It Only Takes a Moment

The Accident

It was one morning in lockdown (14/05/2020) As usual we’d gone out of town Just up north of Cricklade When a silly mistake I made

I’d heard about the guidelines Avoid people or get fines So whilst out on our ride The jogger I did pass wide

Unfortunately, at the far side It wasn’t safe to ride For right at the edge Was a jagged ledge

Too late I did see What might happen to me As carefully as I rid Off of it I slid

Despite my speed being slow I really did go oh! As I came down with a thump And a skid and a bump

Then Phil, who was behind Had no time to mind My tangled mess… So, oh my goodness!

The next thing we knew He came off too We were both on the ground In a muddled bike and person mound

But what should we do next We really were vexed My handlebars were somewhat awry So dear Phil had to try

To straighten them out Without much clout To do a repair So I didn’t go spare

After a bit of a rest I had to do my best To start the hike Back home on my bike

With my arms out straight I managed to hold my weight And we slowly made our way Home, ready to start the day

The Aftermath

At work typing was a bit tricky But I don’t like to take a sicky I could just about type There was no need for hype

For the next couple of weeks (mid-late May 2020) We made just a few tweaks So that we mostly could Do what we normally would

We continued to ride Why should we be denied? And I wanted to go Even if I took it very slow

But the pain didn’t go away And eventually I had to say I could no longer fight The idea that something wasn’t right

When your thumb won’t work And it hurts if you jerk When your elbow won’t bend And it’s failing to mend

The trip to A&E

It was on the afternoon of Monday (01/06/2020) The end of my working day That I decided to see What was wrong with me

Of course, I cycled there Great Western’s urgent care Joined the queue Well, quite a few

Eventually I was seen I explained where I had been And the next thing they say Is that I need an x-ray

After more time waiting And much anticipating The pictures were clear And the medic said, ‘Oh dear!’

‘No wonder it’s numb You’ve broken your thumb And your elbow too!’ Now what a to do

So they plastered my arm To keep it from harm Put a splint on my hand As thumb movement was banned

Whilst my bike sat outside It needed a ride A friend didn’t stay He took it away

But as for any food They said that was no good And it’d definitely be late Before I actually ate

Then again I did wait To learn of my fate What was to become Of my elbow and thumb

They had a good look And some time they took They had a review To decide what to do

Then off came the plaster So they could master What the plan was to be To help them mend me

Arrows were drawn But nothing was sawn The plaster re-bound To hide what they found

I was told I could go But to take it slow They’d soon give a bell When they’d help make it well

Into my thumb, my skin They would insert a pin This would not be for long Just while my thumb got strong

But for my arm, its fate They’d use a metal plate It would always stay there So metal scanners beware

What a late night And rather a fright To find what I had Was really quite bad

I was pleased when they said I could go home to bed But I tossed and I turned About what I’d learned

The Operation

Tho’ I hadn’t long to fear (02/06/2020) For soon I did hear The very next morning It wasn’t much warning

They wanted me to come And get the job done So by half past ten I was ready and then

A friend came in her car For to walk it was far I didn’t want to be late But, of course, I then had a wait

Eventually I was seen Didn’t dare ask where they’d been There were questions, more and more I’m sure they knew what they were for

They had to do the Covid test Won’t bore you with all the rest They couldn’t find socks for my feet I didn’t need them for the heat

Back again to the waiting room Plenty of time to ponder my doom But others there were in greater pain And often our patience began to wane

Staff kept on going by But my name they didn’t cry Until, at last, I got to the top Of the list of those due an op

I was given a gown And then taken down Everyone was very kind And tried to ease my mind

People seemed to come and go How many? I don’t know They took away my shoes And labelled them as whose

It seemed everything was ready I should take it steady Then they gave me an oxygen mask Just to breathe was my task

And after that… Well, that was that… At GWH I’d arrived at eleven But when I awoke it was nearly seven

Later, when coming round Things seemed quite profound My mind was quite blank If I’m honest and frank

Phil rang up to see What had happened to me So a nurse with me spoke Just after I awoke

‘Are you Mrs Deaves?’, she said As I lay there on the bed ‘I think so’, I apparently replied I’m very glad I hadn’t denied

I must confess I cannot recall Any of the above call But Phil said that it was very me And so was as happy as could be

I then felt slightly sick But that passed pretty quick And soon they wheeled me away To a bed for my stay

I was given some food Which tasted really good And they returned to me my bag With only a short time lag

But they really couldn’t find The boots I’d left behind And still I had another wait As it got rather late

The nurse who then saw me Checked things were as they should be And the surgeon was pleased to tell That everything had gone well

Next I was able to phone And arrange a lift home Put all my stuff in my bag I didn’t want to be a drag

