Question: On 7.20.18, I fell 12' straight onto my shoulder, hip, and my head rebounded on a carpeted floor. As it turned out, the x-rays showed a complete fracture of the clavicle, all the ribs on my left front and, I believe 4 or five in the rear. The local hospital didn't have the staff at the time (it was at bedtime) so I was transported to where the air evac team was located and the "trauma" hospital I was helicoptered to did nothing to remediate the broken clavicle and now, almost two months later, having been in a great deal of pain all this time, I just want to know if this is typical. after a week-and-a-half or so (it's all a little fuzzy for me), they sent me to a local hospital where I was a patient approximately five days for rehab. There was one session of rehab and the physical therapist walked me around the PT area and, since my collarbone was sticking out like Meryl Streep in "Death Becomes Her," he informed me there was nothing he could really do. So, after slapping a sling on me, they sent me home. It has not healed, and an Orthopedic surgeon x-rayed and examined me and he thinks he can repair. It is still XXXXXXX How successful is this type of surgery? My ribs are mostly not painful. I am a complicated degenerative disk patient (2 fusions, L3-4 to L5-S1; C3-4) with arthritic hips. Surprisingly, I am really healthy and had my gallbladder removed in February 2018. I know this is overly long, but I have a lot of skeletal/connective tissue problems but really solid bones. I am a 58-year-old woman.

Dear Dr. Tayal,

Thank you for reviewing my question and your prompt answer. I have had a LOT of misinformation and needed an objective opinion.

Respectfully yours,
Christy Gartner