Thursday, December 22, 2011

Humerus Day

Half jokingly we call December 22 Humerus Day. It's a day to remember the accident and be grateful for the successful recovery, and a day to appreciate our health.

I have since the accident three years ago encountered friends and friends of friends who also fractured their bones, and in a few cases even their humerus. Sometimes the break was far from as severe as mine, but the recovery took more time nevertheless. It seems to be almost impossible to predict how the healing will go based on the initial x-ray. Nerves can get damaged and so can tendons and the blood circulation.

I have no recurring nightmares about falling, but last summer I fell during running at deep decline and rolled around on the asphalt a couple of turns. The pain was quite severe and my first thought was to check the mobility of my arms. The injuries were mere scratches and healed in a couple of weeks. But the incident reminded me again how quickly things can change.