some good news

As promised, I am posting some good news! I am 99% sure my collarbone is healing. About a month ago (shortly after the last post) i returned to my doc for an xray of my collarbone to see what progress the clavicle had made since the xray at 3 months (for those of not keeping track, there was no bone growth at 6 weeks and a tiny amount of bone growth at 3 months). I'd been wearing the bone stimulator every day 24 hours a day since about the 3rd week (which is really no fun i have to admit). Well, at the 4 month visit there had been zero progress from the 3 month visit. I didn't post, because i'd promised good news and that clearly was not it! Next step was to either go back in and re-plate the bone (risking breaking in other places, and continued non-healing) or to try this drug - that has been shown to make bones heal - in off label experiments. It also has caused bone cancer in mice, but apparently not much evidence of that in humans. Well, i quit the bone stimulator (good riddance!!!!!!) and i started on that drug - which is an injection to the thigh every morning... and after 4 weeks i do believe i have some bone growth!! actually i could feel it getting stronger and more stable at 2 weeks... but after 4 weeks, i'm pretty convinced this is working! i can actually feel the bone where there was just a hole before - its solid and hard and it doesn't hurt to the touch! I can pick up things (like my purse) that i haven't been able to carry for the last 5 months! i can do two things at one time - because i can use two hands! i can open heavy doors and carry heavy books using that arm. pretty soon i think i'll be able to do planks, carry heavy groceries and.... use crutches! so, yay for me :) I go for a follow up xray in 2 weeks to confirm for sure... but i'd put money on this.

And thank goodness for a creative and proactive doctor (actually doctors). I have a feeling in a couple of years this drug will be prescribed all the time for breaks that don't heal. Its like magic.