Transverse spine fracture in the L2 & L3 vertebrae
That's what I did today. Basically it went like this. It was raining this morning, and a little bit chilly. Last night S told me to be careful when walking outside because the rain was freezing on the grass. So when I was walking out of the house this morning I checked the stairs for ice. 'Nope' I thought to myself, 'its just wet from the rain'. WRONG WRONG WRONG. Of course, I didn't have time to think that to myself as I went flying down and back on to the three concrete stairs. It was chaos. My jacket was in one place, my backpack another, my iPod a third, the concrete graciously caught my coffee for me but the yogurt I would be finding all over everything for a large part of the morning. I had managed to roll myself to my hands and knees without crying too much somehow when fortunately a co-worker came out of the house (without falling) and helped me up. So I go to the Emergency Room, hang out for a couple of hours (all the cool kids were taking falls today), get looked at, get some great painkillers, get a CT Scan, hang out some more. When the doctor finally came back he said. "I don't want to tell you that you broke your back, but you did fracture this". I think it's a pretty rare injury too, the home care instructions aren't even for my specific injury, just one that's close. So yeah. On Friday I get to see an orthopedist. I'll keep everybody posted, but in the meantime, I have visual aids for everybody.
This is the spine. As you can see the lumbar region is also known as your lower back.
My ouch points are specifically the L2 & L3.
(This picture is an above view of a vertebrae. The spinous process is what you feel if you're feeling up somebody's backbone.)
From what I understand, fracturing your transverse process doesn't really somehow count as 'breaking your back'. I don't know why, don't ask me. The transverse process is the shark fin looking thing on either side of the vertebrae. I broke the left hand side ones.
This little bruise is located right in the middle of my back. I'm currently referring to it as the fracture tramp stamp.
4 comments:
Holy crap Alex. I'm glad you can still wiggle your toes.
How are you feeling now and what are you doing for treatment I just found out I also broke my left transverse process as well> it hurts like heck!!
so just last week i got smashed with a steel bar stool and afractured my L2 and L3.... very uncomfortable! i was out of state when it happened and no insurance. i dont feel i got sufficient information. now theres a horrible shooting electric pain down to my thigh.... how long ago did u fall down? and have you healed up ok? anything special u might have done to help?
weird...I have the same p.j's and bruise...but i fell outta two story window...onto some driftwood..lol anywho just wanted to let you know you gotta twin!!
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