Friday, May 23, 2008

Dislocation

This has certainly been one crazy day.
It started bright and early in the dark chill of 4 a.m. when Jerry abruptly woke me from a sound sleep with agonizing moans and groans. He sleeps on his back with his arms above his head, and early this morning, while just laying there sleeping, his right shoulder dislocated. This shoulder dislocated about 2 years ago when he fell while high in the air on a tower crane and grabbed and hung on a steel support to keep from splatting on the ground. He has had no problems with it since, until this morning.
With the original dislocation, he had asked the Dr to explain how he could reduce it himself if it ever happened again. Yes, he is kind of a do-it-yourself guy. So the Doc explains that he should lay on his front, with arms hanging down while trying to lift a heavy weight, and that would slip the bone right back into it's socket. Alrighty then...... I went out to the garage and brought in a nice and heavy 20# dumb-bell.
He was in agony and here we are trying to figure out how he could roll over onto his tummy. He just couldn't do it. He made me palpate his shoulder and egads, I had to sit down to keep from passing out or throwing up. All I could say, was, "it doesn't bother me in animals, but this is really bothering me happening to you." He refused to let me call an ambulance. And I was thinking we would just be here all morning at the rate we were progressing.
I decided to call the Emergency Room and spoke to the Advice Nurse, a nice, sympathetic fella. He keep saying, "oh man, the poor guy." I kept asking for him just to help me with ideas to get him up. He said he was thinking..... He suggested having him swing his legs off the bed and then I could lift him up to a sitting position from behind, instead of him trying to roll over. So Jerry swung his legs off the bed and I pushed him up and POP, that shoulder slid back home and Jerry was instantly pain free.
He drove himself to the hospital, I went about my morning as usual, just a bit earlier. At the hospital they took radiographs. He has to see his regular physician to order an MRI. I am guessing that surgery will be in order. He can't get into his Dr for 3 weeks. For tonight, I have ace bandaged his arm to his side. No repeating this morning!
So that was our crazy morning.
The rest of my day was crazy at work too. The Friday before a long weekend usually brings in folks who have just been hoping Spot or Fido will get better during the week, they don't so then need to be seen before the weekend. We were squeezing in sick pet appts. all day. I worked with a great crew today and they kept things moving right along. We finally finished up at 7pm.
Now I am exhausted and ready for bed.
Heaven only knows what tomorrow will be like. I am thankful that it will be a short day.
I hope that everyone has a pleasant weekend.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

THANK YOU. I'M SURE YOUR WEEKEND WILL TURN OUT GREAT. AT LEAST IT WILL BE WARM! STILL PRETY COOL HERE. GLAD YOU GOT JERRYS BONE BACK IN PLACE. PAIN SUCKS. I CAN HELP OTHER PEOPLE WITH NO PROBLEMS. I CAN'T STAND MY OWN PAIN.OTHER PEOPLES PAIN IS FINE.
HAVE A NICE LONG WEEKEND. MISS YOU GUYS. DAVID

Karen Deborah said...

Poor guy! That is serious, morphine needed pain! That guy is tough. I can so relate, I go to pieces when my animals are hurt or sick. i have never had anything affect me as bad as my poor beautiful dog and that bleeding tumor in his eye.
ICE! Wrap him in ice packs and acre wrap them down. He's going to swell from the trauma. If he won't ake any pain meds somehow I think that he won't, he does need an anti- infammatory. If not contraindicated with his heart condition. Call the doc back and ask to speak to his nurse and tell her what happened. He needs to be seen ASAP. Not in 3 weeks. He does not need scar tissue and adhesions developing prior to his eval. I think the ER is still the best choice. To bad it happened on Memorial weekend, that's a bummer. To bad it happened any time. He's crazy if he thinks he could've picked up that weight. uh uh, dislocated shoulders are as apinful as a heart attack, and he should know!
Go get it checked. My man is as stuborn as yours I'm feelin it for you.
I'm sure it's gone to the back burner but are you keepin those little bitty kitties?

Anonymous said...

I HOPE JERRY FEELS BETTER AND YOU GOT SOME REST THIS WEEKEND--I HAD DINNER WITH DAVID---RIBS Mmmm---OUR FAVORITE PLACE---MY BOYS WENT TO THE CAMPGROUND AND MY DR. SAID FOR ME TO STAY HOME BECAUSE I HAD CATARACT SURGERY ON THURSDAY---NO LIFTING,BENDING OR DUST---AND IT IS DUSTY THERE SO I STAYED HOME--I WONDER IF JERRY'S DR. CAN CALL IN A MRI ORDER BECAUSE 3 WEEKS IS A VERY LONG TIME----WOULD MAKE ME FIND ANOTHER DR. HAHA TAKE CARE AND TALK TO YOU SOON

Anonymous said...

That sounds like a pretty intense morning! My goodness!

Karen Deborah said...

how's your patient/husband?

Courtney said...

OUCH!!!