Belated anniversary 'Break' to me.

Well, it's been one year since the metacarpal busting incident and while I can't say that it has been a direly traumatic or even a most painful rehabilitation, it still sucks. As I had mentioned, a healthy main knuckle can give each finger 45 degrees of flex whereas mine is roughly in the high 30s. Perhaps in another year, I will be able to get more flex or lose some. I simply have to accept what damage that has been done and move on.

People go through worse things in life. I know that, and I try to deny myself any self-pity, but when it's at a personal level ... it's sometimes quite difficult. I believe each of us are plagued with vanity and other negative attitudes in one way or another. It's actually strange how we are the almighty intelligent species, but are the most destructive against other species while including ourselves - isn't this the primary cause of Boxer Fractures? So, we humans are far from perfect ('perfection' is nonexistent and is a tripe term in itself) and it's actually okay if I harbor regret of the incident and some animosity against what I believe is deficient medical care - after all, who actually loves their job and puts in the 100% work day? Then again, there is something to be said for the lack of commonsense in people who break themselves instead of doing the much harder task of controlling their emotions. Yeah, been there - done that - and got the mental tattoo.

Ah well, there's more important issues to tend with, like an early midlife crisis that is really putting the 'i' into depression. Some people - optimists - say that life is long. That statement may be true if one forgets that people usually start falling apart way before halfway through. Hmmmm, if blogs wouldn't suck my mental and creative juices dry, I would start one enriched in my ever so cascading psycho/sociopathy. Without the hoopla or drama, maybe a blog to state why we are simply parasitical organisms.

Without further ado, I still have compelling bouts of wanting to punch things and hope I can kick my own ass before this incident repeats itself. ;p

I guess that's all she wrote, the pinkie is disabled.

It is now almost the end of March and my pinkie is screwed. No top knuckle has presented itself nor wishes to function properly.

In the palm of my hand, I cannot tell if the fusing material is the lump underneath the knuckle or the actual remnant of the knuckle. I am assuming that's my negatively inclined knuckle.

Asides from the general malformation, the knuckle is bent in and the pinkie has the aforementioned angulation. Whatever, I guess it is simply FUBARed.

I can only get about five degrees (?) of flex from the main knuckle. Quite pathetic really, seeing how my other pinkie gets the average forty-five degree flex mobility.

Thanks again, to the medical staff that treated my broken hand like a runny nose. Indeed, thanks for everything.

In a nutshell, my knuckle has sunk into the palm and doesn't work worth a shit.

No support staff for Boxer's Fracture?

I know a lot of folks must have acquired a hand fracture, but nobody stops in to share knowledge with a fractured bone noob.

Perhaps some keywords may help me...

Boxer's Fracture/Break, Brawler's Fracture/Break, Fifth Metacarpal Fracture/Break, Broken Pinky Bone

That is all I can think of for search engine meta-tags.

I feel lonely with a gimped hand, more so with no advice. Some things are hard to learn on your own with limited web tips. Throw me some 'real' knowledge to gain in my plight. I would surely appreciate it. :-)

Still waiting...

Well up to this point, indeed the swelling has gone down reasonably well. Although there still is the bruising on my pinky finger.

Oddly the bruising surrounds the scar tissue near my pinky knuckle that I got from punching a rear-view mirror (around 2003) because some moron was behind me and blinding my forward vision with high beams and driving lights, in the fricken city with already well lit streets of course.

I do not use the half-brace asides from nighttime or outings. My right hand still seems deformed with the big lump and minor swelling across the top of the hand.

I can almost coil my right fingers to assume a mid-knuckle type of straight fist, not that I am expecting to be combative or whack the floor again. I can almost assume mobility asides from an actual fist that includes the damaged pinky. I can't seem to grasp small items/handles that are smaller than say, the circumference of a glass. The stress on the pinky is just too great. Obviously, I can run the keyboard at full steam though and actually write again along with other tasks that were taken for granted.

