Broken Collar Bone
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Member
833 days
tsilcyc posted 32 weeks ago.
I have no advice but I just wanted to say I'm sorry to hear that and I'm glad you're ok (relatively speaking).
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jbird2131 posted 32 weeks ago.
i am sure others will chime in with advice. i don't know much about the topic. just wanted to wish you the best and hope it heals quick!
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Captain Mal posted 32 weeks ago.
+1
absolutely no advice, just sympathy. Good luck.
"Faster would be better!" -Captain Mal, Serenity-
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SpeedDemon07 posted 32 weeks ago.
I'm going through recovery right now too after surgery to remove my appendix...I was really down about not being able to train..so i feel your pain....best of luck to you man! so no advice, i've never broken my colar bone
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qb ant posted 32 weeks ago.
Sorry to hear about your accident. My friend wrecked over the summer and broke his collarbone and scapula. He wanted to do an end of season sprint in the beginning of October, but didn't think he'd be ready. When race day came, he came out as a volunteer, but said he definitely could have raced that day. Hope you have a speedy recovery.
"90% of the game is half mental" Yogi Berra
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theShiba posted 31 weeks ago.
Just think.... now you are a mixing of man and machine. You're better than all us wimps who have never broken anything. Definitely counts as a sweet battle scar! No advice from me either, other than try to enjoy your time off... Use the time to reflect on how fortunate you are to have the ability to do all the wonderful things that we athletes enjoy.... Think of it as time to re-group, and refocus. You'll come back better than ever.
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kylie posted 31 weeks ago.
oowww! Hope you heal up fast!
Kylie Donia's Miles of Life --- Powered by MarkyV
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danpatgal posted 31 weeks ago.
Thanks for all the well wishes.
I went back to the scene of the "crime" yesterday, and it's really not all that uneven. So I'm guessing I just hit a rock right at the wrong point in my turn at the wrong place in my tire. The surgery is tomorrow, we'll see how it goes.
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Leroy Bonkers posted 31 weeks ago.
That stinks about the shoulder. Now you have a great excuse not to go to the pool.
... but how's the bike?
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Socket posted 31 weeks ago.
Wow that sucks. At least your collarbone was all you broke.
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danpatgal posted 31 weeks ago.
Leroy Bonkers wrote:
... but how's the bike?
It faired much better than I did. I think at worst I'll need a new rear derailer. But it's not a terribly wonderful bike to begin with - I certainly could use this as an excuse to get or build a new bike ... hmm.
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diva_mom posted 30 weeks ago.
Good luck. I had my shoulder rebuilt in 2005. It's not that bad, but I'd give birth 7 times over before I did it again :-)
Don't be so easy on yourself 'cause this one might be all that you have left
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Member
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ston_ar posted 30 weeks ago.
If you're getting it pinned back together you shouldn't have to wait too long to get moving again. My friend had a compound clavicle fracture, and got 6 screws and a plate put in. Within a month or so he was back swimming again. Just be sure not to land on it again.
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Ultrarunner posted 30 weeks ago.
I fell down a flight of stairs and then over the side 6 feet to a tile floor and landed right on the corner of my shoulder, clean break right in the center of the clavicle. I did not have to have surgery however on mine. The doctor just threw on a brace and told me not to do much for about 6 weeks. I could raise my arm over my head within 3 weeks but I still had some pain. I would think you could be on a trainer (if you have one) within a few weeks. No swimming for a while though just because of the rotation. You will want to be sure to keep stretching the best you can (once you can) to begin your rehabilitation. The joint will be tight from lack of use and you don't want it to mess up your stroke. Titanium is cool though, you should ask the doctor if they have anything in carbon fiber.
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byrnesmith posted 6 weeks ago.
Hey there! I was training for my first Sprint Triathlon and had a silly accident on my bicycle and broke my collarbone + 2 ribs! I was riding a relatively new bike -- you know, still figuring out the balancing, and tried to look behind me to make sure my husband was following me. CRASH! Anyway, I am very eager to hear how your recuperation was. I was in such top shape before this happened, and am eager to get back in the pool, back running, and even back on the bike. Tomorrow I have my first doctor appointment post-surgery (titanium plate on the collarbone). Wish me luck! I'm definitely on the mend, but 1 1/2 weeks after the accident am beginning to get frustrated.
