For those of you interested, my shoulder feels much worse today than it did yesterday, which I sort of expected would be the case. I went through two windshields (on separate occasions) in car wrecks and fell off a roof once and off the back of a tank once, and each time I felt worse the next day. Still icing it and taking motrin and another painkiller, but the painkiller seems to be mainly making me itch (which, according to WebMd, is a well known side effect). Also, I couldn’t sleep at all in the bed last night- kept waking up every fifteen minutes Think I will sleep in the chair tonight (and no doubt today).
Lily and Tunch, on the other hand, just seem to be happy I am not moving fast and they can sit on me in the La-Z-Boy. At any rate, here is a morning open thread for you all.
robertdsc
So are you a little tea pot, short and stout?
Dan
Hope you start feeling better soon, John.
South of I-10
The second day is always worse. I wish I could do something to help you out.
Joey Maloney
I went through two windshields (on separate occasions) in car wrecks and fell off a roof once and off the back of a tank once
Jesus Christ on a pogo stick, are you cursed? Maybe you should hide under the bed for the next six or seven years.
Tokyokie
Pain I can deal with, but itching, eeeyaah. Think I’d skip the painkiller. But the recliner is a wonderful invention, yes? Unless the lever for the footrest is on the same side as your bum shoulder.
Buck
Jesus Christ man. Buckle your seat belt.
Robin G.
Gotta second Joey on this. At least get some goalie gear to wear when you leave the house. Yeesh.
Morgan
Pretty sure some pet pics are required here.
JD Rhoades
Damn, I’ve been out of the loop. Hope the shoulder heals quickly. And yes, the second day is always worse. I always think of John Madden commenting on a particularly brutal hit: “He’ll feel THAT one tomorrow!”
Dan
Oh, and re: your “Asshole Tax” post, why is it that they are so concerned about pulling “lending capacity out of the banking system” for taxes but not for bonuses? How much lending capacity is being suffocated by their looting?
MysticalChick
@Robin – hahah Yes, goalie gear would be most entertaining to see, wouldn’t it? At the very least, John, get some pads or something.
How is it you can type with one arm up like that? I’d be all frustrated and whatnot.
Ash Can
This is why, indications to the contrary notwithstanding, Tunch would never kill you. Live humans make for nice warm mattresses.
donovong
I really feel for you, John. I do. But ever since I got up 30 minutes ago, I have been watching CNN. They just showed some civilians cutting off a little girls leg with a handsaw, with no meds, in order to extract her from a collapsed building. That just really, really sucks.
asiangrrlMN
Damn it, Cole, I’m away for an hour, and you go on a blogging spree. No wonder your arm fucking hurts! Kidding aside, yeah, the second day always is the worst. I hope Tunch and Lily are serving you duly.
@donovong: Aw, now I haz a sad. :(
Annie
I hope you have some help. What about food, movies, tea, and some good drugs? Maybe this way you won’t remember much of day 2?
Keith
I’ve been told that the itching is due to the amount of acetominophen that’s generally cut into the opiate painkillers, assuming that’s the painkiller you’re on. If it’s giving you too much trouble, ask your doc for a Norco scrip…it’s got much less aceto than lortabs, etc.
kommrade reproductive vigor
Never. Ever. Take up mountain climbing. Please.
John Cole
@donovong: I know. I feel guilty watching it.
@Buck: I always wear my seatbelt. The first time I was riding to school with my friend, dropped my retainer, took off my belt pick it up, we hit ice and hit a tree. Got a concussion, broke my collarbone, cracked three ribs, and bit a molar in half.
The second time I was in a soccer team van with no seatbelts.
@MysticalChick: I’m frustrated, but using my left arm and typing slowly. I’m so damned bored. I am the worst patient ever.
valdivia
thanks John for the update. Feel better soon.
Bob (Not B.o.B.)
Hope the shoulder gets better soon.
Had to turn the channel last night when they were covering a collapsed orphanage in Haiti. I just got back from Ethiopia with my son, who spent time in an orphanage. That is just too close to home.
