please refer to the blog or email her your well wishes.  She also loves cards in the mail.  She will not be answering the phone as she is overwhelmed, but if you would like to leave a message, she can get back to you when she feels up to it.  Also, most of the time it's hard for her to get to the door if you come over, so she may not answer the door either.  She is thankful for support of so many people but for the time being she needs to concentrate on rest and recovery.

Double broken arms=double surgery:(

After talking with the doctor about the CT scan of my mom's right arm, it was determined that it would be best to also put plates and screws in that arm.  Even though it was not broken as badly as the left arm, this way both arms will be more stable and heal faster.  She will not have casts (they think) but just splints and that way she will be able to bend both elbows and start therapy in a couple of weeks.  Surgery is never fun, but the upside is faster healing, hopefully.  My mom still is not able to really answer/talk on the phone and it's really hard for her to text or email.  Her aunt is there helping, but it's just impossible to answer all the calls/emails/text.  It takes a long time for her to do anything she normally does, like taking a shower, getting dressed, eating, etc. so it takes a lot of each day just doing routine things even though she has help.  She really appreciates all the support, but it would be great if everyone could just refer to this blog to get the most recent updates.

I was given permission to post the following picture:)  Mostly to prove this wasn't some elaborate April Fool's joke---(that's for Linda Larsen!)  Although, my mom is the queen of elaborate April Fool's jokes.

Cow birthin' gloves

So, yesterday there was a trip to D&B farm supply store to find really long rubber gloves used for birthing a calf.  "We're looking for the calf birthing gloves--where are they?" was a question I'm sure my mom never thought she'd be asking:)  They work well to put over casts when you're in the shower. A nurse told her about them.  I don't know, maybe the employees at D&B are used to everyone in the Magic Valley who has a broken arm coming in looking for the gloves.  My mom met with a new doctor yesterday who suggested a surgery for her left arm to put pins and a plate in so the bone would be sure to heal properly.  Even though they were able to straighten the bone out the other night, apparently sometimes the bones can revert back to how they were.  He also said he wasn't completely sure her right arm was broken, or maybe not broken very badly so she is going in for a CT Scan of that arm today.  Yesterday she got a new splint that doesn't go all the way up over her elbow, so she has some more mobility to bend her arm.  Not great, but better than before.  She said the swelling wasn't too bad now but the pain is still a problem.  She hasn't had any pain medication and is just taking Tylenol.  She thinks she may get a second opinion about the surgery.  If she had it, she wouldn't have a cast--only a splint up to the elbow and she could start doing therapy after 2 weeks, but a surgery is never fun, so she'll have to get more information before making a decision.  The healing would be quicker and the mobility better with the surgery, but we'll see.  My mom is still not really able to use the phone or computer and she has not been able to take all the calls coming in, but she's in pretty good spirits considering the situation.  Luckily she has a good sense of humor and can usually see something funny about what's happening.  She's been through some really tough things, so I'm sure she'll get better soon.  Home Health is coming today to help her with Occupational Therapy and hopefully show her some more ways to be able to do things.  She really appreciates all the support.