I do wonder though. I was comparing the main knuckle joint movement of my left hand pinky versus the right, in regards to flexing motion and whatnot, and I do not like what I noticed. What concerns me is that the right pinky does not seem to flex via the actual knuckle or so it appears. I am aware that the skeletal structure is somewhat free floating in principal. However, it would seem that the fusing area moves instead of the actual knuckle (where ever it may be under there). This worries me as I wish to isolate the fusing area from the knuckle when utilizing the pinky. Perhaps I am impeding the fusing process while trying to moderately rehabilitate my hand. Ah well, I will have to leave it to my own discretion because there is diddly squat over the web to find answers.

All that matters to me is to have my hand back up to speed, without damaging it by stress or negative motion. Ah yes, perhaps I should simply leave it be and hope for the best. Patience is a virtue, but idle motion can also be hazardous to other components. Let it be, let it be.

Nothing really new at this point

I have been very nice to my hand and freeing it during the day, most of the day actually. I can almost run the keyboard up to par with both hands. My right hand tendons are getting a work-out, my hand often cramps.

The swelling from the thumb to the ring finger has subsided. There is obviously still a big lump over the fracture site. My hand still does not want to stretch out straight nor make anywhere close to a fist, I am certainly not going to force it.

I can sign my name though, much easier without the brace would be the secret behind that. I am also thankful that my right hand is able to run the trackball. My wrist aches so I coil up gauze underneath the rise of the wrist to level out my arm and it seems to help.

Ah yes, I had not seen the hand specialist because of politics. I was sure I wrote down August 12 as my appointment. Well, I had a message on my phone on the 7th... seems I missed my appointment. I am stubborn and decided to leave it as is. I really hope I did not make a mistake, but I have a feeling all will be well and I will take responsibility if not. I already had the follow-up X-ray from my 'double check' decision and apparently everything was fine. As far as hand rehabilitation exercises, I will figure out some methods. I will get squeeze balls and the likes. If you have tips... I will take then. Thanks.

I am granting more freedom

My right hand felt good yesterday to be free. As I type this, my right hand is helping asides from being restricted to use the pinky. Also, the right hand ran the trackball today. My left hand is most gracious for the break (bad ironic pun indeed). I certainly will not leave home without placing the brace back on and I am most certainly careful of overly exerting the freed hand. I can do without the brace for a period of time, but I will not risk angulating the fracture by a re-fracture while it is in the delicate fusing stage...


Quoted from Wiki

The natural process of healing a fracture starts when the injured bone and surrounding tissues bleed. The blood coagulates to form a blood clot situated between the broken fragments. Within a few days blood vessels grow into the jelly-like matrix of the blood clot. The new blood vessels bring white blood cells to the area, which gradually remove the non-viable material. The blood vessels also bring fibroblasts in the walls of the vessels and these multiply and produce collagen fibres. In this way the blood clot is replaced by a matrix of collagen. Collagen's rubbery consistency allows bone fragments to move only a small amount unless severe or persistent force is applied.

At this stage, some of the fibroblasts begin to lay down bone matrix (calcium hydroxyapatite) in the form of insoluble crystals. This mineralization of the collagen matrix stiffens it and transforms it into bone. In fact, bone is a mineralized collagen matrix; if the mineral is dissolved out of bone, it becomes rubbery. Healing bone callus is on average sufficiently mineralized to show up on X-ray within 6 weeks in adults and less in children. This initial "woven" bone does not have the strong mechanical properties of mature bone. By a process of remodeling, the woven bone is replaced by mature "lamellar" bone. The whole process can take up to 18 months, but in adults the strength of the healing bone is usually 80% of normal by 3 months after the injury.

Several factors can help or hinder the bone healing process. For example, any form of nicotine hinders the process of bone healing, and adequate nutrition (including calcium intake) will help the bone healing process. Weight-bearing stress on bone, after the bone has healed sufficiently to bear the weight, also builds bone strength.

