4.27.2012

X Marks the Broken Spot

For Day X of the A-Z challenge, I'm writing about a very expected word: X-ray.  When I was a kid, it was one of only two X words on the spelling list:  X-ray and xylophone.

Today, there are a few more options: Xerox, Xmas (this is actually in the dictionary), xylem (the woody stem of a plant), and The X-files. (I miss you, Mulder.)

I'm sticking with X-ray.  Only because I have such a doozy.


This is the shoulder of my 91 year-old mother.  It has a rod and pins in it that form the shape of a mutant praying mantis.  It's a huge apparatus that was installed to repair a terrible break in her right shoulder last year.

Right after her fall, her shoulder looked like this (warning: icky picture.)


A few weeks after surgery, it looked like this (still icky...)


During rehab, it looked like this...


Mom worked very hard, and after three months, her shoulder looked normal, but does not have the range of motion it once did.  She will never be able to pitch for the Orioles again.

X-rays are X-ceptional tools, and I'm X-tremely grateful for this technology.  Humpty-Dumpty might be around today if an X-ray machine had been available.

Have you ever had an X-ray that enabled doctors to put you back together again?


26 comments:

vic caswell said...

oh wow. that's one funky looking scan!
i'm glad they got her all fixed up!

Sharkbytes said...

Somewhere, a doctor whose name I don't remember has X-rays of my shoulder when it was truly out of joint, proving that it does come out. But this was before Electronic records, and before I knew that I should say "those are mine" and take them with me.

Sharkbytes said...

PS I'm trying to visit all the A-Z Challenge Blogs this month. My alphabet is at myqualityday.blogspot.com

betty said...

My gosh! Your poor mom!! I can imagine it was a long process to get where she is at with it; I type medical reports for a living and it is fascinating what modern medicine, so to speak, can do these days with implants, rods, screws, nails etc to put Jack and Jill back together again. Glad your mom was able to make an almost complete recovery from such a terrible break!!

betty

Kathy ... aka Nana said...

I've had several x-rays, but thankfully none for a broken bone. Glad your mom's shoulder is back to normal ... shame she won't be pitching any more. ha!

Joyce said...

Oh goodness...shoulder injuries have such a long revovery time! I'm glad she's doing better!

No broken bones for me but my youngest has scoliosis and more x-rays than you want to think about. She's also my child who dives head first into life so she's had a broken bone or two. She keeps me young. Or makes me old : )

Arlee Bird said...

Only if that includes my teeth--had plenty of dental x-rays. I've had other x-rays but not looking for broken bones, but for other internal things. Modern medicine can do some pretty amazing things.


Lee
Places I Remember
Wrote By Rote
An A to Z Co-host blog

Dino said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog.

My wrist has a titanium plate in it after smashing it ice skating and thanks to the wonders of modern medicine I was only in plaster for 2 weeks and a splint for another 4 weeks. Within 3 months I was cycling again and had 95% of movement restored. nearly 8 months later and the scar is healing nicely too.

Hope your mum is OK now.

Sylvia Ney said...

Oooh! That looks really painful! New follower here. I’m enjoying reading my fellow “A to Z”ers. I look forward to visiting again.

Sylvia
http://www.writinginwonderland.blogspot.com/

Judy said...

That gave me the shivers! And, by the way, I miss Mulder too :(

Tracey said...

Thanks for the spelling help...didn't catch that....

Petra said...

Oh, poor mommy! Glad that the docs were able to help! I feel very blessed never to have had a broken bone. Great X post. Did you know that the "x" in x-mas resembles the Greek letter khi, which is the first letter in the Greek word for Christ?

Thank you for your visit! Blessings!

Francene Stanley said...

Your mother is brave. Yes, my shattered femur is held together with a metal rod and screws through the bone. Nasty, and getting worse as I age.

http://francene-wordstitcher.blogspot.com/

Rita said...

OMGosh! That really does look awful...and like a praying mantis! What an ordeal for her to go through. I'm glad she is dong well now. We are lucky to live in the time of x-rays and all the medical treatments they can perform that were unheard of in the past. :)

Kate OMara said...

I mentioned x-ray & xylophone today too ;) I think it's culturally ingrained.
Sympathy for your mother. Poor dear, her pitching career is over.
Kate
http://whenkateblogs.blogspot.com/

Robyn Campbell said...

Humpty needed this machine! Your mom's pain made me wince. I am so thankful she is mended. Sorry about her pitching career though. Ha! :-) Wonderful X post!

Jaimee Hunter said...

in 2003 I had to go to the hospital one night with excrutiating pain...it was the first time I ever experience a non-film related x-ray...all on computer and I could see the inside of me. coolest pain ever

Unknown said...

Bless her heart, that looks rather painful! So glad she's doing well! I've never been put back together again thank goodness....

Tracy said...

Great post and so glad Grannie is on the mend; bless her heart! Yes, I had an X-ray of my right arm that I broke in first grade so I was forced to learn to write with my left hand and now I can do both!
:) one benefit of breaking your arm!

momto8 said...

oouch!

Retired Knitter said...

Oh my. That is a hard experience for the elderly to go through. She looks tough but it still is hard.

Cari said...

Ouchie! I have only broken my index finger, that's it. The worst of it was losing my fingernail. Her rods and pins look like a spiny scorpion type thing...very X-MEN!;)

Marie said...

That couldn't have been easy for your mom! She must be one determined lady! She looks so sweet. :)
Hope you have a fabulous weekend!

Angie said...

Wow! I'm glad they could help her regain use of her arm again. That is one knarly x-ray!

Dawn M. Hamsher said...

Mare,
That was a very interesting post! It looked so painful for your mother. Glad she worked hard with her rehab!

The Write Soil
1st Writes

Just A Normal Mom said...

Wow. Just wow. As awful as that is, I'm so impressed with your mom and her working hard through rehab. It's not easy, and her age makes it that much harder. Good for her!