Anyone dislocate their shoulder?

[freshstart]

I think if you do an off-the-grid prepper experiment, you want a remote/wilderness EMT/Paramedic on the team to catch things before they get out of hand.

My wife had an infection that was a result of abdominal surgery earlier this year, and was going septic from it. It was pretty bad, but it would have been far far worse if I'd not seen it coming before it got really bad, and I only recognized what was going on because of the training I've received, the initial stages looked pretty non-scary.

Good catch!

I don't see how people can go off grid without quite a few medical skills, basic assessments. Do most who do this have a way to contact help in a true emergency?

[pony mom]

Saw ortho--he said break is healing well, shoulder still in right spot. But concerned about swelling and bruising and need mri. Since I had shoulder issues before and he saw some calcification there, He thinks there may be some muscle/tendon/ligament damage that may need surgery.

Now i'm wearing a bulkier post-surgical sling, still icing and taking arnica and oxycodone at night. Now i wish they did surgery when in er so it would be done with. A lot of people told me that he's one of the best orthos around. i'm sure he'll do whatever he can to avoid surgery.

Thanks for your good wishes. if shoulder pain for 7 years didn't make me get it checked, this is definitely the kick in the pants i needed. may need a new career as well.

i'm bored and may binge on old tv show videos. can only pet and maybe brush my pony. elderly parents driving me here and there is turning my hair gray.

[awakenedsoul]

Hi pony mom,

I hope you're feeling better. Last night I talked with a neighbor who has also dislocated his shoulder. He told me that he was able to put it back in place himself. He raised his arm up and angled it back at about 60 degrees. He also rolled it forward as he was doing that. He said that it has felt like it was going to pop out again a few times. He does that adjustment, and it's okay.

I don't mean this as advice, I just thought it was interesting. Sorry to hear that being driven by your elderly parents is stressing you out. When I couldn't drive after my hip surgery, I used Dial a Ride. That could be nerve wracking at times, too. It just depended on the driver. Most of the time it was excellent.

I'm glad you are icing, and hope that you have adequate pain relief.

[Float On]

Now i wish they did surgery when in er so it would be done with.

When did they stop doing this?
Whenever we went to ER as youngsters with broken arms, ankles, minor surgical needs. They did the treatment right there. My brother always came out of the ER with a cast (arms, ankles, leg). Granted my one broken collarbone as a youth couldn't be cast but I did get the brace right then. When I broke my ankle a couple years ago I was sent home with an ice pack and an appointment for the ortho. Course I went right home and fell on it because they didn't even give me crutches. So it messed up more between the ER X-ray and the Ortho appt 4 days later!

While in the Ortho the older woman in the room next to me was there because of a dislocated shoulder. The ER wouldn't put it back in place instead did X-rays and MRI then sent her to the Ortho. He drugged her up pretty good and popped it back in place and then she said "Ok...I'm ready" and he said "Your done".

[rodeosweetheart]

When did they stop doing this?
Whenever we went to ER as youngsters with broken arms, ankles, minor surgical needs. They did the treatment right there. My brother always came out of the ER with a cast (arms, ankles, leg). Granted my one broken collarbone as a youth couldn't be cast but I did get the brace right then. When I broke my ankle a couple years ago I was sent home with an ice pack and an appointment for the ortho. Course I went right home and fell on it because they didn't even give me crutches. So it messed up more between the ER X-ray and the Ortho appt 4 days later!

While in the Ortho the older woman in the room next to me was there because of a dislocated shoulder. The ER wouldn't put it back in place instead did X-rays and MRI then sent her to the Ortho. He drugged her up pretty good and popped it back in place and then she said "Ok...I'm ready" and he said "Your done".

I know, right? When my husband broke his pelvis, we left the ER on Sunday at about 1 am, and the ortho would not see him until THURSDAY!!!!! I was furious.

[Tammy]

I'm hearing this now too. Sending home the people with untreated broken bones to wait up to a week to see ortho. It's unbelievable to me. So all the ER does is diagnose the break. And yet if you don't go to ER, I bet you can't get into ortho for much longer, cause I think having been there bumps you up on the appointment calendar.

[pony mom]

The ER Dr. sent me for xrays and tried to put it back twice. After the 1st attempt they called in the ortho who was on-call. He looked at it, sent me for a cat scan to be sure nothing was impeding it, then he was able to pop it in on his 1st try. After each unsuccessful try it was soooo much more painful; morphine didn't put a dent in it. And they all said I had a high pain threshold!

I can't even imagine being sent home w/o relocating it. The pain had me shaking uncontrollably (shock too) and later in tears asking for more drugs. Not knowing if I'd be heading for surgery, they didn't want to give me too much.

It's still achy, numb in spots, and swollen on my inner arm (makes me queasy to look at it) and bruised. Got ins. OK for MRI today so I'll call for appt next week. Cold weather is coming and I have only blouses w/buttons. The drugs don't take the pain away but help me thru the night.

I'd never even attempt to put it back myself unless I fell on it (had to walk some distance to barn after it happened and almost fainted several times)

[awakenedsoul]

I'm so sorry this happened pony mom. It's awful. So traumatic. I'm shocked at these stories about being sent home without treatment.

Have you thought of calling them back and asking for different pain medications? I was given percoset and tramadol for my hips, and those meds really numbed the pain. I'm not a drug oriented person, but with something like that, it can really give you relief and help you sleep. Are you still icing? That usually really helps, too.

[pony mom]

Lots of icing. Right now the pain isn't bad, just like an ache. I take it out of the sling if I'll be sitting still for awhile. Today is the first day where it doesn't feel as if it will pop out if it's not supported by the sling.

Those ER stories of not being treated are awful. Maybe if my ortho wasn't on call I'd have been sent home too. Where do you have to go for "emergency" treatment then? Doc in a box?