Wish I was more useful and could do more. If I was a doctor, I could go down there. If I were an engineer, I could go down there. If I went down there, I would need to be rescued myself. I am useless.
jeffreyw
Just be sure to twitch a bit now and again or Tunch will be thinkin lunch.
Tagg
A few years back I had a pinched nerve in the cervical part of my spinal column. It caused excruciating pain from my shoulder right down to my hand. Sleeping at night was a bitch. My orthopedist recommended a pillow wedge which is this hunk of foam rubber that goes under your pillow forcing you to be more upright. It was a life-saver. You get them at most pharmacies or surgical supply stores.
Good luck.
Tagg
Blue Neponset
Thanks for the update John. Get well soon.
Free advice about icing: You can use a bag of frozen peas or corn to ice an injury. They don’t melt and they are cheaper than ice wraps. You can also reuse them.
kommrade reproductive vigor
@jeffreyw: LOL. That’s why he’s blogging every five seconds. When he dozes off, he wakes to find Tunch sitting REAL CLOSE and licking his chops.
BigSwami
Well at least you have Tunch’s warm affection to keep you… uh… well at least you have Lily…
asiangrrlMN
@Blue Neponset: I have a bag of frozen veggies for this very purpose. I second this recommendation.
Joey Maloney
@kommrade reproductive vigor:
Or if you do, read this first!
Demo Woman
The day after surgery will be quite uncomfortable also.
Have you considered having the operation in Pittsburgh? The hospitals are good and I’m sure that your mom won’t mind tending to your care for a few days.
Neddie Jingo
When I broke a collarbone a few years ago, my doctor recommended tonic water for tightening and spasming muscles. That’s why you hurt worse the second day — and the quinine helps stop the spasms.
He also said, “And if you choose to put a couple of fingers of gin in with the tonic, there’s absolutely nothing I can do to stop you.”
I love that guy. So much, I let him give me a new hip last year.
Punchy
Thanks for the parentheses, cuz without ’em, I was about to call shenanigans.
Maybe you should try a seat belt (do they have these in W. Virginia?)
Violet
Dang, John! You have lived an interesting life.
I hope you get some snoozing done in the chair and that you start to feel better tomorrow. At least Tunch and Lily are good companions, although they probably want you to move so they can get comfortable. LOL.
Really sorry this happened to you and hope you recover quickly.
kid bitzer
sorry to hear this, john.
if you can get through the boredom and the discomfort, and not pick up an addiction to vicodin on the way, then you will be okay in time.
don’t read too much news, okay? just makes a body anxious.
mellowjohn
itching, huh? sounds like oxycontin to me. be careful… you could start talking like rush limbaugh.
Skepticat
Calamity John.
Glad it was off the back of the tank. You are one lucky–or at least resilient–dude.
El Cid
Good luck with it all, and I’m sure Lily appreciates it.
Spadizzly
John,
Hope you feel better soon.
Scuffletuffle
LazyBoys are the best invention in the world for recovery from things. I spent the better part of a week in mine, on separate occasions, recovering from tooth extractions and lady-parts surgery. On the other hand, it is both the best and worst purchase I have ever made, lovely to fall asleep in if I have insomnia in the bedroom and lovely to fall asleep in at the drop of a hat! I think I’ve gained 50 pounds since I bought it.
Best wishes for a trouble free surgery and speedy recovery!
DBrown
John, if you want to heal faster (esp. after any muscle or other tissue injury or after any surgery) – take CoQ-10. This will speed repair of damaged tissue (Aside, this co-enzyme is always used by the medical community for earth quake victims that have undergone severe trauma to help heal and prevent kidney failure from all the chemicals released by damaged muscle- no irony intended.)
I use it to counter the muscle damage caused by my anti-cholesterol medicine (works unbelievably well. Even the Merk Corp. including this product with their patent for their anti-cholesterol drug to prevent muscle and to counter kidney damage.)
Shibby
Med student here. Try an antihistamine. We generally give it to all patients recieving morphine (I’m assuming you are on an opiod).
