BREAKING NEWS: Roller Derby Ring added to the Solid Rock Collection Soon!

Roller Derby is a fast-paced contact sport on Roller Skates, where the possibility of injury is pretty likely. So I had decided to join the SRDL (Sydney Roller Derby League) as a referee, rather than a team skater. Still involves fast skating, but with less likelihood of injured hands. Hmm, great in theory!

Having bought my skates from the lovely Sydney Derby Skates shop, I raced home to give them a spin. My pads were being purchased the next day, but I was so impatient, and thought my light carpet should protect my knees if I fell.

So I have a comminuted fracture of my right Radius (a fracture in which the bone fragments into several pieces) and it also dislocated - as you can see in the picture. I have had a permanent plate and eight screws put in.

My left middle finger has a small fracture, just to make things even more annoying!

I'll fill in the gaps of this blog as I get the energy, and in between the pain killer haze. In the meantime, here are some pictures. 

I've a great team of jewellers who will be helping me keep on top of my current orders, and will be fit as a fiddle soon.

UPDATE: 3rd April, 2009

It's been a month now. I think I'm almost at the point of being bored at having to stay at home, but to be honest the pain is fairly constant and distracting.  Swelling is still excessive on my fingers, so the Hand Unit at RPA has put compression bandages on my fingers to try to reduce it.

The cast is due to come off in a week and a half, so I'm hoping the swelling will reduce then. My lovely physiotherapist reminded me yesterday that my injury is rather serious. She said she would expect to see this damage from a fall from a 3 story building. Even though she says this, it's still hard for it to sink in. My fingers are still hardly able to move, and it's a bit scary. I think I try not to think about it.

Believe it or not... I finished quite a few rings this week, and had them delivered to the customers earlier than expected. Pretty impressive, if I may say so, considering my left hand has a fractured finger, too. I guess it comes down to doing what you love regardless of the obstacles! 

Now I'm just desperate to get my Solid Rock Chains and Bracelets completed, so they may be photographed and added to the Site.

UPDATE: 14th April, 2009

6 week report. (well, 5 1/2 weeks). Here's a picture comparing hands. Swelling is down a little. Colour is yellow with red knuckles, but not too bruised any more. If you look close you can see my lef thand's  middle finger is also a bit unhappy (a little green stick fracture). I'm hoping to get the cast off tomorrow. Even though it's glow-in-the-dark, I'm a bit over it!

UPDATE: 14th May, 2009

Well I'm a bit bored of my hand dramas, but thankfully my Jewellery Adventures are more than making up for it! I'm thrilled to have two new boutiques stocking my collection, and will bring you news of that later.

I've developed something called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) in my hand and wrist, which effects the Sympathetic nerves, causing swelling, redness, and my fingers to contract.

Last Friday, I went into the operating theatre to have a Stellate Ganglion Block to settle the nerves down, and I think it has had some effect on the redness and swelling. More physio will help my finger movement, but I've asked to do Physio only twice a week for a while, as was feeling a little down from having to go to the  Hospital so much.

I'm having another surgery next Wednesday, to remove the K-wire (the thin thing visible in the X-Ray at the top). This may help alleviate irritation on my wrist. 

This month's moral to the story: Buy Wrist Guards before Roller Skates! 

UPDATE: 25th October, 2009

I'm a little sad, and it's probably due to the fact that my hand is still problematic! Nine months after the injury, I'm still attending physio at the hospital, and have limited movement of my right wrist and restricted finger movement. I'm stoked I've been able to come up with creative methods to work, and my jewellery collection is coming along in leaps and bounds.

Am hoping to be off-skates volunteer this next bout for SRDL. Fingers (on my left hand) crossed.