This is not medical advice; it is a description of my experience with a BAC.
I played football for 10 years. During those ten years, I saw two of my teammates break their collarbones. How did they break their collarbones? By laying out with an extended arm. What did I do while playing intramural flag football this past October? I laid out with an extended arm. What was the consequence? A broke ass collarbone.
Upon hitting the ground, I heard a snap; it was a sort of muffled snap, like the snap of a twig under a layer of snow. I hopped to my feet. The rational side of my brain knew I was fucked; it knew there were no joints between my sternum and shoulder and that a snap in that area could only mean one thing. Once on my feet I ran my hand along my collarbone and felt a protrusion (beneath the skin) about 2/3 of the way along its length toward my shoulder.
Nevertheless, the irrational side of my brain kicked me into denial. It was probably just a bruise or something. I’d be fine. Even if I wasn’t fine, I wanted to play the rest of the game then slink off unnoticed to not draw attention. Unfortunately, my left shoulder locked up no more than 3 minutes later, and I was forced to call it quits. Reality sank in.
I made it to the emergency room and was seen for an x-ray within an hour of getting there, which was great. I convinced the x-ray tech to show me the films. It’s never good when you can read the x-ray yourself.
The pain really started to set in and was I restless. I was seen by a doctor about three hours later, who asked me what happened and sent in a nurse with discharge papers, a referral for an orthopedic surgeon, and a knock off pain pill that didn’t really do anything.
I Ubered home and tried to resume normal function, which obviously wasn’t possible. I somehow managed to make myself dinner and eat it. I tried to get ready for bed, but the pain was some real deal shit. I laid in the bathtub because it was the only position I could tolerate. Every time I nodded off, I jerked awake with a bolt of pain. No sleep was had that night.
The following day was pretty uneventful, aside from the fact that I could hardly move. It felt as though the fractured segments of my bone would shift every time I got up from bed. I don’t think I really ate anything that day.
The following day I Ubered to the orthopedic surgeon’s office. Never in my life had I hated potholes more than I did that day. The surgeon seemed smart, so I was pretty happy. He thought I was undermedicated for pain, so he prescribed me some hydrocodone with acetaminophen (if I recall correctly). He also provided me the option to undergo surgery if I wished.
Given my situation, I decided that undergoing surgery was the best course of action. I was living alone in a new city and did not have someone to assist me, so I figured screwing my bone back together would provide the fastest route to recovery (I was also sick of having my bones move around when getting in and out of bed and I was worried there was a chance it would break through my skin). In addition, I desired to have my bone heal with at least some semblance of normal anatomy, and it was hard for me to envision that happening without fixation based on what I saw in the x-rays, which showed that the bone fragments had drifted even farther apart. Finally, given that I was a 27-year-old male in the prime of his life, I knew I was at a low risk for complication.
I started taking the pain pills, which helped a little. In addition, some students from a lab I was rotating in dropped me off some food. I was so appreciative of their generosity; the pastry and jam they gave me was all I ate in two days’ time. I was also kind of embarrassed because I looked like shit and was unable to put on a shirt.
My parents flew in the following day (Thursday), and I think they were a bit surprised that I had to slither around like a snake because I was in so much pain and that I had to build a nest to sleep in. Also, attending class (virtually) and completing my homework assignments was a bitch given that I was hungry, in pain, and hadn’t slept in three nights.
Friday was the next day and the day of my surgery. Things went reasonably well, aside from the nurse who didn’t know how to get an IV in and pricked me about six dozen times. Oh, and for some reason she was sticking me with lidocaine before each IV attempt, so I was actually pricked like twelve dozen times and the lidocaine didn’t really do anything. I was quite annoyed with the nurse.
I then asked to use the restroom before I went in for surgery and the bed pusher guy made a big stink about it like it was a gigantic inconvenience that I had to use the bathroom for thirty seconds. Had my collarbone not been broken I probably would have kicked his ass.
Anyway, the surgery went off without a hitch and I was back at my apartment with instructions to wear a sling at all times. My sister already had plans to visit that weekend, so she flew in, and we had dinner. We spent some together as a family on Saturday which was very nice but probably not worth a broken collarbone. Also, my collarbone felt much better after the surgery, and I was finally able to use the right side of my body and my left hand without excruciating pain.
Sunday morning rolled around, and this is when the real fun started. I hadn’t pooed since Tuesday (the day after my break) so I had started taking stool softeners after my surgery on Friday because I was worried about opioid induced constipation. Finally, on Sunday morning I got the urge to go. I shuffled over to the bathroom but unfortunately, it wouldn’t come out.
