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I Broke My Scaphoid - It Finally Happened!

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It finally happened. Broken scaphoid from bike riding.

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image-2“I’ll keep getting up and going until I break something!” I said to Reis as we left home, laughing about my regular bike crashes. In the last six months we’ve taken up mountain biking. I am loving it. We ride with some of our friends and I’m the only girl of the group. Being rather competitive, I try to keep up with the boys. My last big bike crash was when we rode to Samford then did some jumps out the front of the Flying Nun Cafe. Sadly, gravity combined with my lack of balance got the best of me when I slightly lost balance at the top of the hill and fell down with Liv (thats my bike) crashing down after me.

image-4

This is my baby, Liv. She is a Giant Talon 0 29er. Now I know you’re all wondering what happened THIS time, Amy?!

I was coming up to an intersection slightly too fast not expecting a car to be there and next thing I see is a FWD coming at me! So I slammed on my breaks to stop myself getting hit (and yes I learnt I need to be much more careful on roads!). No time to unclip my shoes from my peddles & I fell with my hand straight out and the weight of my body and bike crashing down behind me. *sigh*

crashed_bicycle_and_lady-d

I dragged my bike to the curb and sat down in shock. I didn’t cry though. I did tell Reis not to hurry me and I would sit and look sad on the curb as long as I needed! That adrenalin gets me every time! Anyway, I got back up and soldiered on. Finished the ride to the pool, swam 1km and then rode back home.

The next day (Saturday) I called the home doctor and she said I needed to get an x-ray which would mean sitting in emergency. Yuck. We went to the hospital and the person next to us said they had just waited four hours for an x-ray. Stuff that! I had things to do and could deal with the pain until Monday, I thought.

I went for a run on Sunday, blogged and worked Monday. Finally went for an X-ray after work Monday and was advised I had broken my scaphiod. It’s quite serious apparently as there is only one path for blood supply there and if it had been cut off it would involve an operation to remove the dead bone. Suddenly I wished I had seen a doctor sooner! This diagram aptly describes where the bone is broken and how it happened:

wrist_scaphoid_fracture_causes01

broken scaphoid eat pray workout

Things I’ve found difficult since the break:

  • Reis now has to do my hair;
  • typing is one handed and so slow;
  • i can’t peel, chop or turn the tap on;
  • i can’t carry anything in my left hand;
  • i can’t turn on lights, open jars or clip lock bags;
  • i am not suppose to run (I may go crazy); and of course,
  • i can’t ride.

However I am so thankful it was my left not my right hand! It was bound to happen one day.

Mountain biking eat pray workoutImage via

I’ve never broken a bone in my life, so this is a first. Although despite my declaration the afternoon it occurred, I don’t see me stopping riding after this! I love it too much.

I need your help, do you have any tips for making things easier with a broken scaphoid or arm that’s in plaster?

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Amy Darcy

Editor & Founder at Eat Pray Workout
Amy is the founder and editor of Eat Pray Workout. She is an Australian lawyer, army wife, health & fitness lover and Mum. Sharing her passion for a holistic and realistic approach to wellbeing and fitness, her mission is to inform, inspire & empower women to live a flourishing healthy lifestyle.

Comments

  2. Gail Dibley says

    Sorry to hear about your break Amy. Will pray for you and Rees as he becomes your hairdresser and anything else you need while your wrist heals.

  3. fiona says

    Oh I feel for you. I broke and dislodged my right radius bone in my wrist in 2012 and had 3 pins and plaster for 8 weeks, all whilst living in the NT! !! It was my first break and I was 37 at the time. I recommend doing EVERYTHING your specialist and physiotherapist (if you need rehabilitation as I did) tell you!! You don't want problems down the track. Rest the arm and hears to a quick healing

    • Amy Darcy says

      oh man! poor you Fiona. I am going to see the specialist soon - hopefully no pins needed, mine didn't look too displaced. How did you break yours? Thanks for the encouragement to do as I am told by the drs i need that!! I am thinking the cast might be gross and smelly after a while ...can you get the cast changed at all? xx

      • Cherry says

        Oh no Amy, I'm sorry this happened to you. Any tips you can ask me the orthopaedic nurse :) unfortunately everything has to go slow and you need plenty of time to rest. I know it's hard, which make us appreciate the time when we have 2 arms, lol. Get Rees to cut up your meals if he can; try not to do too much. Your recovery time is very important, otherwise you need double or even triple of the time to get better again. It's not worth it. So take time to rest and get use to one arm life , you will be amazed how much you can do with only one arm ;) All the best, let me know if you need any help

        • Amy Darcy says

          oh that is good to know Cherry!! Where can I buy waterproof padding or do you have any at work? Apparently the fracture clinic won't provide it. I am so thankful for times with two arms now!! Making myself thank god the rest of my body works when I go to complain so I don't get grumpy over it. xx

  4. Sarah says

    oh no that's awful! I've broken both of my arms twice! The best thing I ever did was getting a waterproof fibre glass cast. It made life so much easier you will even be able to swim! Good luck!

    • Amy Darcy says

      oh you poor thing!! how did you do yours? yes I've asked the hospital for waterproof but apparently they don't offer it anymore, but if I can buy some padding they will re-do it for me. looking into that now!

  5. Fiona Booth says

    I broke it through a work incident. I was in a beautiful location though. It was funny as I was adamant that I had only sprained my wrist as the pain was minimal and no swelling however it was sitting on a weird angle!! It wasn't until the radiographer at the hospital showed me the x-ray that I finally believed it was broken :-). I don't remember it smelling. Unfortunately once the cast is on you can't get it removed until its time. xx

        • Amy Darcy says

          Aww so nice of you to check up on me! He said it will take 8-10 weeks in a cast to heal & at the moment it is undisplaced however if it does move I'll need an operation on it because there is only one area of blood supply to this bone & its surrounded in cartilage. Unfortunately its one of the worst areas to break. He said try to do low impact exercise so my cast doesn't get wet with sweat/too smelly. I had a new cast put on too which it a bit lighter. xx

  6. Kylie @ a*muze*ing says

    Oh dear! Hope it's feeling better-ish! I went for my first ever mountain-bike ride this weekend. I was a scaredy0cat, and walked down the steep bits! Am hoping I become braver! :)

  7. Fiona Booth says

    Oh I feel your pain and misery! Hang in there as the time will pass oh so quickly and you'll be back doing all the things you love before you know it (well after the cast is off and any pins/plates that may have been inserted and after physio possibly) !! Fiona xx :-)

  8. James says

    Hey girl, how is the recovery? Any loss of range of motion or pain, or subsequent surgeries?

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