Battle wounds, scars and broken bones

[notsomadLisa]

I want to hear hour stories. Ok, I'll be the first to admit, I am crazy. I must be, or else I wouldn't be up at midnight with rambling thoughts such as the following, and feel free to ignore if you desire, I don't mind. Really.

I was recently visiting a friend or five (not in my head folks), and one asked me how I was doing. I mentioned ever so casually that I'm currently in the process of healing from back surgery. Her comment was "Well, how many is that now?". My immediate response was to as if she was talking about surgeries done under general anesthetic only or the ones that involved sedation. Needless to say she picked the General anesthetic choice. I quickly shuffled through my mind to recall all surgeries done under general anesthetic from my four major back surgeries (Bono ain't got nothin' on me when it comes to spinal issues let me tell you lol), the four kidney surgeries, two abdominal surgeries, and other random crap I've had removed or added to my poor abused body.

I've come to a few realizations:

1. I've had an average of one surgery every two years (I'm 30)
2. 6 alone were in 2010, one in January, then, one in June, July, August, september and October.
3. All major events I can remember with whatever injury or surgery I'd been recovering from at the time. the current one is "yeah, that's when I'd had my four level spinal fusion", when moving from Texas to Colorado was "yeah, we moved during the week after I came off the horse that was bolting and I broke my finger and cracked some ribs remember?" one funeral was "remember, I had to go to the funeral on crutches because of my broken ankle"
4. I've amassed quite the collection of hardware which is to only increase in time : two screws in my ankle from a spiral fracture my left ankle, eight screws, two rods, three cages in my lumbar spine, plus no less than 20 surgical clips from an emergency abdominal surgery. Surprisingly enough, I do not set off metal detectors.
5. I've lost count of the number of times I've been asked by ER nurses and doctors if the injuries were caused by my husband, which always results in me laughing my ass off since I'm just fuckin' clumsy most times I've injured myself. Stairs and grabbity are not my friends people. In fact, we are not on speaking terms most days, and if we are, it usually results in me swearing like a sailor after I've slipped and fallen.
6. Why can't we replace spines yet? Hips, no problem. Knees, piece of cake! Spines? Yeah, notsomuch. Although I do get why.

Current issue: cracked L2 vertebrae and threads on one of the screws in my back are touching my spinal cord causing numbness in both legs and along my back. No paralysis and no plans for surgery to revise the fusion or fix the crack. Crack was caused by me doing what I do best - slipping off one step. It has been cracked nice December and hasn't shown signs of healing as yet.

Most of my family and friends keep a close eye on me when it comes to anything I do. Some threaten to wrap me in cotton wool and bubble wrap, some have offered to pad my house with rubber and such.

Sadly, I've got no cool stories on how I've broken bones, I'm just a walking disaster. I've always been totally sober, no daredevil stunts (unless you count the horse one), no bar brawls, nothing. Hell, I broke my leg in three places that resulted in said screws by stepping off ONE step wrong and face planting when I was heading to work.

Now, time to share your broken bone stories!

Someone out there must have a story that starts with "So me and my mates were out drinking and we decided to...."

 

[KristenCaNaDiAn]

I have a barely visible scar on my finger from an exacto knife. Does that count?

 

[ryancoke71]

I was hit by a school bus while standing on a sidewalk. I miraculously escaped with only a broken foot. The pics in the paper of the accident scene the next day were horrific. I was all over the local news and I sued the ass off of the buss company and got bug bucks.

 

[U2Mama]

I broke my foot during a celebratory run up a flight of stairs after beating my nephew in a video game. (there may have been a few Margarita's involved ) Stupid thing took 5 months to heal and has never felt quite right ever since.

 

[Galeongirl]

I had a broken arm when I was 6, lol nobody told me I couldn't skate on grass. Well of course there was a concrete path next to it. Fail.

Then there's the countless amount of injuries related to sports. I've had sprained ankles, a badly cracked twisted knee that probably will never heal, sprained shoulders, elbows, a fucked up back... countless bruises and scrapes... hit my toes a gazillion times on things(or people step on them), hit my head on countless things too... I'm a klutz, yeah.

