Sucks. Sucks. And sucks.

I got strep and a wicked chest cold 3 days before my first IM. I was coughing up colors of green and yellow that I didn't know existed in the Crayola box. Still, I got the IM ticket a few months later so it ended well.

I'd offer this: If you are in a car accident and you end up being annoyed with the insurance claim process, the rental car BS, and the cash outlay, your outcome was pretty good. Your ability to be "annoyed" really means in the long run, this isn't so bad. Said another way, if you can sweat the small stuff, what has happened to you is small stuff.

Your wreck could have been worse. Take comfort in that. You'll be out riding and training soon enough.

Good luck!

Tell me more about how you can't work out because you broke a small wrist bone.

You know watching paraplegic's compete in triathlons gave me inspiration to do my first tri

I know how you feel. Just got into my first real bike wreck. Broke a collar bone and 4 ribs. Three weeks before Victoria. I got into Vineman this year finally. Dr says no way I can race by mid July. Maybe by September they say. I'm 2 weeks post op and I can't move the arm and it hurts to laugh or cough. I'll start biking indoor soon. Running in maybe 2-3 weeks. But I won't swim for months.

How did she feel about working out three weeks after that happened?

Training thru injury usually just makes it worse in acute situations like this. It sucks, but it is what it is. Forget about the race, use it as mental fuel for the next one - you can't unscramble these eggs - stay positive and move forward :)

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I agree. . But no way I can wait 12 weeks to get active. but too sore all over now to do anything except relax

first tri was to be the HIM in Dublin. a group of us from Alaska were going. was in full training mode.

well, this past <onday was my surgery on my rotator. needless to say, im done for a while. hardest part was the mental "its over" from training.

next goal is HIM NOLA next year.

fyi, typing one handed sucks

I think this is it for me too.

You mentioned surgery - are they placing a (hebert) screw through your scaphoid?
I shattered my wrist in a bike crash, which also broke my scaphoid in half, and put a fracture in one of the halfs...
But the surgeon put it back together with a screw, and a t-shaped plate on my wrist which had several breaks, both styloids broken, etc (his initial words when he saw my x-ray after the crash were 'wow, well done....').
ANYWAY, he knew I wanted to still train, so because most of the important stuff was being held together with hardware, he let me use a tight fitting store bought splint instead of a cast, and I was allowed to resume training. That said, I was mostly bike racing then, so wasn't swimming. I'm not sure how easy it would be to swim with a splint on, and I'm guessing you'd want to use a sleeveless wetsuit...

Can't hurt to talk to the doc/surgeon about options.

Here was my scaphoid/wrist after surgery. It was 5 or 6 years ago. Hardware is still in there and I have full flexion/strength (3 months of physio was involved...):





Cheers

Are your legs ok? Can you ask for a waterproof cast? Can you handle the pain? A couple years ago in kona one competitor had a broken leg, she walked the whole marathon. I had AC separation grade III two years ago and I did an OLY 6weeks after the crash, wasn't pretty but I did it. Just keep riding the trainer for what you are going to lack in swimming and running. I'm sure you aren't going to forget how to swim and run. Speedy recovery!

Been there done this X 2!

Scaphoid is a slow healer due to blood supply, many non-union fractures of scaphoids leading to bone grafts, no fun. Go with a hardware option and down time will be less, if it is a complete fracture it is not a discussion. I have hardware in one and a graft in the other.

I ran easy about a week after surgery, wasn't biking at the time but a trainer good be pulled off, although weight bearing restrictions on wrist are likely. I would preach a visit to an occupational therapist (certified hand therapist is best) for a visit or two as loosing range in the wrist is a real bummer; especially extension.

BTW, the wrist with the graft is from me pushing it too soon and that one got casted for 8 weeks with complete immobilization of the wrist and thumb...my arm came out looking like a toothpick left in the rain to rot.

Good luck and healing vibes.

Cheers!

Glad you have recovered well. That was a concern of mine. I go see a hand specialist tomorrow to confirm the plan. It was the orthopedic surgeon I saw on Friday to give me the original diagnosis and likely outcome. Mine isn't as bad as yours, just a fracture and mildly displaced.

Ortho is a good cyclist and knows about IM aspirations. Let's see if I can make it work.

I'm sure I can tough through it, but if there's a likely risk of hurting it further then I probably will skip

Yikes, twice! The re injury is what I'm most concerned about.

