Broken arm - cheer me up?

[misosoup]

I had my arm broken yesterday - specifically my right ulna, near the wrist. I've never broken anything before and I'm feeling well miserable about it. I don't yet know how long I'll have the cast on for so I can't plan getting back into training (I train in reality based self defence), and I'm worried it's going to be weak for ages. I'm very right handed and would use a palm heel strike from my right as my preferred strike nearly all the time. I suppose it will be good to train a bit with my weaker arm, but at the moment I'm feeling really pissed off and slightly pathetic - it was broken by the police who then arrested me and wouldn't take me to hospital for 7 hours, so there's a fair bit of self-pity-wallowing going on generally.

The bone wasn't fully snapped - I've got the x-ray and can't work out where the fracture is - so I'm hoping it will heal quickly. If anyone could suggest how long it would be before I'll be able to use my arm properly again, that's be really good to know. Also any general advice or positivity would be really appreciated and thoughts on training with a break.

[benzilla]

Man, that really sucks. The healing time will depend on how bad the break is, and how long you are in a cast for, if you are in a cast? The wrist will stiffen up, and you'll need to do a lot of stretching work just to get the mobility back, but it should only take a few weeks.

All the best!

[spike]

That sucks, are you gonna try and sue the police? I've heard it takes a whle but can be successdully done, must be nice to get a fat cheque a few years after a horrible incident. (a while, as in years)
As for arm healing, I have no idea. Thinking of using it as a way of training your weak side is a positive way of looking at it though.

[baldy]

I would buy a kettleball or Dumbbell and try something new and different on your non broken side. Learning something new should cheer you up some what.

Having never broken a bone (touch wood) I cant really offer any other advice.

[dublin dave]

ACAB

[Gelert]

This might cheer you up - bones heal, chicks dig scars and glory lasts forever

If the xray is so inconclusive, the two things to take comfort from is that they've decided that you have broken it and are treating it promptly, and that it isn't a spectacularly bad one.

The worst of the hurt passes within about 72-96h with a straightforward ulnar or radial fracture IME.

(One of the times I broke my right arm in a session, I *knew* it was broken (familiarity with the sensation, plus crepitus...woo..) the hospital had a Dr. Nick Riviera actalike on duty as the radiologist the next day and they missed the frac site. Two weeks of climbing around and swimming on it and wondering why I couldn't take my bodyweight without screaming like a cissy, the hospital phoned and said yes, on reviewing the films before they were to be chucked there was a break, after all. )

As for MA training with the cast on, I doubt they'd allow you because one of those things can be brutal, even if you don't mean it to be. If in trouble again, then use it to your advantage.

The other thing is that the bone will heal to be stronger/denser at the fracture site, which can create a problem because to either side the bone remains the same, and is thus relatively weaker. Beware of that!

In terms of training, even over weeks you'll lose muscle in it, compared to the good arm, so if you do train the other one up, it will enhance the difference between the two.

You're probably going to have the cast for three to five weeks, and then it would probably take an equal amount of time with rehab.

Ffs, don't do what I did, and within 48h of getting a cast off, and doing in the other arm by arguing with a grappling hook.

[Konstantin]

Oh no, bad news. Sorry to hear about your injury.

The good news is that bones do heal, and injuries you could have got would be worse. In sperate incidents my wife has broken her ankle and torn her ankle ligaments. The break was a much quicker heal. Eat loads of calcium to aid the rebuilding - anything green and leafy, and plenty of brazil nuts.

Yes, definitely sue the police. If you haven't done so, make a written record asap with as much details as possible including times, conversations, places, people involved. The police aim to wiggle out of these situations where possible, and often the main reason is that the complainant hasn't presented a detailed case to prove liability.

If you haven't spoken to a solicitor, do that too.

Get well soon!

[bronco]

Sorry to hear about your injury, hope it heals quickly.

[moggy]

Hope it heals soon, why were the police arresting you anyway?

[Konstantin]

[quote="moggy"]Hope it heals soon, why were the police arresting you anyway?

[emm7]

it sounds very painful, hope that you are feeling better soon!

[stateofflux]

Get well soon.

[misosoup]

Thanks alot for all yr replies, feeling alot more posi today. I got a proper cast on it yesterday so it's feeling more sorted (although the cast is pink... they didn't have black ) The break isn't a nasty one but the cast is on for 6 weeks which has fucked up plenty of stuff (training, birthday climbing weekend, woodworking course, designing my friend's wedding tattoo, wah wah). I'm going to drop in to training tomorrow but mostly to show my face, once it's less painful I'd like to train, working on my weaker arm which could be good.

In terms of how it happened, I got hit with a baton at an antifascist demo. I got all my injuries documented at the hospital (got beaten when I was lying on the ground too, and they put my broken wrist in a wristlock to make me walk to the van...), once our charges have been dropped which I'm pretty confident about I'm going to sue them for assault and wrongful arrest.

thanks alot for all yr advice, starting to emerge from my swamp of self pity ^_^

[andyO]

If it's of any relevance, when I broke my arm (greenstick fracture) I was in plaster for 6 weeks and it was about 4 weeks after getting out of plaster that I was totally confident with it again.

Say - you can still go running no problems, that might help to get you some endorphins and cheer you up!

Also, bones heal heaps better than muscles and ligaments, so you'll be right as rain in a couple of months. In the meantime get all your mates drawing funky pictures on your cast!

[misosoup]

thanks andyO... I bought my first pair of running shoes today (I usually just train in normal clothes), going to start running as soon as the bruises on my legs are sorted out. Trained last week too, doing one armed burpees Thanks for the encouragement.