Broke my right collarbone on the bike last weekend.
Bloody painful and first injury that’s forced my off work for more than a few days. Right handed so really limits what I can/can’t do (I’ve heard plenty of ‘use the other hand’ jokes 😉). Sling over left shoulder now making that really hurt now too. Was bored after one day at home – now after going back to hospital to check ribs last Friday I’m told I can expect to be off for another 2+ weeks or at least until the bones have knitted. Feel quite fed up and just a little bit of self pity as this enforced period of uselessness has impacted on several long term things I had planned. I’m either lying on the bed trying to sleep which is proving tricky or sat in the chair trying to get comfy and not a lot else. No structure to my days – I find it difficult to sit down and chill at the best of times as I like pottering around but missing the biking etc already. God knows when I’ll be riding properly again…have a Morzine trip in 7 weeks but have decided walking is the safer, more logical thing to do whilst there…not the amazing biking I should be doing. Have to tell work tomorrow which will be down like a lead balloon. Self-indulgent whine I know and far worse things happen but how do you cope with this apathy/crap period?

The Tour de France starts in less than a week… full coverage of every stage aids restful sleep.

I’m appalling at being injured or ill, but I’ve always found it a good opportunity to read all the books I keep meaning to read and expand my podcast range. That and planning stuff to do once I’m fully functional again. Or there’s always Netflix I guess.

Get well soon 🙂

The figure of eight sling may be forcing the broken ends apart so perhaps view yourself on a the low-dose screen they have in the x-ray room so you know the best position for you shoulder to give the bone a chance of knitting. I made up a plaster cast to fit under the sling so it didn’t press on the bones. I did the same for Madame when she broke hers, it helped a lot.

Just relax, keep yourself comfortable because moving around too much will just do more soft tissue damage. Patience and inactivity now will mean getting back on a bike sooner with less long-term problems. Start watching French TV, by the time you get to Morzine you’ll be fluent, and even if you aren’t you’ll have slept a lot.

Rule #1 do not watch daytime TV – your physical woes will pale into insignificance!

Basically if you engage in sport you are going to get injured at some point so it’s just accepting the fact and figuring out how you deal with it. I’ve broken thumb (skiing), leg (run over by a car), wrist(rock climbing) – the latter also saw me dislocate my elbow, ribs a couple of times (rock climbing), ankle (slipped on ice outside the house). Also had a hip replacement (hospital). I’ve had a bit of practice by now.

Be thankful it’s not a soft tissue injury, they can take a long, long time to heal, I tweeked my knee last October and it’s still not right, bone fractures typically take six weeks to twelve weeks.

It was only just over five years ago, but I can’t for the life of me remember how I spent the first ~5 weeks after I was discharged from hospital, besides sleeping during the day to try and make up for regular broken nights sleep at night. The following ~5 weeks were spent living at Odstock Rd Hospital Mon-Fri for intense daily therapy, before going home for the weekends.

Back then, I had very little fitness to speak of, my only exercise was gentle cycle commuting and the outdoor delivery at a much slower pace than I do these days. If something happened now, I’d be chomping at the bit to be allowed to put a bike on a 2-way interactive smart turbo trainer.

Other than that, binge watching various series on Amazon Video or the likes, plus using the interweb and pc gaming (it’s very easy to lose track of time while playing multiple 5-min games of Rocket League).

After suffering quite a few injuries where I’ve been in pain and unable to work, I can totally sympathise.
As others have said; Read lots of books, watch all the films you wanted to and never did, Go for long walks – this is good for keeping a bit of fitness up, getting you out in the fresh air and better than just sitting in with the pain on your mind. Make sure you get visitors to take the mickey and bring you treats.

I too couldn’t sleep and no position would help. A highish chair with footstool was the only answer.
In a year or so you’ll look back and this will all be a bad memory.

Clearly frustrated with injury and consequences. Shock phase of event. Angry now. Realise you’ll get better and accept. It was only collar bone.
20y ago next month I had wedge fracture of L4 L5 vertebrae. Spent 6 weeks flat on spinal injuries bed. Eat sleep and sh@t on the bed. Rehab to build my muscles up. Ride bike 8 months later. Check the balance in your life for this off period. Other chances will occur.

Get yourself to a reccomended sports physio ASAP.

The hospital advice you’ll get will be appropriate for a little old lady. Ie rest and come back in N weeks.

You need to get in to micro exercises and as much movement as possible.

This is my collar bone and 4ribs that I broke last November. 5th time for this side (4 the other). It’s a total PIA but you’ll heal eventually. I’m assuming as your employed you’ll get sick pay, I’m self employed so get sweet FA, so no sympathy from me just recommend you stop whinning and take a big dose of rule 5 😉

Do as MadBillMcMad suggests. I broke mine on the 1st March at Cannock with a innocuous slip of the front wheel, didn’t stop me exploding my clavicle into 7 pieces. Cov hospotal wanted to operate immediately, but I’m not from there so they recommended I go to my local hospital who threw me in a sling for 5 weeks, NHS lottery is real. Now I have a badly frozen shoulder ( the youngest male to have one my dry has ever seen!), I have about 30-40% range of motion in my right shoulder, I’m still in daily pain and haven’t had a full night sleep over four months since my “crash”.
They still haven’t even put me forward for physiotherapy, I’m paying for private sports Therapy myself so get second opinions wherever possible, the estimated natural recovery time from a frozen shoulder is 3-5 years, ensure you don’t get one.

