Got some metal put in me today

**MrMasterCraft** · 11-03-2010, 02:10 PM

So I fell at work, off some scaffolding, broke my left elbow and right wrist. To make a long story short, I was tinting water lines in a garage ceiling underfloor of a new construction home, so we could spray icynene (foam insulation) onto the subfloor. Wasn't paying attention, fell 8 feet, face first but luckily my arms broke my fall when i met the concrete

Anyways, my elbow has already made significant progress, but I had surgery on my right wrist, where they put a metal plate and some screws to hold it together. Two questions....

1) What are the dangers of becoming dependant on pain medication? It's getting cold here, and it seems like if I don't take these percocets they gave me, it's almost unbearable. I don't want to depend on them all the time nor become addicted to them. Does anybody know of any other remedies to keep the pain down, without icing? I've also been told since there is metal in my wrist now, it will never like cold weather again

2) Doctor told me if I continue to smoke at all, it will never heal properly. In less than a week, I've gone from smoking over a pack a day, to less than a half a pack. I find that chewing gum does help, but what have the rest of you (that used to smoke) done, in order to cease this nasty habit?

**MrMasterCraft** · 11-03-2010, 02:14 PM

Whoops, hopefully Mr. P will move this to the AAG section for me like the kind sir that he is

**Spikito** · 11-03-2010, 02:48 PM

Originally Posted by MrMasterCraft

So I fell at work, off some scaffolding, broke my left elbow and right wrist. To make a long story short, I was tinting water lines in a garage ceiling underfloor of a new construction home, so we could spray icynene (foam insulation) onto the subfloor. Wasn't paying attention, fell 8 feet, face first but luckily my arms broke my fall when i met the concrete

Anyways, my elbow has already made significant progress, but I had surgery on my right wrist, where they put a metal plate and some screws to hold it together. Two questions....

1) What are the dangers of becoming dependant on pain medication? It's getting cold here, and it seems like if I don't take these percocets they gave me, it's almost unbearable. I don't want to depend on them all the time nor become addicted to them. Does anybody know of any other remedies to keep the pain down, without icing? I've also been told since there is metal in my wrist now, it will never like cold weather again

2) Doctor told me if I continue to smoke at all, it will never heal properly. In less than a week, I've gone from smoking over a pack a day, to less than a half a pack. I find that chewing gum does help, but what have the rest of you (that used to smoke) done, in order to cease this nasty habit?

Well luckily for you, I'm an orthopaedic nurse, I mostly do knee and hip replacements, but ORIFs (what you had done) is something i see on a regular basis.

Anyway, Percocet isnt one I give THAT often, its a combo of oxycodone and acetaminophen, I usually give Norco, which is hydrocodone and acetaminophen.

So here's the deal, take what you need, and keep your acetaminophen level below 4000 mg a day, your bottle should stat how much is in each pill, 325, 500, 650, 750, or 1000.....you do the math from there.

When you take what you need, your body uses it properly, therefore you don't get the "high" affects. I know of people taking max doses of narcotics for years, then quitting cold turkey, no problem. If the Dr. does his job right, he will keep your narcotic dose limited by the tylenol (acetaminophen). for example, Norcos are 10/325, 10mg hydrocodone, 325 mg tylenol, with those you get 120mg hydrocodone in 24 hrs, before you hit your 4000mg tylenol limit. but vicodins are 5/500, same two drugs, so you only get 40mg hydrocodone before you hit your tylenol limit.

So just stay within your limit, and only take what you need, and your bodily will utilize it correctly and you should be fine.

Also, NSAIDS are good for joint problems, take 3 advil twice a day, or a couple of naproxen sodium, just stay under 2500mg ibuprofen (advil) in a day. those relieve pain be reducing swelling, and are non narcotic.

As far as smoking goes, a half pack shouldn't affect wound healing THAT much, def much less than over a pack.

**raynor139** · 11-03-2010, 04:22 PM

Had to have a large screw put in my elbow several years ago when I broke it. The cold rarely bothers me but it is alot more sensitive to pain and other sensations there are stronger or duller just depending on what they are. Like light touches i dont notice but any kind of sudden impact hurts alot more.

***SMWS6TA*** · 11-04-2010, 06:57 AM

Spikito

What do you know of Acute Compartment Syndrome?

I have some serious questions that VA isn't able to or don't care to give answers.

PM me will you.

**FasstChevys** · 11-04-2010, 07:04 AM

Originally Posted by MrMasterCraft

So I fell at work, off some scaffolding, broke my left elbow and right wrist. To make a long story short, I was tinting water lines in a garage ceiling underfloor of a new construction home, so we could spray icynene (foam insulation) onto the subfloor. Wasn't paying attention, fell 8 feet, face first but luckily my arms broke my fall when i met the concrete

Anyways, my elbow has already made significant progress, but I had surgery on my right wrist, where they put a metal plate and some screws to hold it together. Two questions....

1) What are the dangers of becoming dependant on pain medication? It's getting cold here, and it seems like if I don't take these percocets they gave me, it's almost unbearable. I don't want to depend on them all the time nor become addicted to them. Does anybody know of any other remedies to keep the pain down, without icing? I've also been told since there is metal in my wrist now, it will never like cold weather again

2) Doctor told me if I continue to smoke at all, it will never heal properly. In less than a week, I've gone from smoking over a pack a day, to less than a half a pack. I find that chewing gum does help, but what have the rest of you (that used to smoke) done, in order to cease this nasty habit?

Well, I broke my femur 8 years ago in a motorcycle wreck, and I have some hardware as well, but just screws, no plates. They put me on percocet right away. One week after surgery, I was to start physical therapy. Once physical therapy started, I stopped using the percocet altogether. My mindset was that if I am doing physical therapy and taking percocet, I'm not going to know when I'm hurting or if I pushing myself too far. I'm not sure if that helps, but it's just what I did.

