Putting this out on the Interwebs as it seems quite a few of my athletic friends are ending up with the same not-so-cool blue sling as myself before heading into surgery. Clearly we have collectively moved from the "fall and bounce" phase into the "fall and break" phases of our lives.
Plus from what I can see, it seems that more and more collarbone breaks are getting surgery...I don't know if that's a money thing or a reflection of the more "active" levels of the segment of society I interact with.
Here are some of my thoughts, in no particular order. I hope they help you...if you have questions, just shoot me a note Twitter: @pmccrann
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Survive the Emergency Room -- These folks, even the ortho folks on call, are all doing the same thing: triage. If you ain't dying, they aren't so worried about you. Get all the info you can, get some good meds and get out of there.
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Find a Good Ortho -- Ask around and find out who your friends have seen or used. I strongly recommend against just going with whoever the ER told you to see unless they are a sports person. You want someone who understands what you are trying to do outside of the workplace (on your bike, in your swim suit, etc.).
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Schedule Surgery Quickly -- Do your best to avoid the downtime sitting around. If you have to wait for the right person to do the work, that's fine...but every week you sit around with a broken wing means a delayed recovery.
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Plan for After Surgery BEFORE Surgery -- Odds are lying down won't be an option for at least a week, if not longer. You will want a recliner you can sit in and then use that to lay down; or maybe you'll luck out and get some funky pillow system that will allow you to adjust your position like I did, but either way, you have been warned. I have heard of folks renting recliners, etc.
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It Hurts More After Surgery -- This could be a n=1 scenario, but it seemed that I had more movement when it was broken than I do in recovery. This restriction is good (read: healing!) but man it's not comfortable.
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Surgery Means Micro Fractures -- My super awesome PT just said this to me and it totally makes sense. I had the traumatic break o of my crash, but now with seven screws in my collar bone, I am recovering from an additional seven micro-fractures. That explains some of that pain!
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Start Your Pain Meds Early -- You'll have a nerve block that will last 12-18 hours (mine lasted 10); after which you will need to have enough pain meds in you to function. So get the prescription filled when you leave and start taking the meds even though the nerve block means you can't feel the pain. Because you will. Soon. Probably middle of the night when everyone else is in bed and can't help you out. Just sayin.
- Start Moving Soon After -- This depends on your break, your surgery and your Doctor, but some basic mobility is good. Sitting in a sling for a week pre-surgery and two weeks post surgery means you haven't really used your bicep, your shoulder, your triceps, etc...so be as gently active as you can.
That's all I have for now...more as I see more progress...good luck to you and leave your notes in the comments!