Read my longish post on here: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/collarbone-recovery-questions.250066/

….and there’s lot about collar bones on here: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/the-collar-bone-thread.246915/

Now I have a badly frozen shoulder ( the youngest male to have one my dry has ever seen!), I have about 30-40% range of motion in my right shoulder, I’m still in daily pain and haven’t had a full night sleep over four months since my “crash”.
They still haven’t even put me forward for physiotherapy, I’m paying for private sports Therapy myself so get second opinions wherever possible, the estimated natural recovery time from a frozen shoulder is 3-5 years, ensure you don’t get one.

Mine also froze solid as a consequence of the trauma and no movement. I couldn’t raise my arm above shoulder height and it hurt all the time. Physiotherapy just hurt even more and did nothing, so five months after my plating op the same consultant carried out a capsular release op, which involves “tenderising” the stiff capsule tissue by cutting it. You then have to do plenty of painful stretching while the capsule heals, so as to prevent it from re-freezing. I did and being a road cyclist I may have had a better willingness to impose pain upon myself so the consultant and my physio were both very pleased. Now, three months after the capsular release op I have full range of movement but still some pain and stiffness and an unpleasant clunky/clonky feeling in the joint but there’s a slow steady improvement as I rebuild the muscle. The choice was this, or up to three years of pain and non-movement. My consultant said to me one day: “For God’s sake man, you are in grave danger of losing the use of your predominant arm! Get exercising!”

NHS lottery is real

More likely varying opinions of doctors, I’d imagine.

I had 8 weeks off work with broken collar bone and bits of my neck, plus missing a chunk of ear. 3 months off the bike.
I played all the way through my son’s Zelda BOTW, watched bargain hunt and most of the TdF live.

P.S.If you want to know why the country is in a mess – bargain hunt is the first place to look. Can you make money by buying stuff from expensive shops and selling it cheaper at auction? No, but it doesn’t stop them trying…

Similar boat. I was in london for work friday and been in agony since, as my knee is so badly damaged. Surgery in August, just told work, who will hopefully be understanding. I can do my job from bed so not expecting to take too long off. Got drunk last night just through frustration so now hungover too!

The british olimpics team has a policy of always checking the persons D levels after any broken bone. No help for the boredom but might stop it happening again.

Broken spine & 4 ribs, 6.5 weeks in hospital, 4 months in a spinal brace, 7 months off work in total.

Just potter about – watch a few box sets, try and do something useful – it used to take me most of the afternoon to sort out the evening meal – i.e. couldn’t stand for long, so chop some veg, go back on settee, up again, do a bit more, back, etc and so on. About mid-way through recovery, I did lay some new decking and made raised boarders with my sons help – a slow process but we got there.

The choice was this, or up to three years of pain and non-movement. My consultant said to me one day: “For God’s sake man, you are in grave danger of losing the use of your predominant arm! Get exercising!”

I’m back at hospital on Friday morning, I’m going to request the release surgery if possible. I worked in Operating theatres for years and have seen the op done many times and I’ll risk it for a biscuit. Glad you are on the mend now too, fingers crossed for similar for myself.

I do implore any collar bone breakers out there, get mobile as quick as possible, don’t fall into what Globalti and I have.

re Globalti & natedogguk after 3 months of partialy frozen shoulder, confirmed by MRI, passive hanging (https://www.kirschshoulder.com/) made a breakthrough after visiting 2 physios and a doctor. Normal physio exercises didn´t help much.

Can you elaborate? What does this involve? Hanging from a bar?

One year after the capsular release my shoulder is still stiff and sore. I’m beginning to suspect that the inflammation is actually caused by the metal plate on my clavicle. Exercising with the stretchy bands and increasing the length of my rides is helping but progress is disappointingly slow and the muscles are still weak.

Six months stuck in bed when I snapped my foot off. Tramadol and Tamazapan to induce sleep and designed a car while lucid. Built the car when better.

globalti, shoulder details on https://www.kirschshoulder.com/

MU at least what you’ve got will get better, yes I am bitter and twisted.

It’s hard when you do the injury to see the light at the end, I’ve had several years of them, innocuous stretching after a long flight did my shoulder for over a year – thankfully with a good physio and lots of self rehabilitation it’s almost 100% again, as they weren’t going to operate (different surgeons had a different view), being told be happy with 60% movement was the catalyst for working hard on it. Broke finger last year, stopped cycling and a lot of other stuff, for 4 months as couldn’t grip bars and then mid-December last year, broke my leg refereeing rugby when a huge prop got thrown on to me. That was the worst to be honest as I was progressing and had lots of good games ahead, got two in before lockdown came. Luckily with the leg I could work from home for the 7 weeks I had the brace on. Was in the gym as soon as I could and was reffing again at just under 12 weeks post injury.

great reading!
I broke mine (and 7ribs) the day before lockdown.
It hasnt stuck together yet so Im stressing about it, and thinking surgery may be next
I have an appointment next weekat the fracture clinic

Definitely go for surgery rather than months of miserable non-union as I did. It’s not bad and once the plate is on you’ll settle fast. Biggest problem is showering with the dressing and preventing infection.

My shoulder is responding well to an occasional workout with the red stretchy band, that really is making a difference.