First day of spring break 1985 I was out conditioning my
horse and she stepped in a hole and did a somersault. I was launched into
space and tucked and rolled; I honestly didn’t process how I landed as
all I could think about was that my horse was going to have a broken leg.
I jumped up and ran to her and checked her all over before I noticed my right
arm way in the classic broken collar bone position. I walked home leading
my horse where my husband un-tacked for me and took me to emergency. X-rays
revealed a separated shoulder and broken collar bone. Treatment back then
was to keep the arm immobile in a sling that strapped it to my side and a
figure 8 sling for the collar bone.
Not that I would recommend it now, but at the time I
recruited one of my junior high students to ride my back-up horse and help me
tack my horse and I was back conditioning in slings in about 3 weeks ( I took
lots of pain killers). I did a 50 about 7 weeks later still in slings
(the ride manager would only let me ride if I rode with a local surgeon and his
wife, a surgical nurse). I did do PT for about 4 months to regain range
of motion and was a walking barometer for years.
I take lots of glucosamine and MSM now and visit my chiropractor
every two weeks. I also have a slope to my right shoulder that causes bra
straps to slide off so I use T-Backs and hook the straps of non T-backs
together with elastic to hold the right strap up.
I would seek some professional advice for a rehab program in
order to heal fast and heal well. You want to retain/regain your full
range of motion and shoulder joints are a little tricky to rehab.
I bet your customers are anxious for your return too!