Shit, I thought. I’m constipated. I called my parents and they brought over a plethora of laxatives. I spent three hours on the John and passed very little, but what I did pass was so hard I ended up tearing my ass. It was very, very painful.
Left with no other choice, I had to return to the ER. My experience there was like something out of a movie: the doctor came into the room, put on a white glove (with the “snap” sound to boot!), and told me to roll over. Oh God, I thought, somebody shoot me.
The doctor went in there like Captain Hook, yanking around with his finger to pull out the material I couldn’t pass. I was howling to the high heavens as Captain Hook went to town, digging into my already torn ass. I would have rather been dead.
I went home with a prescription for colonoscopy prep, which my dad had filled at the local pharmacy. I drank what I could and boy, that stuff is nastY! I was on the John the rest of the day, continually expelling the salty liquid through my torn ass; the concoction of laxatives I had taken over the course of the day unleashing their fury with enough backpressure to send a rocket into orbit. Ever gotten salt in a cut? It stings. Ever gotten salt in your torn ass? Even worse.
Between my freshly screwed together collarbone and my torn ass, I was in so much pain I felt like I was going to vomit and/or pass out. I pounded on the bathroom wall begging for mercy, to which none was granted. No more pain pills for me.
I wore adult diapers the next five days and ate practically nothing because it was so painful to use the bathroom. In addition, I had to shoot cream into my ass twice per day to help it heal. It was so horrible. I went to the gym that Friday and weighed myself. I was 170 lb. I had lost 13 lb in 11 days. It was very, very bad. More on my collarbone recovery below.
Pre-injury strength for reference:
6’ 1’ 183 lb.
Bench: 225 (1×1) 185 (5×2) 155 -> 145 (4×3) (pause reps, drop sets). Inclined dumbbell press: 55 lb (9×4) (alternating left/right). Curls: 35 (10×2) 30 (8×2). Triceps extension: 65-> 55 (11×4) (drop sets). Flies: 25 (13×4). Shrugs: 80 (36×4). Pushups: 26.
Bent over row: 135 (9×4). Squat: 225 (3×2) 185 (6×2) 145 (9×1), Bulgarian split: 130 (9×4 each leg). Crunch: 55 lb dumbbell (26×4). Russian twist: 40 lb dumbbell (13×4).
Week 1 Post-Op: A Shit Show
My collarbone improved day after day. The first week post-op was a little rough (but nothing compared to what I dealt with the week prior). I could mostly use my right arm freely without causing pain in my left collarbone but could not lift heavy items without somehow causing pain. In addition, I could use my left hand to hold very light objects (floss, toothbrush, contacts, etc.) with limited range of motion. I was able to shower without the sling and pain was tolerable.
I also had to use a granny cart instead of a backpack. I returned to classes on Tuesday (four days after my surgery) in adult diapers. I returned to the gym late week 1 post-op and used the leg machines with light weight. I did not grab the bars on the machines for stability, I used my legs only. I attempted to perform light upper body exercises with my right arm but quickly realized I couldn’t lift enough weight for it to be worth my while; it was all risk no reward. I found that my collarbone felt better after my leg workouts, maybe it had something to do with the increased circulation.
Week 2 Post-Op: Slow and Steady
The following week I saw the surgeon to have my stitches removed and he recommended some range of motion exercises, which I began working on. He also mentioned that I could remove the sling while around the house. I gradually expanded my range of motion and was able to move my left arm farther and farther each day. It was particularly difficult for me to reach above my head. My baseline range of motion was lifting my left hand to about my left eye (unassisted). My level of pain had decreased but persisted to some extent. In addition, my ass healed by the end of the second week post-op. I continued leg workouts at the gym.
Week 3 Post-Op: Rock Bottom
I hit rock bottom early in week 3 post op. I was exhausted. I hadn’t caught up on sleep, was barely keeping up with schoolwork, and the burden of daily tasks with a broken collarbone was miserable. It really wore me down mentally and I was largely unable to relieve my stress at the gym. I looked and felt like shit and was still a solid 10 lb short of where I was before I got hurt. I continued my range of motion exercises and was finally able to raise my left hand to my head unassisted to shampoo in the shower by the end of week 3. I continued to exercise my lower body and gradually recovered some strength.
Leg push machine: 240 (9×2, single leg) 195 (13×2, single leg). Quad machine: 150 (13×4). Hammy machine: 130 (9×2) 110 (9×2).
Week 4 Post-Op:
I attained full unassisted range of motion with my left arm without pain sometime early in week 4 post-op. In addition, I kept working my legs at the gym and was nearly back to normal leg size (probably strength as well but I couldn’t perform my normal workout and therefore couldn’t accurately compare my strength to my pre-injury benchmark). I think I was somewhere around 174 lb by this time. I was also able to lift reasonably heavy things with my right arm without causing pain in my left collarbone.