Persia
@Joey Maloney: I’m starting to feel like we should make him wear padding and a helmet at all times.
Fergus Wooster
Sorry. Feel better – and I second the suggestion to give a twitch from time to time to deter a hungry Tunch.
Randy P
@Persia:
Indeed. As a cubicle dweller whose company has benefits, I tend to make jokes when reviewing the accident insurance, trying to envision preposterous death and dismemberment scenarios that might occur on my job.
But they might not be so far fetched in John’s case.
Does the La-Z-Boy have a seatbelt? Can you get one?
mitch
Listened to this podcast this morning, and made me think of this DougJ post (the Obama Effect). There is an interview with a research suggesting one of the strongest correlations with homicide since the 50s has been the public’s trust in government.
The relevant portion is Part Two (click on “Listen to part Two”). The first 5-10min are about Canadian homicide statistics (not very interesting), but the second half is the interview.
Jamey
Wow, John, you are to shoulders what Spinal Tap are to drummers, or the Grateful Dead were to keyboardists…
Take care of yourself. You’re not a kid, you know.
gwangung
@John Cole:
Gina Bellman marathon. Maggie Cheung marathon.
I’m sure folks can suggest others.
DEad Ernest
About your itching John, Shibby is correct.
Any opioid (hydrocodone, oxycodone, morphine, etc) may cause itching in some folks. This side effect usually resolves with continued use but for some folks it doesn’t.
Benadryl will take care of the itch. The combo may cause some sedation.
I’m a Pain Medicine physician.
Mario Piperni
TeaParty-ism
Wishes for a quick recovery, John.
mvr
Well, get to feeling better ASAP.
Not that my saying that helps, but FWIW.
Carrie
@John Cole:
Have you seen “Jekyll “? It’s not Oscar worthy but it is entertaining. Gina Bellman is gorgeous in it and Jimmy Nesbitt is very, very hot.
AxelFoley
Damn, Cole, you’re fuckin’ indestructible. I de-lurked (been following your blog for a while now) just to say you’re a machine, dude. You don’t have a skeleton covered with adamantium do you?
Paul in KY
You should have at least vicodin for the pain. Might want to crush them up & snort them ;-)
tesslibrarian
Second the antihistimine–they also seem to help me with inflammation a bit, too, so that would be good for your shoulder. And might make it easier to get some sleep.
My cats always loved it when I had the flu: was home all day, didn’t move much, was a toasty 100+ degrees. It was payback for every time I had coaxed them into my lap to keep me warm.
Chad N Freude
John –
I have not only sympathy for you but empathy as well (which I suppose to a Republican is a sign of wimpathy). Many years ago, in an excess of skiing enthusiasm, I broke a shoulder and tore the rotator cuff. The doctor told me that reparative surgery was elective. When I asked what would be the result if I elected not to have it, he said matter-of-factly “You’ll lose the use of the arm.” (This is an example of a rigged election.)
Heal quickly, dude, and keep a stiff upper lip (or other organ of your choosing).
Genine
Ouch! Poor, John. Get well soon!
David
So apparently I misread John’s post on how much fun the shoulder separation was, because I fell awkwardly last night playing pickup hockey and ended up partially dislocating my left shoulder. It isn’t near as bad as John’s shoulder sounds, but it still sucked, especially when I’m used to sleeping on my left side. Anyway, I feel your pain John, hope you get better soon.
Jay C
Another bit of free medical advice from a lay person (and worth every penny!) – itching (presumably generalized?) as a result of pain meds usually is a sign of allergy/sensitivity – you should ask your Dr. for either a substitute, or an antiallergen (hopefully something simple like Benadryl).
Geez, you sure grow ’em tough out there in WV, dontcha??
After that, I feel better about your prospects; so on to the more important matters – you have someone to take Lily for walkies?
dadanarchist
the painkiller seems to be mainly making me itch
Itching is a well-known side effect of opiates. That’s why the junkies are always scratching themselves. Take, as Dead Ernest suggested, Benadryl or some other antihistamine.
licensed to kill time
Everyone is right about the opioid/itching connection and that Benadryl/diphenhydramine helps.
