Hi, no one seems to be around here (maybe they all fell down :0) so I thought I'd write. It's very scary, isn't it when that happens. I'm likely quite a bit older than you, and I worry all the time about it because I have 2 cats and a bird who depend on me, plus a dog who's not in the 'house' part of this place, which is weird and potentially dangerous. The house part is a large liv. rm, large kitchen, one bedrm and another I use for an office, but off the kitchen are 900 sq' of what used to be a commercial storage space, pizza take-out and ex-car dealership (all long ago)! The floors are cement, uneven in places and the light's not that great (only as great as the elect. will allow and it would cost a fortune to fix, especially with 12' ceilings! It's great for keeping my loads of junque - just came out of a long marriage in a 4 bd house+in-law suite - and one of the areas (divided up but not liveably finished with drywall etc) where I did put in a door is perfect for my big untrained, messy dog. There are no windows back there except in a door to the backyd, and another to the street at the side where the dog is, and I'm always afraid of falling or having some 'event' back there where no one could hear me or find me for ages. I ended up here because my choices were limited (long dumb story) - the alternative financially were 2nd-hand trailers with no-pet clauses and too much lot rent. The upsides are that the house part of things is fine, normal and nice, one block from the ocean and beach, plus being dead centre of a tiny town on an island attached by a causeway! Oh dear... I was writing to sympathize and commiserate, but now you are stuck with all of this on top of your arm! My mom-in-law once tried to carry a frozen turkey into her house, slipped on the stoop and broke her wrist, but somehow got herself inside to the phone (like you). We should all come with buttons built-in! Have you asked your MD why he didn't put on a cast (there maybe a medical reason...)?

hi lucy, thanks for replying. hey your place sounds great, especially if you could renovate it. i would give up my new home for a place like if i could afford to renovate it.

i went to my medical doctor today and she said that is the proper treatment. she was surprised that i was allowed to take it out of the sling to put on a blouse. the pulling i was worrying about was the bones moving, so i guess i am looking at a longer healing time. she didn't think i would require surgery.

about this place it used to be more lively. we could use it for our own private message board. BTW, i am 71 and holding. LOL

Perhaps you could find a friend to phone several times a day. You can check in with each other, and develop a plan in case one can't reach the other by phone.

As for this board being 'dead', all you need to do is post a controversial topic and they will come! LOL If you need ideas for good topics, go to some other website forums and see what they are chatting about, then come back here and make one of your own.

Lots of folks lurk here, but few respond unless there's a bit if foamin' and debating going on - then, look out - it can get pretty exciting!

i'd rather not post than get a free for all started. not my cup of tea.

Star, I wasn't suggesting anything to cause a riot - just a topic that is highly debatable - one that has room for multiple opinions.

Looks like Stargazzer woke us up!!

I think you were referencing my post of my knee fracture. I don't think I've ever felt more alone than when the pain was so bad that I couldn't even scream. It was very difficult to get around, even to get to the Dr. Little things like getting to the phone or taking a shower were like climbing a mountain. It's probably a good idea to have the phone tethered to you somehow, just in case. I use my cell phone since it's smaller. It's also good to have a buddy system, as Kayjones suggested. She mentioned that to me back then, and since then, all of the neighbors are pretty conscious of each other - even the ones that don't get along. It makes ya think when you hear of tragic things happening on the news and the neighbors didn't even know the family next door. With all that's going on, and as we live longer, having a buddy, and knowing your neighbors are more and more important.

Sorry to hear about your accident - that's a pretty tough injury. I fell almost two years ago, on a concrete walkway, right on my shoulder/rotator cuff. I opted not to have surgery because the Dr., although very recognized, didn't have a great bedside manner and didn't even want to do an MRI. He told me that it had frozen and suggested therapy. My therapy was the same as if I had surgery. It helped some but most of the "better" was healing. He finally admitted that I had probably torn something - tendon, muscle, etc., and again,recommended continued therapy. I finally gave up on that after 7 mos. As I write this post though, I'm waiting on Tylenol to kick in to take the edge off of the pain. Nothing really works so I just switch off every once in a while, and try to use the least dangerous drugs. Arm and shoulder injuries are special, I'll say, for sure. I've had every suggestion and recommendation, including "have the surgery", and "don't have surgery, what ever you do". I'll probably end up having the surgery, if for no other reason than to try something else in hopes that it will work. I just need to mentally heal from the therapy sessions because it will be the same after surgery - and it's not pleasant. The one thing I have found is that exercise is important. I didn't see where you mentioned a diagnosis, but unless you really broke something, all of the Drs and therapists stressed to me, to continue exercise to keep it from freezing. I've heard that women have a tendancy to have frozen shoulder - which is unbelievably painful, even without an injury. That's the reason for the therapy. I won't pretend to know what to tell you because of course, I'm no Dr. Just make sure you are getting better. It's a long healing process but every day is better. If you don't get better KEEP seeing the Dr.

