The Inventory

rwrist1

 

 

 

Radial and Ulnar dislocation and fracture was the gist of it. As you can see it was way out of alignment and the stylus (end part) of the radius had separated from the rest of my arm.Ouch.

 

 

rwrist3

TheReduction

This is basically reducing the severity and degree of displaced parts. In my case Dr. Barry used the "Bucket of Water and Chinese Handcuffs" technique that dates back to 1169 B.C.

What you say? I was fitted with an elastic hand sock with this fabric that grips tighter when you pull away from, Chinese Handcuffs. remember 'em from when your grandmother took you to Chinatown back in the 1950's? No? Well anyway.

 

These are used to suspend your hand and wrist way up high while something is used to pull on your elbow, thus straightening the whole mess out. To create a great amount of gravitional pull at my elbow they used a bucket full of water tied to a sling around my upper arm. Nice touch. This apparatus was employed for about 30 minutes or so, then came the big fucking owie part.

The "Big Fuckin' Owie" part of my fracture reduction.

Maybe you have had an abcessed tooth, or had your hand slammed in a car door, or stubbed your toe on a granite boulder or even given birth to a 15 lb bowling ball...and maybe you experienced about 13% as much agony as when Dr. Barry shoved a needle about as long as a small rattlesnake directly into the joint at my wrist, then shoved the plunger of a syringe full a drano (it felt worse) right into my already tortured booboo. Ahhhhgh. I'm sure they heard me three floors up.

So after enduring the Torquemada Twist, Chinese Wrist Torture, and some similarly excruciating manipulations, they put me in a splint and sling , all ready for the trip south to Kaiser Emergency.

The Longest Day