Then there's the scar of the one time I was shaking my foot under the shower and I violently hit the tap with the back of my foot. Blood everywhere and my skin was on the tap instead of on my foot.

I think the only scar next to that is from the chicken pox.

 

[Thora]

I love scar stories!

Never broken a bone, thankfully. *knock on wood*

I have two massive scars. The one on my arm is from when I was 16 and was working in a store. We sold homemade waffle cones and used a waffle iron to bake those. It was the end of the day, and I was closing things up. I went to unplug the machine (which was still hot), and my arm accidentally touched the hot machine. OUCH!! There's a half circle shaped scar that you can still see very clearly. I think it was a second degree burn, but I can't really remember. All I know is that it hurt like hell.

The other big scar is from when I was about 11 years old. My family lived on a small island and the roads are all gravel. I was running to go catch the ferry boat and was late, so I was in a hurry and not paying attention to the fact that my shoelaces weren't properly tied. I slipped and fell and landed knee first onto a very big and sharp rock by the side of the road. My knee split open.

I have many other scars and hilarious/weird stories that go with them, but those are the stories of my most noticeable ones.

 

[notsomadLisa]

I love scar stories!

The other big scar is from when I was about 11 years old. My family lived on a small island and the roads are all gravel. I was running to go catch the ferry boat and was late, so I was in a hurry and not paying attention to the fact that my shoelaces weren't properly tied. I slipped and fell and landed knee first onto a very big and sharp rock by the side of the road. My knee split open.

See, that's the reason right there why I wear shoes that don't have laces, and all my boots (and I've amassed quite a few) all have zips or just pull on. The ones that do have something that could prove a tripping hazard, I will put double knots in them to really make sure they don't come undone.

Forget about heels. Not like I need them any way. Husband is a shorty at 5'6" and I'm 5'10". Wearing heels with me puts me over 6' if I do wear them, and when I do it's usually only for short periods of time since after I suffer for a few days with my back.

I swear, the universe is out to get me, and I'll do everything in my power to avoid grabbity from taking hold.

 

[cobl04]

I don't have scars from either of these, but when I was about 12 or so I was at a mate's house and I was riding his bike. It was the first time I had ridden a bike with brakes on the handlebars, not pedals, and I was going down a hill. It got too fast, and in a moment of panic instead of applying the brakes, I jumped off the bike and tore three layers of skin off my knee.

The only bone I've ever broken was my left thumb. I was working at a sheet metal factory and drilling holes in aluminium with a pedestal drill.

There was a 6 millimetre drill bit in there and it was moving at a relatively fast pace. For some reason I had gloves on, and bits of aluminium were getting caught in the drill bit. I started flicking them out, with my gloved hand, while the machine was operating. A bit of thread on the glove came loose and the next thing I knew my thumb was wrapped around the drill bit. I turned the machine off and tried to dislodge my thumb, to no avail, so I had to manually unwind my thumb from off the drill bit. It came free, and there were all different colours of blood, and the top part of my thumb was just hanging there. I don't recall it hurting too much, probably because I was in shock. Went to the hospital, bone was broken, thumb was fucked. I had surgery the next morning (Friday) then went to a musical festival on the Sunday with my arm in a sling (commitment) and after two months or so of thumb rehab it eventually got better. Now you can't even tell the difference.

 

[flybabe]

Battle scar(s) - I was taking out a bag of trash and unbeknownst to me there was glass in said bag, and somehow I didn't see it and it ended up stabbing me in the calf, leaving an inch deep gash.

And once while helping move furniture, there was this over sized chair that had metal springs sticking out, and we were stupid enough to leave them sticking out. Not watching out for the hazards, and being something of a fruitcake I come around to grab a side, and low and behold, a metal spring sliced the top of my leg leaving another gash. And when I was little I had an allergy to mosquito bites that left scars, so I could never be a leg model .

 

[MsPurrl]

Does this count?