Then I left the room of beds Even though I had no meds ‘Someone can collect them tomorrow’ As you really cannot borrow

That night I slept quite well Using paracetamol to quell Some of the ache and pain And to help relax my brain

But I’m sorry to say (03/06/2020) That on the next day There were no meds as loot But I did get back my boot(s)

The Recovery

Now to take it easy (early June 2020) And avoid being queasy Give my body a good rest Everyone says is for the best

There are just a few things I can do Otherwise you know who Will have to step into the breach And get the stuff that I can’t reach

It will doubtless be a long haul But on God I can always call And I’ve already had a letter Saying when they’ll check I’m getting better

So, for now, trying to dress Causes me much distress And I do really despair That I can’t brush my hair

Even going to eat Is some mean feat And making a cup of tea Really isn’t meant to be

No cooking or baking Nor chocolate cake making No washing nor drying Oh, I am sighing

But people should know That I’m not slow To get myself back Onto the ‘normal’ track

I can still walk And definitely talk I can type with my right And move things that are light

And my brain’s not asleep So I need to keep Busy! Using my time To extend this rhyme

As I don’t like to shirk (08/06/2020) From doing my work I returned on Monday morning As I was barely yawning

And there’s no need to go To the office, at the mo We just moved a table To make me more stable

I logged onto my laptop Didn’t really want to stop But my boss agreed After lunch I’d be freed

To continue to rest I could not protest To try to ensure That my strength is restore(d)

Now things seem to be (10/06/2020) Generally, ‘Ok’ with me I’m taking it extra slow As onward and upward I go

For it’s surprising the dull ache That you get from a break The results of what I did Will take a long time to be rid

But I am very pleased That the pain has eased And it’s just overnight That I’m not quite right

Between me and you There’s still much I can’t do But I really will try To help us get by…

Phil hasn’t the flair For doing my hair But he can pull it tight If I don’t put up a fight

And many clothes just won’t go Over my enlarged elbow So I have to choose with care The clothes that I can wear

It may take a heave To move the sleeve And if it’s too tight a top We may have to stop

I can pull up a skirt But not button a shirt Putting on socks is rather tough And by then I’ve had enough

But when I want to eat I surely won’t be beat Using my ingenuity I’ll ensure I get my tea

I now have to ask Myself, of every task Is it really one That must be done

Or can it wait? Will it be too late? Does it really matter? Or shall I just not bother?

The love and the care That people did share After my unfortunate fall Makes me thankful to them all

The Exercise Bike

We believe it’s very wise (11/06/2020) To get fresh air and exercise So we now take a daily walk We find it’s a good time to talk

But I surely cannot hide How much I miss to ride I really, really would like To get back on a bike

However, without use of my arm I could easily come to harm And it is pretty clear I still can’t brake or change gear

But so as not to admit defeat I decided I would cheat By doing things a different way In the saddle I can stay

Soon I went onto the net To see what I could get It’s not quite the same But I’m happy it came

We unpacked a box of bits, mixed That Phil then kindly fixed I really do hope I like My new, static, exercise bike

It’s with gladness that I say I can exercise in the usual way As I have always found My legs want to go round

With no need to fear That I can’t change gear And no form of harm Should come to my arm

So rather than wait Until I can indicate To ride, it’s my chance Without need to balance

I will have to learn That it cannot steer or turn But on it I will sit To help myself keep fit

Come rain or shine It will always be fine No risk of ice or snow Nor thunderstorm or windy blow

But it is a bit boring And you might catch me snoring Until that great, long-awaited day When I can return to the highway

Tedium?

In some ways time is going slow (15/06/2020) I’m stuck in, there’s almost nowhere I can go Waiting for the time to have passed So they can remove my cast

It really is most frustrating And it’s highly agitating That there’s so little I can do I’m sure you’d find that too…!

It is still quite depressing To need so much help with dressing Turning taps and opening doors And pretty much all household chores

I know I should not complain Especially as I’ve so little pain But I’ll find joy as I discover What I can do as I recover

I want to learn to appreciate All my limbs, both small and great That wonderfully work together Each as important as another

The First Follow Up Appointment

Today, up to the hospital I went (19/06/2020) For my follow up appointment This time I barely had any wait Got home early, instead of late

Upon arrival they did say You need to have another x-ray So off to the Radiology department I wandered Why was it so empty this time I pondered?

After a few minutes they called my name I expected things to be the same As before, but first they asked me To stand up for an x-ray of my knee!

