Reddit - can I get some quick medical advice? The emergency room is backed up and urgent care is closed.
Throwaway account. One week ago I ran up some stairs after taking public transportation (and after drinking) and I guess the lack of oxygen made me faint, so I fell. I managed to break the fall of my 150lbs frame onto my arm/forearm. Didn't break any bones that I can tell but bruised it up pretty badly.
After 1 week, the swelling has gone down a lot and I have regained most range of motion (can't brush my teeth with that arm yet though).
I think I'm fine but I did just scare myself into walking to the emergency room after looking at my arms side by side and seeing one as crooked. Its still swollen but not throbbing. I didn't take any pain medication until 36 hours after injury (so pain meter was around a 6). I can manage the pain with 2-4 ibuprofens a day and ice my wrist/arm/elbow as much as possible (mostly in the evenings). Pain level around 3-5 now (lower after a single 200mg ibuprofen, higher in the morning when i wake up). Mostly just annoying, though.
I regained my ability to touch-type comfortably after a few days. It feels like I need to crack my elbow but I can't. I had a thought that my bone is out of socket and my arm is twisted counter-clockwise, outside of the joint, so I went to the urgent care just now to get an x-ray. They are closed, so I went to the emergency room. They are backed up and I'm not dying, so I left and will go back to urgent care tomorrow if my arm does not improve significantly by then.
In the meantime, please play Doctor, Reddit, and diagnose my messed up arm. Or if there are any real doctors in the house, please stand up.
(btw, I have health insurance. residing in CA)
HEALTHY ARM: http://imgur.com/BRdCn,Mm8du,O8feS#0
INJURED ARM (TOP): http://imgur.com/BRdCn,Mm8du,O8feS#1
INJURED ARM (BOTTOM): http://imgur.com/BRdCn,Mm8du,O8feS#2
Got any advice? Thanks in advance.
Posted Dec 29, 2011, 7:19 AM UTC