A little over 10 years ago, I had a huge DVT (blood clot) in my aorta just after it branched off to go down my right leg. The only symptom was when my right thigh and knee swelled terribly. An ultrasound didn't find anything, but an MRI/cat scan did. Had the MRI done, had lunch, and went to work. About half an hour later, my doctor's office called and said to go check myself into the hospital immediately, so I did. They started an IV drip of blood thinner immediately, then the next morning threaded a probe in the back bend of my right knee to start breaking up the clot and suctioning it out. Took three days in intensive care to get it all out and have things back to "normal." Had to give myself shots of blood thinner in the stomach twice a day for two weeks, and have been on a blood thinner ever since. Have to have a blood test once a month to see if my clotting rate is normal, and adjust meds as needed.

I guess the only visible "scar" is the one behind my knee, but there's a huge one on my mind/heart/soul. I was so incredibly lucky that none of that clot broke off and traveled to my heart or lungs or brain. We were moving at the time, and I was toting lots of boxes up and down stairs. So I'm thanking God, my guardian angel, and all the other spirits that I lived to tell the tale. I will take any pills that anyone gives me that will help prevent that happening again.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

 

[Bonochick]

I was in a car wreck almost two years ago. My knee slammed against the dashboard really hard and hurt so badly that I thought it was broken. It didn't break, but it was badly bruised. To this day, it still hurts. The final diagnosis was nerve damage, which is most likely permanent (they said it could heal in 1 to 2 years, but that doesn't seem to be happening). Although the bruises have obviously healed by now, the skin on my knee remains slightly discolored where the bruising was the worst.

 

[corianderstem]

Cheesehead!

I've never broken a bone, but one of my top front teeth is fake. Knocked it out ice skating in fourth grade.

Two small scars, one on the heel of my hand from a dog bite and the other around my ankle, caused by rope burn. We used to take our dog out to the back yard to do his business attached to a long rope. We didn't tie him up, but he had a tendency to bolt out of the yard. With the long rope, it was easier to grab it and stop him.

Well, one night he took off after a squirrel, and the rope had been wrapped around my ankle. That was the worst rope burn I've ever had. It left a scar that has only faded to mostly nothing in the last 5 years or so.

 

[anitram]

The garage door fell on my hand when I was 20 and my middle finger was crushed and broken. I had to walk around with that metal thing on my finger for a long time and basically look like I was flipping people off.

I had acute appendicitis when I was 17 or 18 so I have a scar from that surgery on my abdomen, next to the hip bone.

And although I managed to pass the beast without surgical intervention, the kidney stone I had (8 mm) was the worst pain I'd ever experienced.

 

[notsomadLisa]

The garage door fell on my hand when I was 20 and my middle finger was crushed and broken. I had to walk around with that metal thing on my finger for a long time and basically look like I was flipping people off.

I had acute appendicitis when I was 17 or 18 so I have a scar from that surgery on my abdomen, next to the hip bone.

And although I managed to pass the beast without surgical intervention, the kidney stone I had (8 mm) was the worst pain I'd ever experienced.

I broke my ring finger when I was horse riding, they had to cut off my wedding band in the ER. I was one of four equestrian accidents that came into the hospital that particular day - all unrelated. I had the least amount of injuries (broken ribs and finger) and I wasn't wearing a helmet when I came off.

Unfortunately it wasn't until two months later and a move to a different state when I was having difficulties with my finger, that resulted in a trip to a specialist that we found out that it was broken (the X-rays at the hospital didn't show a break as it was the very tip of my finger) and I'd torn all the tendons and ligaments that required reconstructive surgery to repair. I still can't bend my finger properly.

I've broken both ankles, I broke my little toe on the glass top to one of my aquariums that I had leaning against the wall, also lacerated it to the bone.

 

[notsomadLisa]

Cheesehead!

I've never broken a bone, but one of my top front teeth is fake. Knocked it out ice skating in fourth grade.

Half of one of my top front teeth is fake - it broke off while eating a pizza. Soft crust to boot. Went to work looking like a real red neck until I could see my dentist that afternoon for a reconstruct. To this day it's always a couple shades lighter lol.