Eh, the smoking issue has not subsided. Damn my weak will power, I must try to quit again to speed up the healing process. My Hat is off to the body for working around nicotine to rebuild the fractured metacarpal at a seemingly quick rate for my age. But there are still months to go yet, and that has to be respected as I really do not wish to reverse the entire process. Imagine that, more negligence on my part. Speaking of which, it is time to put my right hand back into solitary confinement.

An old friend reunited for a short time

I had a pleasant visit from my right hand today. We hung out for quite some time and rehashed the good ol' days. Like peas in a pod, it was a grand time asides from some aching moments. Unfortunately, my friendly hand resumed it's now more comfortable bend. There will be more days like this to come and soon we will be reunited to spend our time together in harmony.

Seeing how the fracture is within the two week stage, I decided it was time for my hand to join me in a bath. I filled the tub and field stripped my half-brace and gauze. I took some pictures with my phone. Then carefully climbed into the tub and submerged my right hand into the tepid water for a half an hour. For about an hour, I did very light and non-exerting motions to guard against the pinky tendon being caught up within the mess. I managed half-fist arcs and basic finger straightening.

The half-fist motion was relatively easy, but not for trying to combat the half-brace arc. I took my left hand and gently placed the fingertips into the palm of my right hand. Gently, I began to assume the praying position while gently forcing my rigid digits of the left to straighten the bent right digits while slowly gliding the left hand into the palm of the right hand. I have yet to be able to hold the digits straight on the damaged hand, but there are still plenty of healing and rehabilitation days to come.

True, I did expect a miracle as I miss my hand and desire it to be a big part of my life again. I can just be glad that everything is seemingly alright at this stage. After all, my hand is still battered and sore, but the pinky does not attempt to scissor and that is a huge stumbling block removed as surgery and/or a re-break are definitely not required.

I also treated my right hand to facial scrub and a good dose of skin cream after the mobility exercise. It is definitely one fine looking appendage now, well asides from looking like it was run over. Aside from being pruned like the other hand from too much time underwater, there was a lot of peeling skin that needed to be shed. Somewhat disgusting, but there was lots of skin flakes that coated the top of the water and one heck of a tub ring at the end.

I suspect I will treat my right hand to some freedom every odd day for mobility exercises. A 2L bottle of pop is a good tool. I put the bottle onto the table while pressing down on the top cap with the palm of my left. I cup my right hand palm to the middle of the bottle and then gently pull my right hand away while the bottle keeps the digits straight upon passing the curve, I try to keep my digits straight for a very short time while they are not touching the bottle.

I will NOT perform any strengthening or full-fist clenching tasks until the hand specialist sees me on the 12th. The main thing to remember is that if it hurts or is painful, back the hell off... it is not a video game injury that is instantly solved with a med pack or akin to a real time sprained ankle injury. Perhaps even I should not rush with these motion exercises, but I have a feeling that it is important in regards to dexterity. I will relay my either prudent or stupid thoughts in a week when I see the specialist. I do not endorse any ideals, statements, or beliefs within this blog. Always consult medical staff and not rely on the Internet for 'truth'.

My left hand is now sore from picking up the slack of tip-tapping the keyboard and running the mouse for these past two weeks. I had better slow down before my left hand ends up in a brace from carpo and/or tendinitis. I just thought to update during my bout of boredom and recuperation to keep the blog alive.

Of course, at the end, I will strive to deal with anger management and perhaps build a foam 'beat the living hell out of' device. I just figured to remind all you other rage punchers out there that these fractures should be avoided at all costs. NOTHING is worth wrecking your hands over, it solves nothing at all... except realizing there is an emotional problem that also needs tending. For shame, I had no idea these "Boxer's Fractures" were so common until I obtained one myself. Then again, who really Google's for "Boxer's/Brawler's Fracture" if unbeknown in the first place?

I have only been in physical combat a few times in my youth so I will look forward to avoiding it into the future if I can indeed avoid it. Although fighting did not cause my injury, live and learn. I have. I will never punch something out of rage again due to this poor choice memory of life. Violence is never a problem solver and you will likely end up with a blade or bullet in your chest anyways. Hmmm... sounds like a public service message from Health Canada, but oh bloody well.