so, yesterday started like any other day of healing, 8 days after the break. my right forearm was firming up like i had been pounding spinach. my doing hand squeezes and curls added to the effect. my concern was blood was pooling in my forearm because of the binding harness and keeping my arm in unused state. i drove into voc, parked & walked to bnb “working out”.  scott noticed my swollen arm and ribbed me about it. today was to seek medical advice. i drove up to verde valley emergency facility in sedona, my original treatment center. today i had a wait to be seen. made an exam room to be seen by a young fit dr. he ordered xrays to see if perhaps bone ends were blocking a vessel. xrays showed fracture same as original break and bone ends were minding their own business. next issue is a blood clot requiring an ultrasound exam performed down in cottonwood. i drove myself the 20 miles to hospital. ultrasound revealed a dvt. the results were telephoned to the sedona er doc. he said i needed to return to sedona for a ct scan of my chest to learn if a part of the clot passed to my lungs. drove back to sedona. underwent the ct scan, the results were electronically sent to a radiologist off site. he said he thinks he saw a lung clot. next move is to get me admitted back @ cottonwood hospital. the doc’s plan was if no lung clot he would just put me on home use of a blood thinner. the clot meant a hospital stay. now i am more under their care and  pov’ing back to cottonwood was frowned upon.  oh goody, an ambulance ride. the fire department guys strapped me onto a gurney for the ride, no siren or lights.

i was wheeled into my private room b4 midnight. interviewed by several staff members. sleep time here is rare because of taking vitals and asking more questions. the young resident dr kept receiving info, i can make a secret patient from my previous med procedures.

being evaluated for clotting disease.

receiving lovanox injections in my belly fat.

my van is back in sedona @ the er. the ambulance drivers are fireman. they were to contact the police to inform them of my van parked there and to cruise by.

i better prepared myself for this stay by bring my laptop and charger and sonicare.

dr care: they are like a dog w/ a bone: i heard what i wanted to hear and you can’t change my mind.

the flag ortho drs did not consider the possibility of a clot. specialists

i scored a followup dr appointment w/ local ortho but not until 3/1, week 4 after the break. i feel movement over the break. i felt the 3 weeks exam might discover that surgery was required so i found a clinic in flag and scheduled an appointment for yesterday afternoon. flag is 38  miles away up canyon, just a nice sunny ride.  started w/ a pa but asked so many questions he brought in the dr. i learned that my break will heal w/o surgery because it fails to meet any of the 3 criteria: multiple breaks, w/i 20% of end of bone, and not malformed. dr said he had a bike racer racing after 3 weeks, it just depends upon how much pain a person will withstand. he said the bone ends must be kept stable for new bone growth. too much movement and the regrowth will put down cartilage.

drove back down to sedona. part way down canyon is a piped spring. i filled up my tank and a gallon jug w/  snap on lid type. somewhere i turned sharp enough to tip the jug over. the h2o sloshed open the cap emptying its contents upon my living room/ kitchen / bedroom carpeting. wet floor.

danny invited me to dinner @ his house and to sleep over. good cook: grilled wild salmon, asparagus, potatoes, and we shared a bottle wine. sort of like a date dinner. i added 2 pints of haagen daaz. dinner was served  after 9. bed time was almost midnight. danny has a graveled side yard to park on and he raised and lowered my bed. 2 nights ago i slept in my bed that i found to be more comfortable than sleeping on the floor in a sleeping bay.

this am i was able to raise my bed and minimally use my right arm. i now have greater freedom.

did my wash yesterday. i hadn’t thought thru all the 2 handed tasks like folding my shirts and towel, hanging stuff on inside clothesline w/ spring clothes pins.

did a run around today to obtain a pain med refill.a dr was required to initiate. i returned to the emergency clinic because that is where the first dr works. the dr that treated me last year was on duty. he said that they deal w/ initial injury, the follow up dr is to treat following pain. catch: my followup isn’t until 3/1. this dr helped me by writing the script.

dropped off my new sheet to be altered.

just poking along today spaced on vicodin and sleepy from late night.

need 2 hands to take pictures.  getting sweating hot in the sun. sun forecast is for low 70s.

shower @ dannys w/o removing the padded harness that holds h2o like a sponge that just keeps dripping down my back. enjoying warm temp & low humidity to dry the harness and carpet.

i hope i can lower my bed tonight.

today i felt less pain and more movement.

3 days in, packers won, sleeping on the floor, discomfort always present. teaching moment:  keep my attention focused.

sunday was hanging waiting for start of sb party @ jim & jan’s. drove down to  cottonwood to walmart to buy car camping sleeping bag.i wanted a coleman flannel sleeping bag w/ duck hunting theme. i only opened the sleeping bag in the van @ bed time that i noticed the  inside material was a slippery synthetic that i did not want against my skin. bummer, will exchange it on another visit.

super bowl party, regular biker crowd. learning how to manage my chemical state w/ pain pills, beer and medicinal pot.

yesterday i called the ortho doc. closed on monday. hung @ bnb.

yesterday @ my beaverhead flats camp spot i was contacted by a usfs resource ranger informing of the camping stay limits on the forest: 14 days maxim any 30 days in the whole forest. i danced around him about policy. he finally said that i did not stay long in any one spot i would probably be left alone. policy is aimed @ the people that set up residency. i am a sleeper and slink awayer.

today i drove back to cottonwood walmart and bought sleeping bag w/a more cotton liner. i have a backpacking sleeping bag made by wiggys which lacks comfort that the floor of my van avails.

called ortho,  person i need to talk to starts @ 10:00. called then, she told me to call back. meantime driving thru cornville i spied a sign advertising $10. haircut today only. i turned around and walked in. $10 for hair an additional $5 for beard, eyebrows are free. she spent more time on my beard, i now am cleaned up. connected w/ ortho person. no appointment, we negotiated that she would view my x-rays, if the break looked like it needed surgery repair she would call me back. no call back could mean good,   or, she didn’t complete her tasks. it feels like my bone ends are moving around. i want to aggressively manage my healing but others have knowledge i need.

this afternoon jimmy, scott, and matt went out for a ride that normally i would have been on. matt walked a tough tech spot on damifiknow and slipped to him broke his ankle. they were you can’t get there from here location. jimmy and scott were able to get matt and his bike to a road.

sleeping on the floor of my van on a thermorest what effort expended to lower myself to floor w/ 1 good arm, crawl into bag, zip it up, and get my head on my rolled up jacket for a pillow. i am forced to sleep on my back, an unnatural position. getting upright is even harder. 3 1/2 weeks more of this.

windy @ my preferred beaverhead flats spot. temps @ night are just above freezing. day is short sleeve shirt. i bought 2 short sleeve snap button foreign made shirts @ walmart. snaps join shirt parts easier than 1 handed buttoning. wearing topsiders w/ cord locks for ease of getting in & out.

thanks all for positive vibes. i plan on recuperating here in sedona area because the weather is so favorable.

tomorrow i learn more about my fracture and matt’s injury.

still left hand typing