At this request I was confused And at my response they were bemused I assured them that it wasn’t (k)nee-ded And, fortunately, me they heeded

Was this some kind of NHS deal Trying to find other wounds to heal? And had they offered to others too Three x-rays for the price of two

Anyway, they just x-rayed my elbow and thumb As those were the reasons for which I had come They were carried out fairly quick And then it was back to the fracture clinic

Both bandage and cast had to be cut The nurse was careful and gentle, but Underneath the wounds were a bit sore And seeing them made me feel a little poor(ly)

I hadn’t been feeling scared But realised I was not prepared To see protruding through my skin A rather nasty looking pin

Next a consultant came to look At how well their ‘repairs’ had took Reassuringly he told me The healing was as it should be

Now I no longer needed a sling Gentle movement was a good thing I shouldn’t on my arm put weight But I could try to make it straight

Meanwhile my thumb, complete with pin As I had guessed, still needed to be in A cast, for two weeks more Thus making a total of four

Then my hand was re-dressed And I was quite impressed The choice of colours was quite vast And I picked purple for my cast

Then they told me I could go And they would soon let me know What the date and time would be When they’d un-cast and un-pin me!

I got a text the next day (20/06/2020) Which went on to say That they would deal with my hand On the day when we had planned

To be travelling across sea and land For another holiday in Ireland But obviously some time ago It became apparent we couldn’t go!

Meanwhile I must break through the pain Full movement of my arm to regain Gently bending and raising bit by bit Ensuring once again that it is fit

The Physio Phone Assessment

So, how is my elbow exercise? (23/06/2020) Have I done what they did advise? Well, it still remains very tight To bend it is quite a fight

Today I heard from a physio Who said I don’t need to go To the see them at all As they’ll do a video call

And they’ll send me some sheets With a list of appropriate feats To help my elbow stretch and bend As it heals and continues to mend

What I should also have said Is that I can now lie in bed Much better without the sling As it was a cumbersome thing

And I do feel a whole heap Better after a good sleep Which is, I hope, another Key to helping me recover

The Physio Video Assessment

The exercise sheets never came (25/06/2020) But rather than accuse or blame I would ask at my video call Which wasn’t long to wait at all

However, the signal was pretty bad Enough to drive you slightly mad I did my best, tried hard to hear But it was as if I’d something in my ear

The picture jumped, gave a jerk How was this going to work? The physio really needed to see A clear video of my arm and me

It did get a bit better Which, I think, let her See what she needed to And questions went through

This all took quite a while Ensuring things were on file And so, much to my dismay I was shown no exercises today

But I did remember, so I asked Where was the sheet, with which I was tasked Apparently, it was never sent To email me, she had meant

Now she had been able to see more She was informed better than before And she now had more of a clue What she’d be getting me to do

She would come up with a list Of movements that shouldn’t be missed But I’m very sad to say No email has yet come my way!

The Scar

As I think I mentioned before Last week the consultant was sure That all was mending as it should That the repairs had been good

But still upon my left arm Was a plaster to prevent harm He said keep it for a week Then under it I could peek

However, I was rather scared To see how it was repaired I thought I might feel sicky When I removed the sticky

Fortunately, though, for me I’m not easily able to see If the scar is deep or wide Because it’s around the other side

Freedom

Today I went out on the train (30/06/2020) What do you think was the greatest strain? The thing I found hardest to do ‘twas to open the door of the loo!

Thus my recovery continues Though it can be hard to enthuse It is essential that each day I exercise – keep stiffness at bay

I did, after a long wait, receive The exercises I need to achieve The special actions to take Even if they make me ache

Active and passive elbow flexion Active and passive elbow extension Active and passive supination and pronation The names are full of imagination!

Put simply, it’s getting my elbow To move more, both high and low Trying to make it bent, then straight Hopefully, soon, it will take some weight

The Second Follow Up Appointment

Today I had another follow up visit (03/07/2020) They wanted to see my hand – how is it? Is it progressing as it should As in this cast it feels like wood!

The cast came off – with a saw… They were happy I didn’t need it any more Next the doctor pulled the pin out Which hurt and I let out a shout!

But it was good to see my thumb Even if it was still very numb I now need to treat it with extra care Not pulling nor making it load bear

They did another appointment book When the doctor will have a look At another x-ray, to check If my bones are up to spec

Progress?

What still causes me distress (07/07/2020) Is the slow speed of my progress Feeling how stiff my arm is still Such that to move it takes great will

But there are glimpses of joy When a new skill I can employ Like using both my fork and knife Really does make for an easier life

I’m learning not to take for granted The skills that God has imparted Today I fastened my brassiere And soon I hope to do my hair

Life still seems pretty rough Physically and mentally tough It’s surprising the negative impact Of your body not being intact

Physio by video

I had another call with video (08/07/2020) So I could see the physio I really must keep plodding on But my recovery seems so long Disappointment of cancellation

Then on Tuesday I was due to go (14/07/2020) To the hospital to meet the physio But in the morning came a call That I shouldn’t go at all

Due to a staff shortage They could no longer manage To see me there that day Sadly I had to stay away

