Desert Diva

As many of you know, I broke my right (dominant) wrist on April 13, 2008 while dancing with an “over zealous” ballroom dance partner.   Instead of traveling back to El Paso where I broke my wrist I opted to have a local orthopedic specialist (who was arrested a few months later for seven counts of alleged child abuse) do the surgery.

In many significant ways, I feel like I’ve been on “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride” for a year without the option to get off.  The external fixator was taken off at 5 1/2 weeks which was probably not a good idea since I have osteoporosis.  In addition, the occupational therapist was “rather aggressive” in manipulating my wrist and while no one will come out and say she quite possibility added to the injury.

Trusting no one and severely depressed last summer I was on a “mission” to the University of Washington (touted as the top orthopedic department in the Western United States) to do “damage control.”  After two tries and many tears later, I was allowed to see Dr. Hanel at Harborview Hospital in Seattle.  I set a surgery date and was prepared to fly back and forth for the surgery and subsequent follow-ups.  Little did I realize that my salvation literally in my backyard at Texas Tech in El Paso.

Dr. Pirela-Cruz, an orthopedic hand surgeon at Texas Tech explained the wrist osteotomy and the internal fixation plate was one that he personally designed.  Still, after my previous experience I wasn’t very “trusting.”  To make matters more complicated, I developed an impingement in both shoulders – the left I knew about, and the right was probably a “bonus” from my original fall when I broke my wrist.  The surgery was postponed and I went to physical therapy and had a cortisone injection in my right shoulder.

Even though the process was a long one, I feel that Dr. Pirela-Cruz wanted me to realize that aesthetics take a back seat to form and function.  Now, I “get it.”  At first I was just horrified by the look of my wrist and felt like some sort of “monster.”

So, now the surgery is over and I’m going to occupational therapy again.  Dr. Pirela-Cruz knows that I’m somewhat “wary” of the original O.T. so I’m going to someone different.  She’s much more “gentle” and I feel she’s better trained that the original person.  I have some numbness just above where the plate was inserted, but am told that is normal (and should go away) since the nerve was probably moved and “irritated.”

The only “problem” is that Dr. Pirela-Cruz found my blog when one of his colleagues asked him if he ever “Googled” his name.  He apparantly discovered a  previous post and on one of my visits asked if I was “Desert Diva.”  Now, it’s kind of a “running joke.”  After my first post surgery visit, Dr. Pirela- Cruz discussed with me where I would go for occupational therapy.  When I voiced my “concerns” and said I wouldn’t go back to the original O.T., he stated: “Desert Diva has spoken.”  Indeed, I suppose she has…

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