Opioids also famously cause you to “float” all night, drifting in and out of sleep. Some people like that sensation and others hate it. I guess you’re not a natural born junkie ;-)
I hope you heal quickly, John. Thanks for soldiering on with the blogging!
Notorious P.A.T.
Hope you feel better soon, John.
Johnny's mom
I think there’s something they can give you for the itching. Wouldn’t hurt to ask.
Feel better
freelancer
@David:
Let this be a lesson to you all, stay off the fucking ICE! Don’t make me post pics of my newly bionic left ankle, you don’t want to see it.
“I’M A MONSTER!! I’m HALF-MACHINE!”
Quicksand
Heh, understatement. NO DRIVING.
(And since I didn’t get to post in yesterday’s post-accident thread I’ll say it here: hope you recover soon.)
JGabriel
Feel better soon, John. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
.
Comrade Mary
@Quicksand: Don’t worry, Tunch can drive for him. What could possibly go wrong?
Nthing the Benadryl, John. It’s my go-to remedy for itching, flushing and swelling, even though I’m not a junkie.
JSD
Hey, get better soon.
Steeplejack
@Cole:
As I posted last night, one of the unexpected side effects of your injury and the associated slings, etc., is the way that it changes your posture and body language. Just imagine walking around with your arm up in the air all the time if it weren’t injured.
Really take some time to get a good sleeping/resting setup squared away as soon as possible. It will pay off over the long haul of recuperation.
Anne Laurie
PILLOWS, sir! The LazyBoy is a good place to sleep, but next time one of your helpers comes over, get them to help you figure out which pillows (or rolled-up towels, blankets, whatever) you need to prop where for maximum comfort.
Steeplejack is right, the combination of your sore places and the sling are forcing muscles you’re not thinking about to do jobs they’re not used to. Giving them a little extra support so you’re not tensed up unconsciously will not only make it easier to sleep now, it’ll help you heal faster.
And Another Thing...
@Steeplejack: @Anne Laurie: I heartily concur with both of the above. I have WAAAAAY to much experience with orthopedics and sleep is very important. A bad night’s sleep will significantly erode your tolerance for the pain, the inconvenience, etc. Good pillow support is a big part of that. One of the side effects of good pain medication is that it … how to say this delicately, it will slow your bowels…which is a problem and with your shoulder injury a serious problem. Your doc should have talked with you about this, but if she/he didn’t, you need to talk to them abt it. All kinds of body systems we never think abt go “off” because of the change in activity, medications, mobility problems because of unusual movement, pain etc. You may also have additional bruising/sprains that you didn’t notice because of the “glam injury” – the dislocation and fracture.
Contrary to some advice on these threads, blogging is a good distraction…which is important. Distract yourself and hardest of all, be patient. We don’t heal as fast when we’re..ahem..older.
and..ps.. let people help you. It’s what you would do for them.
Get a Kindle, and for the duration get a Netflix subscription.
Jimbo
Off the back of a tank? Jeez, you Army guys… ;-)
Hope the shoulder mends quickly John!
wonkie
I hope you feel better soon John. And can’t you get some half way decent pain killers from your doctor? My doctor gave me vicodin for poison oak!
Platonicspoof
Hope you can sleep eight hours straight if your body’s defenses are like mine – less than that makes me more susceptible to colds, etc.
However, if you do wake up frequently, especially if every 90 minutes, you could take advantage of the opportunity to record dreams.
Or explore hypnagogic states.
Assuming you haven’t already tried it, that you’re interested, that your medication doesn’t interfere with dreaming, etc.
asiangrrlMN
@gwangung: DROOL! Maggie Cheung….mmmmmmm….
Steeplejack
@asiangrrlMN:
You come in late to this thread and, instead of offering uninformed medical advice like everyone else, drool over Maggie Cheung?! You shameless hussy.
(P.S. In the Mood for Love for the win.)