I had wanted them to advise On how I was doing with exercise To see if they could move my arm Without causing further harm

Now I have a further wait I hope it won’t be too late When there will finally be A time when they see me

Perseverance

But until then I can do The exercises, quite a few Hoping I’m doing them right Some of them feel quite tight

As I said, progress seems slow That’s probably normal, I know But it’s hard waiting to discover When I will fully recover

Although there seems little change My arm does have more range And I again did have to teach My hand to my nose to reach

The best thing, recovery to assist It is with the exercises to persist Make them part of my routine Then maybe do more in-between

Eventually I was able to take (23/07/2020) A call, an appointment make I was ecstatic to hear them say I could go the very next day

So then I had another thought As more x-rays they’d said I ought To have before the consultant sees me Maybe these could tomorrow be

The Real Physio Appointment and X-rays Next I tried to find out A few more details about The exact timing of when Those x-rays could be, and then

On Friday morning I got a lift (24/07/2020) Which really is a kind gift And before my physio For my x-rays I did go

There was just a little wait Which meant I wasn’t late To the appointment I had booked Where the physio at my arm looked

He needed many things to assess So he could clearly track progress Find out things that might uncover How much motion I would recover

At last I became quite elated When my arm he manipulated Pushed and pulled it a little more But not too much to make it sore

I most definitely do now feel It was good to meet for real As easy as it is to stay at home Physio doesn’t really work on the phone

The Final Follow Up Appointment

Time continued to pass by (31/07/2020) As more exercises I did try And then came another milestone When the consultant did phone

She, my x-rays, had now perused Seen my bones had together fused In her professional, medical view Things were mending right on cue

No further appointment did I need As from their care I was freed But if I did find I needed anything Then she said I could still them ring

I just had one last thing to ask And I couldn’t my excitement mask ‘I really, really, really would like To be again able to ride my bike’

The consultant wasn’t hesitant or slow To say that out on my bike I could go And so I hardly need to say We went out that very day!

My heart was filled with joy Like a child with a new toy But after a few miles it transpired That I was extremely tired!

The riding did begin to make My damaged arm and hand to ache And although my legs went round I was out of breath I found!

Continuing recovery

Obviously, I then did insist (04/08/2020) That with riding we persist As this goal I now seek That I don’t feel so weak

But I really must now try Not to let the days slip by Without doing my exercise Or this could be unwise

Time continues to pass by (06/08/2020) There are more things I can try To do with my arm and hand As they are at my command…

Much movement has come back My recovery is right on track I’m no longer a wounded soldier I can almost touch my shoulder

My elbow’s still a little sore Especially when I bend it more And my thumb can quite ache If to work hard I it make

But there’s lots I can do It can seem quite untrue Because to get to the next stage It really seemed to take an age

I can now myself dress Without having pain or stress And I can now put up my hair Without causing Phil to despair

Physio by video again

Another physio appointment came (11/08/2020) Was my condition still the same? Could I move my joints more Without them starting to feel sore?

I still can’t hold my arm out straight Not even when I hold a weight But I was pleased to her show Where my bent arm now can go

She seemed pleased with my progress As I moved my arm to impress And I showed her my thumb Its weakness we seek to overcome…

We had a little bit of a chat Then discussed this and that Looked at what the next move would be I asked if I could go her to see?

So soon I will again be able to go To GWH to see, in person, the physio She can then straighten my arm Without doing me any harm

Fun exercises

In the post, guess what I got? (17/08/2020) It was a small, squashed pot Filled with putty, it did come This is to use to exercise my thumb!

It does feel rather funny And is surprisingly runny Into it I must push my thumb And then, slowly, out it come(s)

There are different exercises to do With this special yellow goo All with the combined aim Of strength in my thumb to regain

You might find it’s a bit like dough If you were to give it a go And when I’ve practised enough I’ll get a new putty that’s more tough

A ‘real’ physio appointment

This time I cycled myself there (01/09/2020) To receive my continuing care The physio measured me to see How far off straight my arm might be

Then she pushed and pulled it a bit To make it more supple and fit She used her big protractor again But the angle was still much the same

There is no need to give up hope With many more jobs I now can cope And given the passing of more days It may be I can move in other ways

Also from my hospital trip The physio did me with stuff equip With a different putty pot Harder than the one I’d already got!

I continue to exercise To bend and stretch is very wise I work my thumb and elbow more Now that they are no longer sore

Another ‘real’ physio appointment

Off to the hospital I again trooped (15/09/2020) I guess it makes a change from being cooped up! always in the same place At least there you may see a new face

The physio and her students did advise Of some new types of exercise And because my arm moves quite well, without pain They don’t really want to see me again…

So, I guess, it may now be time To see about ending this rhyme Full recovery isn’t quite here But that could well take over a year!