Update

It’s been a long time, hasn’t it? I had my sixth surgery on September 5, 2019. It was by far the most painful surgery of all of the previous ones. The doctor said he did eight surgeries in one! I woke up crying, and I don’t even remember the PACU. My heart rate was high, my blood pressure was elevated, and it was clear that I was experiencing deep pain. When I first broke my arm, my pain was a definite 10/10; perhaps even higher than that. It was beyond unbearable. After this most recent surgery, it was an 8/10—meaning it was just unbearable. It was pretty darn close to the original injury. Luckily, my hip was numbed pretty good, so I didn’t have much pain from that….yet. Key word being yet.

I had to stay in the hospital for two nights. It wasn’t fun. For two days after I woke up from surgery, it was incredibly difficult to eat because my throat was so dry from the tube they inserted down my throat to keep me breathing. That first night, my mom ordered pizza and fries from the hospital cafeteria for me to eat. Normally, the food is really good, so it was such a disappointment when I nearly choked trying to get it down. It tasted like sandpaper as I tried to swallow it. Let’s just say, I drank some water for dinner.

The truth is, I had an awful limp for a few weeks after surgery. It was hard to sleep too. My hip was SORE!

After time, it healed. It barely hurts now, except when I jump. Not only has my hip healed, for the first time, my arm is healing too! Wahoo! As you can see, the bone graft (from my hip) is closing the gap between itself and the edges of the ulna.

I can’t express—I just can’t even try to express—how much it means to me to have it back. Mostly. I can type on the computer now. I can clap. I can open doors. I can give people high fives. I can put my hair into a ponytail. These small and simple things add up, and they add up quick. It means the world to have them back. It means the world that I can text with two thumbs now! It means the world that I am beginning to function as anyone else would. Having two arms—it is a miracle. It has changed my life. I don’t ever want to take my arm (or anything else, for that matter) for granted ever again.

I’m so excited to get back to my fully active self; I’m flying through Occupational Therapy, and soon I will be completely healed. I know that it will be an exhilarating day and journey for me. I am grateful for that.

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