Broken bones...
Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 8:57 am
Well, for another bit of diversion...
I'm having my own "interesting" experience of broken bones ("just say
no!"), but before (maybe) going into any of that, I'm curious whether
anyone has thoughts about this experience my brother had a couple of
years back.
In a nutshell, he took a nasty fall, snapped his leg about mid-calf,
both bones plus at least one "chip". At the ER, he was being readied
for surgery (the famous "pin and a plate" apparently) when it was
discovered that he was uninsured. So (this being apparently a
"private, for-profit place) they un-readied him, and tried to figure
out where they should ship him to instead. (Or maybe he was supposed
to figure that out himself; I didn't get that.) So he spent some
longish time flopped in (I gather) a hallway, until one of the docs
said: "Hm, I don't know where my attending is; I don't think anyone's
going to bust me--come on." Hauled him into a back room, plopped him
on a gurney, said "Hang on!" as he yanked the leg (ow!!!!!) to set it,
popped on a cast, and shuffled my brother on out the door.
and down when I walked"--since it was attached only by skin and muscle
and etc., and apparently not braced. But he was certainly not walking
around much anyway, and somewhere in the next few days that sensation
stopped; he took cast off in some (he thinks) six weeks or so, and so
far as he can tell, it's been just fine.
My own experience is being rather different... Since I *am* insured, I
got the whole (phenomenally expensive and IMO gruesome) pin-and-a-plate
trip, which I have to say has been fairly horrible (four weeks on; I am
still in the "no weight at all!!!!!" stage, and for now never mind the
rest of the "adventures"). Now I am not inclined to do too much
"coulda-shoulda" about it, but I am curious now! My break was right at
and above the ankle, so *might* have been a different situation anyway,
but I am wondering! Does anyone have thoughts about whether "pin and
plate" represents a "medical advance" or just "over-treatment" for the
situation, or ??? (Don't worry, I am not going to be taking them out
anyway!
) Does anyone here have experience with this sort of
break?
Thanks for any thoughts,
Shannon
I'm having my own "interesting" experience of broken bones ("just say
no!"), but before (maybe) going into any of that, I'm curious whether
anyone has thoughts about this experience my brother had a couple of
years back.
In a nutshell, he took a nasty fall, snapped his leg about mid-calf,
both bones plus at least one "chip". At the ER, he was being readied
for surgery (the famous "pin and a plate" apparently) when it was
discovered that he was uninsured. So (this being apparently a
"private, for-profit place) they un-readied him, and tried to figure
out where they should ship him to instead. (Or maybe he was supposed
to figure that out himself; I didn't get that.) So he spent some
longish time flopped in (I gather) a hallway, until one of the docs
said: "Hm, I don't know where my attending is; I don't think anyone's
going to bust me--come on." Hauled him into a back room, plopped him
on a gurney, said "Hang on!" as he yanked the leg (ow!!!!!) to set it,
popped on a cast, and shuffled my brother on out the door.
and down when I walked"--since it was attached only by skin and muscle
and etc., and apparently not braced. But he was certainly not walking
around much anyway, and somewhere in the next few days that sensation
stopped; he took cast off in some (he thinks) six weeks or so, and so
far as he can tell, it's been just fine.
My own experience is being rather different... Since I *am* insured, I
got the whole (phenomenally expensive and IMO gruesome) pin-and-a-plate
trip, which I have to say has been fairly horrible (four weeks on; I am
still in the "no weight at all!!!!!" stage, and for now never mind the
rest of the "adventures"). Now I am not inclined to do too much
"coulda-shoulda" about it, but I am curious now! My break was right at
and above the ankle, so *might* have been a different situation anyway,
but I am wondering! Does anyone have thoughts about whether "pin and
plate" represents a "medical advance" or just "over-treatment" for the
situation, or ??? (Don't worry, I am not going to be taking them out
anyway!

break?
Thanks for any thoughts,
Shannon