Anyway, RE this Forum - yeah, it gets out of hand sometimes, but I've also learned that when no one else is around, I can bring us a decent subject to discuss and talk. Before I started posting is was oh so dead. I kept begging folks to come back and finally it revived. Now though, it's worse than before. I was actually thinking a few days ago to restart things, try to bring back a few folks. Some of them have become special online friends when you need a pick-me-up. If you have something to say, please by all means speak up. If it gets too heated, folks will eventually back off. I don't like all of the picking either, but if its a safe topic, I'll chime in. If I've rustled feathers somehow, I will always apologize because I never have that intent. This Forum is something like the KT, only for singles. I think we should use it as that.

My best to a quick recovery. I'll look for your posts!

gneegirl

update on my fracture. it's been a month and it is not healing because the bones keeps shifting. if i had known this would happen i would have checked into a convalescence home. i can't do anything without putting pressure on my left arm. i went to my family doctor to find out if i was getting the right treatment and i am. she doesn't think i will need surgery. i sure hope this heals by feb., i have a 25 day trip planned. thanks for the replies.

stargazzer-

Just checking to see how you are doing. Hope the healing process is going better for you!!

gneegirl

thanks for thinking of me. the bones are still moving, so no healing yet. they put another brace on last week and i have an appointment for a follow up x-ray today. it has hurt all week so i am not very optimistic.

Stargazer: OMG, what an experience. i'm so glad it wasn't your leg. we can be thankful for some things even in the face of disasters, can't we? i know we have to be careful of doctors; they're not all the brightest stars in the sky. i have a friend who had a melanoma removed from his back two years ago. after having it checked every two months for two years he got a clean bill of health on nov. 4 and was told, "you're doing fine." two weeks later his son saw him without his shirt on, and took him straight to another doctor, who told him he had terminal cancer. he now has only days left. so be careful, but do try to be optimistic. your attitude can help you change things one way or another, I think. please let us know what the x-rays say.

Lucy: "one block from the ocean and beach, plus being dead centre of a tiny town on an island attached by a causeway!" areyou kidding me? this sounds great! i happen to LOVE old houses. after i became single i bought an old house (1929) in the nicest part of town. six years later i sold it the first day and made $160,000 profit. that let me pay cash for the next one and i made $$75,00 on it. the older houses are, by far, better built IMO. but the best part is that they have so much more character.

Kneegirl: yes indeed, stargazer did wake us up! you know, i can't even imagine the pain you must have felt. when i even bump my knee it hurts terribly and for a long time. i haven't been here for a while because there didn't seem to be much going on, but i'm glad i dropped in today.

we have used this doctor for years and liked him a lot, but he seems to have changed personality wise. i suspect he has health problems which he won't tell me about. he now has doc's assistants and i was in such pain i didn't care who i saw me as long as they helped with the pain. i usually don't accept them. when this arm heals i will not go back to him unless i have to. there is a bone clinic in our city, will check it out when i need bone care.

i just got back from the doc's, saw the assistant and the ex ray showed no changes in the bone's position, so that was good. she said that it has started healing, she called it ghosting, but i didn't see it. the bone looks horrible, but she said is acceptable. the rough edges will fill in.

Stargazer, glad to hear you are on the way to a mend. Broken bones are no fun. I am lucky still have a young one around to help me if I ever needed it. :)

Star, and anyone else that is home alone I had an uncle that lived alone, elderly and handicapped, and he did take several falls and couldnt get to the phone...I bought him a gadget from Radio Shack, he hung it around his neck at all times, he pushed a button, and it actually rang my phone and said uncle needs help..If I were not to be at home, it rang 2 additional numbers...If you have a land phone line, its not too expensive( I think at the time it was about 75.00 for the unit)not like the one on TV where there is a high monthly charge.....He did fall again, it rang my phone and I found him on the floor...So it does work..A cell might fall off your clip should you fall...Hope it would help someone, a lifesaver for us......

thanks i will look into that the next time i am out. i tried carrying the cell and it is a nuisance and it will end up in the toilet one of these days. LOL

Glad to hear there is some progress. One thing I forgot - are you taking any supplements? They may help strengthen the healing process.

gneegirl

no i am not. the PA suggested calcium, but it's to hard on my stomach and i don't take any vitamins or herbs. i think it's a waste of money and i read in the paper this week that they had a trial with 50,000 people in it and the results said there is no benefit in taking them. i feel like my bones are still moving, i have hurt since the brace was put on. i see the doc on the 31st.