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trigirltina2 posted 6 weeks ago.
Get better and races after you heal. Sorry about your wreck.
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danpatgal posted 6 weeks ago.
byrnesmith wrote:
Hey there! I was training for my first Sprint Triathlon and had a silly accident on my bicycle and broke my collarbone + 2 ribs! I was riding a relatively new bike -- you know, still figuring out the balancing, and tried to look behind me to make sure my husband was following me. CRASH! Anyway, I am very eager to hear how your recuperation was.
Oh ... sorry to hear about the crash. That does totally suck. Where did you break the collarbone (middle, outside or inside)? Because mine was near the shoulder, it was a little longer getting back going. Initially I was a bit impatient with getting healed (like I read of people back to normal after a collarbone break in two weeks), and at eight weeks I said, "OK, it's the average healing time ... why am I still feeling pain?" I guess everyone is different, but it was about 12 weeks for me to feel back to normal ... here's a quick synopsis of how it went for me:
Month one: I was on a bike trainer after about a week, which was a little painful, but I only did maybe 20-30 minutes at a time. I tried running after maybe two weeks, but that hurt more than the bike trainer, so I didn't run until maybe another week or so after that (like week 3 or 4 after sugery). I wasn't even thinking about swimming (I cancelled my gym membership for two full months). Gradually the collarbone was able to handle longer and more strenuous trainer sessions, and after about 1 month I was on the road again, riding very conservatively/easy. In all, the worst part was the first 2-3 weeks, where doing most things hurt and sleeping was really hard.
Month two: I had done a few easy weight sessions to push and see how the shoulder was doing. A couple times I pushed too far and regretted it (thought I re-broke it - but the Dr. said it looked fine, I think with a plate in there the risk of a re-brake is very low). I had wanted to do a sprint tri in the following month (11 weeks after the break) to kind of prove to myself that I was healed. So, I set that goal and kept training. By the end of month two I was biking and running mostly like I did before.
Month three: I finally started swimming again, doing a lot of easy swimming, a lot of fist swimming so as not to put too much strain on my shoulder, and surprisingly things felt really good from the start. Maybe I could have started swimming a little earlier. I did the sprint tri mid-month, and though not my best (especially the swim), my biking and running were about as good as they might have been without having broken my collarbone.
I didn't have any professional physical therapy (the Dr. never mentioned it). I had, and still have, a little bit of a catch and the shoulder feels a little stiff sometimes, but swimming has never been a problem (knock on wood) since the injury. I used to golf some, but haven't done that since the break, and throwing a ball has caused some pain earlier in the process. Also, the metal plate doesn't fit flush on my bone now, so occasionally if I bump something hard against it (like hugging someone and they bump their head there - I'm a very bony person anyway), it hurts like a bugger. For that reason I'm contemplating removing it now, but I've been able to wear backpacks and such without too much trouble now, so we'll see.
Sorry to be so long winded ... I'm certainly open to any other questions you might have specifically. Good luck in your recuperation.
Dan
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byrnesmith posted 6 weeks ago.
Thanks for sharing all of that info, Dan. It's now 2 weeks since the accident -- feeling a lot better, but still having problems sleeping, as you mention, but your story has energized me. I am still afraid of doing anything too strenuous because of the broken ribs (breathing deeply can still be somewhat painful), and the doctor said wait it out another 2 weeks. By mid-Sept, however, I expect to be back swimming, and running and biking in the gym. Will keep you posted. Thanks again for the info!
P.S. I think the collarbone is broken about midway.
I had an accident yesterday on my commuter, just as I got to work, turning a little fast over some uneven asphalt and apparently not the right tires ... next thing you know I'm on the ground with a smashed helmet and extreme pain in my shoulder area. After a trip to the ER and a visit to the orthopedist, they showed me the X-rays of my clavicle break close to the shoulder (distal third I guess they call it) and quite a bit of separation. So, I wait a few days (since I broke it Friday and they could only get me into surgery next Tuesday) and then they'll cut me open, put in some titanium pins/plate, and then I'm out of training for a while.
So, I'm just wondering if others have some experience with a collar bone fracture, how best to get back into training (I guess swimming comes last) and any comments on the surgery and re-hab.
Dan