Good luck!!

***SMWS6TA*** · 11-04-2010, 07:14 AM

OP, Like Spikito stated as long as you follow Dr directions you'll be find. I say this because after my accident 6 yrs ago I was on Morphine for 35 days. For 20 days the IV pump was pushing every 20 mins. Once I was out of ICU and moved to a regular floor they began the process of stepping it down. It took a several years of different pain meds because of the extent of the injuries I had to both legs and the fun and joy of learning how to walk again. I should be a double amputee but as my doc and therapist stated I'm too damn head strong to give in to a wheel chair. I'm no longer on anything more then Advil or Tylenol. I still have very bad days where pain is a lot, but I deal with it. Mostly because of my job. I still have sever nerve damage and have to walk with a crutch and need a wheelchair for anything over 200 ft. Legs don't work too well after that.

**Spikito** · 11-04-2010, 07:15 AM

Originally Posted by SMWS6TA

Spikito

What do you know of Acute Compartment Syndrome?

I have some serious questions that VA isn't able to or don't care to give answers.

PM me will you.

Not just a whole lot, sorry

***SMWS6TA*** · 11-04-2010, 07:18 AM

Originally Posted by Spikito

Not just a whole lot, sorry

K, Thanks anyways. I'm trying to find out why my legs still want to seize up. I know someone else that has it, but he doesn't have it as nearly as bad as me and he doesn't get the local seizures.

**raynor139** · 11-04-2010, 07:35 AM

Like the others said just follow the Docs instructions and all will be good. I was on meds for 2 weeks with the option to refill it afterwards. I chose not to refill since the pain was just dull throbbing by then nothing that really put me in alot of discomfort plus they had put in me in a hard cast by that time so i wasnt really able to move the joint much to aggravate it. Also if your given any kind of therapy to do afterwards make sure you do it. The more you follow your doc/therapist direction on that the faster you will regain the use of that joint.

***SMWS6TA*** · 11-04-2010, 07:37 AM

Originally Posted by raynor139

Also if your given any kind of therapy to do afterwards make sure you do it. The more you follow your doc/therapist direction on that the faster you will regain the use of that joint.

THIS + Infinity.

**0rion** · 11-04-2010, 07:48 AM

You broke your left elbow and right wrist?? How the hell are you wiping your ass?? wait, don't answer that.

Don't worry about the percocets......you're not going to get hooked on them. Just don't sit around popping pills all day...only take them when you HAVE to. Drink a couple beers then take 1......will fix you right up. Wait, who's opening your beers for you? Man....you're in a tough position. Need someone to open beers AND wipe your ass. You sound like one of my uncles.

**MrMasterCraft** · 11-04-2010, 12:42 PM

Originally Posted by 0rion

You broke your left elbow and right wrist?? How the hell are you wiping your ass?? wait, don't answer that.

Don't worry about the percocets......you're not going to get hooked on them. Just don't sit around popping pills all day...only take them when you HAVE to. Drink a couple beers then take 1......will fix you right up. Wait, who's opening your beers for you? Man....you're in a tough position. Need someone to open beers AND wipe your ass. You sound like one of my uncles.

Prick

Yeah, I start pyhsical therapy tomorrow, and I've decided not to take any meds before I go, as I wanna see how everything goes without being dependant on anything.

As far as wiping my ass goes, my elbow had already made progress after the first day. The first few days were hell, spending 30-40 minutes each time. Now I've gotten it down to 20. Just gotta do it from underneath and with my left hand/arm

F'kin Orion

**0rion** · 11-04-2010, 12:46 PM

hey....I was just going to recommend that you have 2 different people for each position. You don't want your ass wiper to also be your beer opener or vice versa. Could get ugly either way.

You will probably want some meds for the therapy. My wife had surgery on her wrist ( just one wrist so she was wiping her own ass) and after therapy her wrist would hurt pretty bad. Your first time or two they won't push you much but after that be prepared.

***SMWS6TA*** · 11-04-2010, 12:53 PM

physical therapist = Sadomasochist

The always have

while they torture the hell out of you.

"Come on now Mr. X, you know you need this. You know you want to get better."

FFFFFFFFUUUUUUU...leave me alone

**67CamaroRSSS** · 11-04-2010, 03:25 PM

Originally Posted by 0rion

You broke your left elbow and right wrist?? How the hell are you wiping your ass?? wait, don't answer that.

Don't worry about the percocets......you're not going to get hooked on them. Just don't sit around popping pills all day...only take them when you HAVE to. Drink a couple beers then take 1......will fix you right up. Wait, who's opening your beers for you? Man....you're in a tough position. Need someone to open beers AND wipe your ass. You sound like one of my uncles.

Situations like that is where a bidet comes in real handy (pun intended)...

**Spikito** · 11-06-2010, 10:42 AM

Originally Posted by SMWS6TA

K, Thanks anyways. I'm trying to find out why my legs still want to seize up. I know someone else that has it, but he doesn't have it as nearly as bad as me and he doesn't get the local seizures.

Off the top of my head, its prob the same kind of process as when you strain a muscle, like your back or something. you probably "strain" them on a regular basis and get spasms.

From what I've been told, the brain gets confused about what the resting tonicity of the muscle should be, treating motor muscles like support muscles and keeping them much tighter than they should be.

But thats just what i would assume

**LimeNine** · 11-07-2010, 06:31 AM

I manufacture orthopedic implants. sounds like what we make called a "peri-plate" or a fracture plate.
Also manufacture "femorals and tibia trays" for knee replacement, also Hip replacement parts, shoulders, ankles, spine