Broken Clavicle

So I wrecked my mountain bike. Unfortunately I crashed headlong into a root resulting in a verymuch broken left clavicle. My intentions in logging my progress through this injury are twofold: 1) to help others through this supremely painful and unfortunately common injury 2) To serve as a reminder for myself that I should avoid this unfortunate set of circumstances in the future.

The Crash

I found myself in a world of pain instantly after crashing my bike. As I attempted to stand, I realized that my left arm was completely useless and had gained a few extra degrees of freedom than I remembered. I realized that my clavicle was in two pieces and would require setting. Reasoning that the pain couldn't get much worse, I popped my clavicle back together. (I was wrong about the pain... it was worse).

Finding Help

Unfortunately I crashed without a cell phone or riding buddies. Using my jersey as a sling, I remounted my bike and (carefully) rode one handed out of the woods. I slowly made my way to the town firestation (the nearest building) in hopes of finding a phone.

Hospital

X-Rays revealed that my clavicle was infact in two pieces. (see above image, the two red dots mark the break) Unfortunately, a sling and painkillers are the only (non-surgical) treatment for a broken clavicle.

Night 1

1 painkiller

Unable to do anything without assistance. (Getting in/ out of bed, getting dressed, opening doors etc)

Day 1-3

No painkillers (I figured that pain was my only indication that I was doing something wrong, so why eliminate it?)

I determined that the supplied sling was rather poorly designed for my needs. I made some modifications to help me adjust it without assistance. In addition, I developed a system of straps to help me adjust the position of my left arm without assistance.

Week Three

A second X-Ray revealed decent healing in the area of my break (see image below).

"Let pain be your guide", suggested my doctor. Funny, because that is the very same mantra that led me to this problem in the first place.

 McKGyver Home