Serious question on a clavicle

I don't get trying to hide it from the boss, it's a broken bone fer christs sake.

 

On thin ice? Rum? I dunno...

 

I went thru something similar 11 years ago. Got an X-ray, decided to just let it do its thing. I def have limited range (perhaps 90%) and there is still some pain and a large bump, but its really no big deal.

 

Broke my left in 3 pieces. After looking at xrays in emergency, I said, surely we’re gonna fix that right? He says nope, it’ll heal, and it did. Big lump, but other than that, nothing. Broke my right in 5 pieces. Same thing, lump, no problems. Broke the left again, in 4 or 5 pieces. I was looking at my own xrays in the ortho’s office, when he came in, looked over my shoulder at the pictures and said “holy mackerel!”. Took the pictures with him and left the room. Came back 20 minutes later and said I’ve talked to all 5 surgeons in the office. All agree, that’s not going to heal, but all agreed none of them wanted to try and repair it. Sent me to a trauma center where the doc said he could fix it, and he did, but it’s the only one that still bothers me. Is it because it was busted badly twice? Or because of the plate and 10 screws? Don’t know, but as @mdroadracer said, really good chance it’ll take care of itself. The next couple of weeks won’t be great though.

 

Yeah, but you're implying that he waist all that meat.

 

Thanks for all the advice, my first couple of posts I didn't realize how bad it was until the day went on and while cooking lunch doing normal stuff knew it was a real thing. Went and got an x ray later that day. I called the Captain immediately and told him the situation. Then went to a specialist yesterday. It's just a tough predicament for everyone and feel like an asshole for making other peoples jobs and lives more difficult based on my own stupidness.

But the Captain took it well, we were all there and all hammered. I just went chest first into a dock cleat. I know its the internet but pretty safe to say everyone on this forum has broken something, with real life experience of getting back on a bike or back to physical work faster than other people maybe not by choice. But it's only my second owner trip on this boat and the guy has a reputation for not liking new chefs. He liked my food, it could be very bad for the Captain if I say I'm hurt right before a trip, he flies someone in who he doesn't know, sucks or has issues (all chefs have issues). The captain gets the ultimate blame, the same way when I'm running a restaurant and a line cook fucks up it's me going out to the table to apologize. So have to give it a go, but if its not doable they don't come back for 3 weeks after this trip and assess the situation. Everyone lives in Cali, and they are going on lock down again. Trip has been postponed twice, maybe I'll get lucky?????

 

Tore my bicep a few years ago. Figured it was surgery time, for sure. Went to the first doc and he said ~ "It's toast, nothing left to fix, high risk/low reward, all you lifter guys do this eventually, blah blah" Seemed like he didn't even want me in his office. My arm looked weird but I really didn't have much more than 10% loss of strength compared to my other arm so I figured I had some time to think. Got a second opinion from another Doc, came back from looking at my charts and said I don't know where you went before, but I do several of these a month, totally fixable. He said I could even wait up to a year before deciding on surgery or not, but he recommended giving it time and seeing how I felt. I never got the surgery. I have no pain at all, and no loss of strength. There is a small ball of tissue that makes that arm look a little different, but I doubt anyone but me would notice.

Point is, docs are like anyone else and sometimes treatment modalities are based heavily on that doc's opinion. Nothing wrong with that at all, but I very much appreciated a guy giving me options and recommending the one that was less invasive for me personally and financially. I'd listen to @mdroadracer, he seems like that kind of doc.

 

I JUST got cleared from weight restrictions from my collarbone break at Nelson Ledges. My bone was broken into 4-5 pieces and the two main pieces were out of alignment by almost 2 inches. So, I was strongly recommended to have surgery. I'm super glad I did.. TBH I felt amazing the very next day. Almost no pain other than the trauma to the muscle and skin. I have nice plate with about 7 fasteners installed. I had to spend the next 3 weeks being policed by my wife so I wouldn't use my left arm at all.. It would naturally try to assist the right arm in doing tasks.. This was the hardest part...

After about 2 weeks I started to get some deep aching feelings in what felt like the bone, but they subsided. After 3 weeks I was back to work on weight restriction. (I'm a fabricator/CNC programmer/machinist) My team mates helped me lift some heavy stuff once in a while, but other then that I've been solid.

Only real advice I can offer is make sure you do your damndest to keep that thing still. Especially if you're not getting it plated. I'm a super active person and I have a hard time even sitting on the couch in the evenings.. However, I've done some serious damage to my body and not letting things heal correctly is something I'm paying for big time now..

Keep it in the sling, don't use it.

I hope you're feeling better. I had to put up with the snapping and clicking around of all the bones for a few days as they were fitting me in for surgery. It was VERY loud and very uncomfortable. Didn't hurt too bad, but was super uncomfortable feeling a pop-snap throughout your whole body. My surgeon said I was lucky. I guess sometimes the broken clavicle can wedge up against a pocket of nerves in your shoulder and it almost unbearable.

 

It keeps getting more interesting. Captain called me this morning. They found a freelance chef in Cabo that can do the charter. They are flying me to Florida tomorrow to get surgery so I can be back to work on the boat a.s.a.p. Not going to argue with him so looks like I'm having surgery.

 

I really think that's for the best. Both of mine have been plated with no issues.

 

Friend of mine broke his saturday racing BMX. He has surgery Wednesday.

 

Great!!!

 

Outstanding.

 

Yeah that sharp piece is just asking to poke out the skin

 

Man up and go old school. Chop that shit off.

 

No thanks, Been cooking, cleaning,one handed for 3 days and flying today the thing that pissed me off the most after lots of security checks was trying to put on my belt with only one hand. was swinging my hips like a hula dancer to catch the other end, Makes you appreciate 2 working ones

 

the saga continues, got referred to a specialist, specialist didn't take the insurance. Been on the phone for 2 hours saying its their fault or his fault, i just cook food, I'm done

 

they told me in the er, never saw a real doctor, nurse told me that they didn't see a break, showed them on my phone my Mexican xray, all of a sudden send me to a cat scan which came back snapped. Sad to say but I trust Mexico health care more than here

 

Thank you for the advice, much appreciated

 

Captain, did you have surgery on your clavicle? Inquiring minds want to know...