First of all, HTFU, you're not the only triathlete that has been injured and will miss a race.
I broke my scaphoid and yes, it will take 12 weeks. You!ll still be able to use the bike trainer and run a little.
Ask the surgeons for a water proof cast?

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res, non verba

I ran the Chicago marathon with a cast on up to my elbow after breaking my scafoid (non waterproof cast no less). Stuck a big fat HTFU sticker on the cast. 9 weeks in the cast and another 4 in I hard splint. Missed one run total (morning after I did it I thought I was gonna pass out when I woke up). That's it. The cast stinks. So what. Get a cast cooler and suck out the sweat. Spray it with deodorant. Get on with ur day.

stop being a pussy!

I broke my scaphoid about 8 weeks before a 70.3 and 12 weeks before an IM. The surgeon repaired it with a screw and then I was in a moulded waterproof splint for about 8 weeks. I couldn't swim for about 2wks until the skin incision had healed but could run and ride on the trainer. The initial splint included my thumb in extension so I couldn't really grip anything, but I got used to riding with 1&1/2 hands.
Later they staged down the splint so I could move my thumb which made everything easier.
Because of the risk of non union with these fractures you need to avoid trying to lift things with this arm, but generally my surgeon was happy for me to train with the splint on. I raced the 70.3 with the splint (and no wetsuit) and just made sure I had plenty of clear water so I didn't get kicked in the hand.
Talk to the surgeon and let them know what you want to do, hopefully they can make it work for you.

For you guys with the same break. ..Can you tell me what your healing was like after the dr said the bone is fully healed?

I had 8 weeks in cast (4 in plaster, 4 in removable plastic molded cast) and just got it off Wednesday. Dr said keep stretching and it should be pain free in 2-3 weeks. No problem cycling or swimming as pain allows.

I did an easy ride on Thursday and my Palm is really sore still. Generally no pain in the wrist which is good though. Going to try and do a long ride tomorrow - 8 weeks is too long in the summer to not be outside!

I honestly can't remember if I had much soreness or not, but I can tell you that the surgeon had me come in something like once a month for 6 months to xray it and make sure it was still healing. Even if the bone 'heals', I think the blood supply to the scaphoid is delicate and if interrupted, the bone can die. I assume/hope your doc is having you come in for follow up to keep tabs on it?

My biggest issues were the usual stuff after immobilization; strength and range of motion (ROM). I had no swelling. The stiffness and soreness went away pretty quick. I went old school and got a hand grip strengthener for use in may car as I was motorcycle racing at the time and this was the biggest issue. In your case I would be more concerned about ROM (swimming), but some wrist strengthening with bands or light weights can do both. I lost ~40% of wrist extension/flexion on left (graft side) and it does hinder me swimming a bit. My right was hardware and healed/recovered much faster and was 90% in 6 weeks and 100% in 12; vibration from the bike may be a bit bothersome for a couple of weeks.

Cheers!

mvenneta - I'm so sorry to learn about your broken scaphoid and missing your Ironman. That is devastating. Believe me I know because I am sitting on the sofa with a stress fracture (week 5) and will miss my Ironman Mont Tremblant in August. It was going to be my first full Ironman. I have been extremely sad and upset about my situation and missing the Ironman.

My advice going forward to anyone who is laid up for a while is to really try to remain positive and happy. That is much easier said than done. I didn't take that advice at all and ended up with pneumonia after a violent cough and fever weren't getting better. I'm on day two of antibiotics. A friend of ours who studies Chinese medicine says that lung infections can stem from sadness, grief and depression, all which I have been going through. I hardly ever get sick and haven't had pneumonia since being a small child. So the point of this little story is to try not to become too sad. It's really hard, but now I understand the importance of remaining positive and not slipping into depression mode.

The good news about your injury is that it will heal and it is not something chronic that will keep coming back to plague you. Also it's so much better than a stress fracture or an overuse injury that can cause years of frustration. But bike crashes do suck. I have had a few bad ones myself back in the 1990s when I used to race on the USCF circuit.

Heal quickly! My thoughts are with you!

Joyce

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Death is easy....peaceful. Life is harder.

yep- nothing can take your pain at the moment away- except knowing that it will heal and that you will be fine. Focus on what you can do going forward, not what you are missing.
Don't let all your training and fitness go to waste- keep doing stationery bike work, leg weights, core work, keep doing weights with the other arm- there is some carry over. Check out what race you can enter next- when your doctor/surgeon estimates you will be ready so you have something to focus on.

Good luck for fast heal!

Thanks for all the well wishes. I just got done with first ride since the wreck. Great to be back