 

[bonocomet]

I was riding a bike across a street when a car going around 60 mph didn't see me crossing because of sun in their eyes and hit me. I'm told my body smashed out the windshield, then flew over the top of the car and landed in the street behind it. The only thing I remember about that actual moment was that I thought I was being hit by pillows. It was actually very pleasant. Weird what our minds do to protect us. I spent 2 weeks in the hospital recovering but only needed 1 surgery to put a pin in my ankle (which needed another surgery to remove it 10 years later when it suddenly started hurting until I couldn't walk on it anymore), had a broken collarbone (which they don't do anything for), a scar above my eye, and a dislocated shoulder which is lots of fun to have the doctor tell you to count to 3 but yanks it back into place on 1. In all I was very lucky.
(The bike however was found in a ditch very far away and no longer resembled a bike, more like crumpled metal.)

 

[flybabe]

And although I managed to pass the beast without surgical intervention, the kidney stone I had (8 mm) was the worst pain I'd ever experienced.

Kidney stones have got to be the worst pain that any human being will ever feel. I would have gladly taken a bullet. I wouldn't wish them on my worst enemy.

 

[notsomadLisa]

Kidney stones have got to be the worst pain that any human being will ever feel. I would have gladly taken a bullet. I wouldn't wish them on my worst enemy.

Ditto. I get them often. Last one I had was an inch and a half. Took two shockwave therapies and two laser therapies to break it down. Now I get looked at often, and it's never a surprise when I can predict I've got one and go to the ER for confirmation. The first time I had one was agonizing, now I know the signs, and deal with it.

I never thought I'd say it, but having chronic back pain is actually good for something, as I know when I start getting different pain in my low back, there's something amiss.

 

[Angela Harlem]

I've had so much anaesthetic that I actually fear it will cause some kind of harm one day.
First was appendix aged 13 or so. Wasn't even appendix in the end. It was my undiagnosed coeliac disease.
Had to have more anaesthetic mid teens when I had my wisdom teeth out.
Then there were four caesarian sections. All were spinal, and all extremely disconcerting.
Had gall stones removed, just keyhole though.
Had both hands operated on for carpal tunnel.
Have had about 5 biopsies for the coeliac disease.

I think that is about 16 times I've had anesthetic? That surely can't be healthy.

 

[The Sad Punk]

Never broken a bone, but not long after first reading this thread, I slipped in the shower and hit a few areas of my right side pretty heavily. I have a bruise on my thigh the size of a child's hand that looks like a map of some greater metropolitan area drawn in blood. Looks much worse than it feels, but I'm beginning to wonder just what the hell is going on in there. Probably gross things.

 

[Liesje]

Despite being a gymnast I've never officially broken a bone. I've never been admitted to the hospital aside from my birth. I do have scars but all from minor things like chicken pox, dog bites, and cuts. Right after I got engaged I was helping someone move a dresser and it dropped on my hand, cracked the stone in my engagement ring, but saved my hand. My health issues are all annoying, ongoing things (migraines, deformed ear canal and small sinuses that make me prone to sinus infections, TMJ that now requires serious intervention as soon as I can afford it, and chronic inflammation/arthritis of a joint in my left foot despite no broken bone or lasting injury). I've never been under anesthesia and had my wisdom teeth "extracted" while I was conscious (used a nerve block in the form of a shot) since I didn't want to pay for expensive oral surgery.

 

[daygloeyes2]

Broke my left leg in 2 places last week. Had to have titanium rods put in to hold them together. Also had plates put between my foot and ankle due to my foot being wonky from the fall. If you ever have to break a bone(s), go for a finger or a toe. Tib fib fracture is the suck.

 

[MsPurrl]

Holy shite, that sounds awful! Hope you heal quickly!

 

[daygloeyes2]

Thank you Ms Purrl. Right now the most frustrating thing is that I have to put my life on hold. I'm sure once I'm cleared to start PT and over time it will change, but right now my left leg dictates how my days will be spent.

 

[notsomadLisa]

Tib-Fib fractures do suck. I have a spiral fracture in my left Tib from a fall a few years ago.