Week 5 Post-Op:
Toward the end of week 5, I began wearing my backpack, albeit with a significantly lightened load. In addition, I would occasionally remove my sling while at school and move my arm around. My collarbone was sore at times, and pain seemed to arise randomly but always at a low level. However, I attempted to lay on my left side when sleeping and noticed that my shoulder was sore. My legs were almost certainly their pre-injury size, and I was probably weighing in at around 176 lb.
Week 6 Post-Op:
I saw the surgeon for my follow up early in week 6. He was satisfied with my progress to date as I exhibited good range of motion and strength in my left arm. I told him about the pain in my shoulder that mostly arose mostly while in bed and he suggested I give it time because it had only been 6 weeks. He also suggested I start physical therapy if I thought it would be helpful. He also provided me permission to begin activities with my left arm that I could tolerate (which obviously did not include returning to sports).
I visited Buffalo for the Thanksgiving holiday and decided to go fishing (which I did not have explicit permission to do). I was very careful to avoid falling and I avoided using my left arm in a strenuous manner. However, I noticed my shoulder/neck was sore or fatigued after a couple hours on the water. It didn’t really feel like the pain was from my collarbone, but more so from the soft tissue near the distal third of my collarbone.
Week 7 Post-Op:
I abandoned the granny cart and returned to wearing my backpack with little to no issue. However, I still experienced shoulder pain while in bed, but it seemed to be improving. In addition, I began upper body training, using very light weights on my left side (no weight or 5 lb dumbbell) and heavy weight on my right side. I also started physical therapy exercises on my left side which included wall angels, standing arm raises with a dumbbell (in front of body), alphabet with dumbbell, and shoulder horizontal abduction. I also added military press and flies with a 5 lb dumbbell.
When working my left side, I was finally able to nail down exactly where in my shoulder/neck the pain was radiating from: the tip of the triangle where my trapezius muscle meets my collarbone. The pain only arose in certain positions, specifically while bench pressing with flared elbows. I brought my elbows in and decreased the weight until I couldn’t feel any pain and resumed training. I’m almost positive the pain is from some sort of soft tissue and not my collarbone.
Week 8 Post-Op:
As of the end of post-op week 8, my life is pretty close to normal outside the gym. I have some soreness in my shoulder/neck in bed, but pain is minimal otherwise. I can’t lift heavy with my left arm (I can lift normal items like a backpack, mattress when changing sheets, etc. just can’t lift heavy weights). I’m weighing in at 177-178, still a solid 5 lb short of where I was pre-injury. I occasionally have some soreness after my physical therapy exercises/workouts at the gym. See below for gym status.
Bench: not attempted, substituted dumbbell press: 65-70 (8×4) right arm, 5 (10×4) left arm. Inclined dumbbell press: 50 (9×4) right arm, 5 (13×4) left arm. Curls: 30 (10×4) right arm, 20 (10×4) left arm. Triceps extension: 65-> 55 (11×4) (drop sets). Flies: 20 (13×4) right arm, 5 (13×4) left arm. Shrugs: 75 lb (26×4) right arm only. Pushups: not attempted.
Bent over row: not attempted. Squat: 185 (6×2) 145 (9×1), Bulgarian split: 115 (9×4 each leg). Crunch: 50 lb dumbbell (13×4). Russian twist: 25 lb dumbbell (13×4).
Some notes on recovery:
I decided to maintain my pre-injury diet (once my torn ass healed) with the acknowledgement that would be at risk for putting on some fat. I was comfortable with this as I did not want to risk under-eating and slowing recovery. In addition, I took vitamins daily including multivitamins and vitamin D (even though I don’t think there are any studies to suggest vitamins actually do anything, I again just wanted to ensure my body was getting the nutrients it needed to recover).
I also worked my lower body for two reasons. The first reason is I’ve read that leg workouts can increase testosterone (albeit temporarily and not by much), and I’ve also read that increasing testosterone was shown to expedite fracture healing in mice. In addition, I hypothesized that increased circulation would provide better opportunity for the transfer of nutrients to the injury site, which I hoped would expedite my recovery. Gym time was also important for my mental health (I was very short tempered at times during my recovery).
Finally, I tried to drink 64 oz of water daily, avoided nicotine (I only use nicotine on special occasions anyway, such as when visiting friends and am not a regular user), and only got drunk twice. I was doing anything and everything to give me the best chance at a fast, complication-free recovery.
I probably won’t update this again until I’m either fully recovered or have an update on what’s causing my shoulder/neck pain. Till then, stay well.
This is not medical advice; it is a description of my experience
