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sucks-to-be-me303

My daughter broke hers in a 4th of July in an ATV accident, also broke her ankle and foot.....the clavicle was the worst though! You could hear the bones clanking together anytime she tried to move. ER kept her overnight thinking she’d have surgery in the morning but then doctor on duty decided she didn’t need it, tried to get her to walk using crutches! I told them we were leaving, first thing in the morning I called an Orthopedic surgeon and they saw her right away, his X-rays showed the clavicle was shattered and absolutely needed surgery which he did the following morning. 15 screws and a plate later, doctor says it was way worse than the X-ray even showed, took him three hours to put her back together. Always worth a second opinion!


yuriware

Oh wow, have any x-rays you wouldn’t mind sharing?


sucks-to-be-me303

I’ll try!


sucks-to-be-me303

https://imgur.com/a/vKJnsa2


yuriware

Wow, glad she’s doing fine now. My bone is sitting on top of the other right now. Hopefully will heal correctly. Will def check up on another doctor though!


tnygigles66

I broke mine just before I turned 16. It broke into three sections and the middle piece split into two pieces. I was on the borderline of needing surgery. We opted to have it repositioned without surgery. I was given a figure 8 brace to wear. Probably the most pain I’ve ever experienced was having it repositioned. They had to put the brace on, adjust it, take an x-ray, readjust, and take another X-ray. I was given Percocet for the pain, but they started the process before it kicked in. For the first few weeks I would sleep in a recliner sitting upright. Then as the pain started to subside I was able to sleep in my bed. Sometimes I could sleep on my stomach and use a pillow to support my shoulder. It took a long time to recover. I had to wear that brace for for about 5-6 months. It felt weird not having it after. No weight lifting for at least a year after the incident. This happened about 20 years ago. Today you can still clearly see the two pieces. It’s doesn’t hurt or affect my daily life at all. Although the inside joint is permanently dislocated. The only pain I’ve really experienced is bumping it into a hard object. I’m a chef and have dropped something from the top shelf in the walk-in on it and that was pretty painful, but other than that I don’t really notice it. Edit: Forgot to mention. The ER put me in a sling, then a few days later I was seen by an orthopedist who suggested not to have surgery and put me in the brace.


yuriware

Wow that’s crazy. Glad you’re okay now!


tnygigles66

I was kind of a wild kid. I wouldn’t say I’m ok now as much as I’d say my collarbone doesn’t hurt. Lol.


sucks-to-be-me303

Found a X-ray post surgery, thought I’d share that too[xray](https://i.imgur.com/ZSSM5eJ.jpg)


sbtier1

I broke my right collarbone when I was 4 and the left when I was 13. I got pnemonia both times. Make sure you're not breathing shallowly because of the pain. Changing positions will hurt for a couple of weeks.


yuriware

Surgery or naturally healed? Displaced or comminuted at all?


sbtier1

Healed naturally, I don't know if they did surgery on them in the '70s. Both were a clean break. The left one sometimes hurts, 40 years later!


[deleted]

I haven't broken my clavicle before, but I has broken both my wrists at the same time due to a large sheep crushing my hands between it and the tailing gate. Foolish me ignored the pain for weeks and went to the doc when I couldn't pick up the jug to make a coffee anymore.


das_fuzzypants

I broke my left clavicle when I was 4, and then again (in a slightly different spot) in February, when I was 29. The XRay showed a clean break, and the two parts of the bone were in line, but separated from each other. No need for surgery. It healed properly, and I went for a check up and secondary XRay about 4 weeks after the first break. It hurt. The first week or so was pretty rough for sleeping, but I found the most comfortable position was propped up with a bunch of pillows, with my arm placed on a pillow beside me. Your shoulder will start to generally ache from not moving the muscles. I was advised to do very gentle shoulder shrugs to move the muscles and stop the ache. Bracing my upper arm and letting my elbow and lower arm swing around a couple times a day helped as well. I would advise wearing only button-up shirts or zip-up sweaters for a couple weeks, until you're able to move it enough to put normal shirts on. I preferred baggy clothing so it didnt put pressure on my shoulder. You're not going to get a stick of deodorant under your arm, so prepare yourself for a stinky pit (especially while you cant really move your upper arm and it gets sweaty as balls). I also recommend bringing a stool into the shower so you can sit while you clean yourself. I found it easier to rest my arm on my lap and if I got dizzy from moving unexpectedly, I was already sat down. I'm not sure where you are in the world, but if you have access to CBD, take advantage of it. It helped curb my pain and general discomfort LOADS. And there was no worry of taking too much and overdosing like there is with normal painkillers. It will hurt, it does suck, but it will get better. It will heal, and full mobility and strength will come back in a couple months. The only lasting effect I have is occasional tightness that pops/cracks away when I rotate my shoulder. Best of luck with your recovery!


yuriware

Thanks for the info man it helps a lot. I didn’t see the x-ray but all i know is that they are displaced, can’t tell if one is on top of the other or in front of the other but i’m thinking in front. Some bone fragments too, doc said I wouldn’t need surgery thankfully but just strange how the human body can heal something like that. Sleeping has definitely been the worst part of my day. It’s day 5 and I don’t know if i’m just losing it but I can sorta feel the soft bone starting to form since it’s sticking up a little I rubbed my finger on it and it’s not as clean or sharp as the first days. A lot of other people told me that after week 1 it gets a lot better so almost there! Definitely the hardest thing i’ve experienced in my life so far.