Friday, June 12, 2009

Coming Along Nicely, So They Say...

Early this morning, I had an appointment with a doctor in the orthodopedic department of the hospital. This was the follow-up to the urgent care visit one month ago when I discovered that I had broken my arm. (No, I was not really hang-gliding. I just tripped over a very hard, inanimate object.)

Now, in the interests of full disclosure, I was technically supposed to have this follow-up about a week after the first appointment. So, I was about 3 weeks late, which did account for a few raised eyebrows. Since the first doctor seemed very strict about me not using my left arm at all, I suspected that I might meet with some disapproval about my less than strict observance of this rule. (I did not totally give up typing, as I was supposed to, for example.)

The second set of X-rays was much less painful than the first. I can't quite straighten my arm yet, and opening jars is difficult/impossible still. But I'm making progress. While waiting for the doctor, I studied his posters, and learned exactly what my "radial head" looks like.

The doctor came in with the current X-rays and good news. It does take six weeks for a broken bone to heal fully, but he felt that I was on target and healing nicely. He asked me what I did for a living, and sympathized with my difficulty in abstaining from left-hand use. ("Who would you get to type your sermons?") He told me that this was a very common injury; it had nothing to do with age; in fact, his twenty-year-old daughter had done the same thing recently. He also told me that he saw no indication of arthritis on my X-rays. He seemed to be able to anticipate the things that I would be concerned about before I even had a chance to voice them. I suppose he has seen a lot of people like me.

He showed me my X-rays, the fluid build-up which was part of diagnosing the initial break, and the place on the second X-ray where he could see both the break and the new bone being formed. "My body is making new bone?" I asked. "Does it ever stop?" I considered the amazing-ness of the human body. He showed me the little crack that was the broken bone. I didn't see it, and I told him so.

"Well, you can see a lot of things that I can't see," he answered.

As I left, he told me that he was impressed by the range of movement I already had achieved. He said that by beginning to use my arm moderately, I was doing the right thing.

"Have fun gardening," he said.

I'm hoping to get in the garden soon (better late than never), but I've been doing a different kind of gardening today. I've been training my eye on the new creation, searching the scriptures and my life for both the cracks and the new bones growing, so that I can speak words of hope and confidence into broken lives.

14 comments:

St Edwards Blog said...

Glad that you are healing my friend.

And that last paragraph made me cry. In a good way. Training your eye on the new creation, amen.

St Edwards Blog said...

Oops - I am here in my "other" identity!

Paul said...

Hooray! And prayers for continued healing.

Auntie Knickers said...

Glad you're healing and that you had such a nice doctor, too. It's clear that you were meant to preach when you can get such good insights just from a visit to the doctor!

Terri said...

seeing, healing, doing, resting, all acts of creation....glad you are mending well....

Ivy said...

Glad for your good report. Blessings.

Hot Cup Lutheran said...

isn't a huge relief when they say age had nothing to do with it! hooray!

Lauralew said...

You go, Girl! Work hard in that garden and tell us the metaphors.

Ruth Hull Chatlien said...

I'm so glad that it's progressing.

Lori said...

Yay for your healing arm! Life is full of comparative ironies and turning them into teaching tools is one of their best uses!

Your garden will be very happy to see you.

Barbara B. said...

Good news! Glad you are healing nicely!

Jennifer said...

What a great conversation with the doc!
Glad healing is happening!

Sarah S-D said...

really cool post, diane, for lots of reasons!

Rev SS said...

yay! I can access your page again ...love this post, as Sarah said: for lots of reasons!