I've got to go in for a CT scan next week to see if I've either compromised the hardware in my spine - there's a chance I've compromised the hardware - either a screw has come loose or something like that after I fell down the stairs last week, or I've fractured one of the vertebrae (again).

 

[BlueSilkenSky]

I have a puny, embarrasing scar on the back of my left hand. It's a small patch of darker colored skin in the middle of a sea of lighter colored skin. I got it when I was running through the door to my house on the last day of marching band, and my hand hit the door. It must have hit something sharp, because it got cut and scabbed over, and now the patch of skin is permanently darker. It's really pathetic.

Now, a better story is when I was biking on Mackinac Island in Michigan (you aren't allowed to drive there) and the bike went down a tall hill... and I, not knowing how to use my handbrakes (it didn't have normal brakes), promptly sped down screaming and fell off in a patch of grass. Somehow the action of falling off the bike caused the upper part of my left leg to be extremely scraped (I've heard the wound is called a "strawberry" ). It hurt a lot, but I rode my bike for the rest of the day. Later it formed the biggest scab I've ever seen and slowly came off, but surprisingly there isn't even a mark to show where it was.

Another injury story is when I was ice skating, lost control, and fell down on my right arm. Apparently I "strained my elbow." It hurt so badly that I couldn't even unbend it for days- worst pain I've ever been in, it hurts just thinking about it. It eventually healed, though, and the only reminder of what happened is that I tend to carry my right arm more bent than my left arm.

Oh, and when I was little, I reached across the table at Christmastime and my hand went through a lit candle. I don't remember much except that it was painful (goes without saying!) and I wore a Band-Aid for the rest of the night... I don't even have a scar!

I've never broken a bone and consider myslef lucky. It sounds very painful.

 

[Rachel D.]

My left leg has been injured several times. In seventh grade, I tore my knee and had to have my whole leg in a cast for five weeks because one side of my knee cap wasn't attached to anything. In college, I slammed my leg in a door and fell forward with my shin trapped in the door. It made a gross grinding noise and I had a deep tissue bruise that hurt for a long time. Last year, I missed the last two steps on my aunt's staircase in the dark three days before the 360 show in Winnipeg and landed with my left foot turned sideways. It swelled up and turned all different colors because some of the tendons partially tore. It really didn't hurt that bad at the concert, except for a burning sensation for a few seconds during Beautiful Day, which was from more blood vessels bursting.

The only time I've had surgery was to take my wisdom teeth out, and then I got an infection in my mouth and had pus oozing from my gums; so I had to go back to the doctor so he could cut it open a second time (while I was awake) and wash the wound with peroxide. I should never have had that done because I only had two wisdom teeth and they weren't bothering me, anyway. That was a nightmare and I was really close to going to the emergency room.

 

[Abycka]

I have been lucky nothing major, all my injuries happened when i was drunk like falling flat on my face one time according to my friends when they dropped me off at my house yikes and breaking all my front teeth, being punched at a concert by a loser who apolized to me days later. Those things were years ago. When i was a kid i lucked out many times riding my bike down hills and i freaked when the brakes don't work and the bike wipes out but lucked out. Another scary one is when i was 13 and my motorbike on my farm i drove real fast one day the bike started going out of control left to right cause i was driving over rocks and i was so scared but somehow i got back in control but if i wiped it would have been broken bones for sure, luck plays into things sometimes i believe.

 

[daygloeyes2]

As for scars, I have 7. All but one of them have keloids. Lovely!

Two are from having moles removed, one on my stomach, the other on my right arm.

I have one scar on one finger of each hand. Right hand one is on the index fingers knuckle. I was rummaging around for something and the sharp point of a wine opener dug in. Ack. I was able to use liquid stitches to keep it together. The one on the left pinky fingertip is from opening a can of dog food. Urgh that one was gross and I spent 5 hours in the ER waiting for stitches.

My last three are the newest from the surgery I had. They're on my left leg: knee from where the titanium rod was put in my tibia, right of my knee, and right of my foot where the screws were put in. The knee scar is not very comfortable.

 

[Steved1998]

I had a bunch of surgeries before I was a year old (and long after), and died during one of them. They were giving me my last rights when I came back. Beat that.





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