"Oh but you're back to normal now AREN'T YOU?" (Minor rant alert!)

[Dr Spouse]

Wish people would stop asking me this and don't know what to say to them!

It took me at least 6 months to do most of my normal activities last time I broke a shoulder and that one isn't "normal" 15 years on. This is typical of a broken joint and I'm just having to accept it and hope that the currently broken one is at least as good as the other one.

But it's only 2 months now and again, today, someone said "oh I see you are out of the plaster [was never IN plaster] and back to normal"

No, I'm not, I only have about 1/3 the range of movement I should have in some directions and less in others :angry:. I can only get my arm this far up.

"Oh, how far should it go?"

Er, all the way up above my head, like yours does, you know?

"Oh, but you will get back to normal, won't you?"

No, it's pretty unlikely, I was told not to expect to get back full range of movement.

What do I say to people? Everyone seems to expect that a broken limb involves a month or two of plaster followed by complete normality. I tell them I'm not driving yet 2 months on and they are shocked. My mum was saying "oh, you are all better now aren't you?" on the phone, after about a month - when I couldn't even lift anything with the broken one! And she was obviously aware of what happened last time!

I feel like I'm moaning all the time, and now I'm not really wearing my sling either, everyone seems to think I should be fine.

:hissyfit::hissyfit:

As you were.

[DillyDally]

:higgies:

[Solitaire]

:higgies: I feel your frsustration. I broke both my legs almost 10 years ago, and will never have normal function in them.

[scatterbrain]

Can't really offer any advice, but I know how you feel. I haven't had a broken limb, but did get a neurological illness 3 years ago. Within a few months (because I was back at work & could walk across a room) everyone kept saying it's good to see you back to normal! Even my OH.

I felt like saying 'if having to sleep in my lunch break, not having the guts to walk across the road incase I can't get out of the way, not being able to lift your baby into bed or walk upstairs without bannisters and going to sleep at 7pm is normal then I'd rather not be normal thank you very much!'. It took me a year before I felt 90% recovered & still have some residual 'issues'.

It does get on your nerves, particularly when you know it's going to take a long time to recover from something.

On the flip side, I guess they're only trying to be positive and unless you live with the injury/illness every day it's difficult to appreciate the limitations it places on you when recovering.

:higgies:

Scatterbrain

['Line]

:hug::hug::hug: Oh my Mum soooooo knows where you are coming from :nod: She broke both the bones in her left ankle back in April and had surgery to fix it. Even then people seemed to say 'Oh you broke your ankle' like it was a finger nail :doh:
I have watched Mum struggle to do the most basic things and all the hard work at physio is finally paying off :thumb: but even now we get people saying 'Still on the crutches then' and 'isn't it better yet?' :no:
Even my Dad bless him, said to her yesterday 'so it doesn't hurt any more then' :doh::doh:
Mum swore by Arnica gel or cream when she was first out of plaster :nod:
I have long term back problems and have had to put up with insensitive comments for years and years now so have become a bit immune to it but it really upsets me when people say stupid things to Mum.
Take good care xxx :hug:

[RealGoneKid]

:higgies: :higgies: :higgies: