[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/09\/elaines-story\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/09\/elaines-story\/","headline":"Elaine\u2019s Story: Navigating a Year of Fractures and Setbacks","name":"Elaine\u2019s Story: Navigating a Year of Fractures and Setbacks","description":"

Elaine Haller had several broken bones from falls within one year. Here's how the fracture care program at UPMC is getting her back to the activities she loves.<\/p>","datePublished":"2024-09-16","dateModified":"2024-09-13","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/orthopaedics-regions","name":"UPMC Orthopaedic Care","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/orthopaedics-regions","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/orthopaedic-surgery\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GettyImages-1165981632.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GettyImages-1165981632.jpg","height":867,"width":1999},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/09\/elaines-story\/","about":["Health Topics A-Z","Orthopaedics"],"wordCount":1014,"articleBody":"Elaine Haller\u2019s \u201cmost horrible year\u201d began on Memorial Day weekend in 2023.\u201cWe took flowers to the cemetery, then stopped to get something to eat on the way home,\u201d the 78-year-old Shippensburg woman remembers.But what started as a lovely family outing became a nightmare when Elaine tripped and fell leaving the restaurant. The fall shattered her right elbow and hip.An Injury Hampers an Active LifestyleAfter the accident, Elaine underwent a partial hip replacement. To fix the elbow, the bones had to be realigned and secured with screws. Her hip healed well in the following months, but the elbow was a different story.\u201cThings were moving along well at first, and I was going to outpatient physical therapy,\u201d she says. \u201cBut suddenly, something was not working right.\u201d\u00a0 Elaine\u2019s progress slowed, and she began feeling new pain in her elbow.By this time, the retired elementary school teacher and librarian felt frustrated and ready to return to her many activities.\u201cI own my own home, love to knit, and have a beautiful garden that I enjoy working in,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m probably self-sufficient to a fault, and I wanted to push ahead.\u201dStill, Elaine knew something wasn\u2019t right. After seeking further medical care, she was referred to Matthew Garner, MD, an orthopaedic trauma surgeon at UPMC Orthopaedic Care.Diagnosing the ProblemDr. Garner leads the fracture care program at UPMC Orthopaedic Care in central Pennsylvania.The program offers services for people of all ages who\u2019ve experienced broken bones. The medical team diagnoses and treats traumatic injuries from simple breaks to complex fractures and related complications.Seeing Dr. Garner put Elaine\u2019s mind at ease and made her hopeful for a good recovery.\u201cHe sat down with my daughter and me, showed us x-rays, and talked about what we were seeing \u2014 the whole 9 yards,” she says. “He explained the different options for treatment and had a wonderful bedside manner.\u201dDr. Garner explained that an infection in Elaine\u2019s elbow was causing her pain and hindering the healing process. It had also caused much of the bone to dissolve. After discussing her life goals and activities, he recommended elbow fusion surgery as the next step .Elbow fusion surgery, which permanently joints the elbow bones, is uncommon. But in Elaine\u2019s situation, it was the best option for her to move forward without the limits imposed by other procedures.\u201cSo, in September 2023, he took out all the old metal and gave me antibiotics to fight the infection,\u201d she says.Complications OccurThe plan was to get rid of the infection and perform the elbow fusion surgery later.\u00a0But the oral antibiotics Elaine was taking made her feel sick to her stomach, and she had trouble keeping them down.\u201cI ended up passing out because I wasn\u2019t eating enough,\u201d she says. \u201cI was getting ready to go to bed, and the next thing I knew, I was on the floor.\u201dAs a result, Elaine ended up back in the hospital with a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) line to deliver antibiotics intravenously. When the infection was under control, Dr. Garner performed the elbow fusion surgery in October 2023.By the time Thanksgiving rolled around, Elaine was back home with a houseful that included her two grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, ages 1 to 7. \u201cEverything was hectic,\u201d she says, \u201cOne thing led to another and I fell again.\u201dThis time, Elaine broke her right ulna, the long forearm bone opposite to the thumb. That injury resulted in Dr. Garner performing yet another surgery to secure the bone with screws.Elaine\u2019s keen sense of humor kept her going through all the injuries. \u201cMy daughter joked about how we then got through Christmas and New Year\u2019s without me breaking anything,\u201d she says. \u201cYou have to laugh about these things.\u201dHealing from Multiple SurgeriesElaine’s healing process continued under Dr. Garner\u2019s care and physical therapy at home. Antibiotics delivered through the PICC line kept infections at bay. In May 2024, she had a procedure to take the screws out of her ulna.\u00a0Now, she has a sling on her right arm to hold it steady.\u201cI\u2019ve learned to eat and do other things with my left hand, and I\u2019ve adapted well,\u201d she notes. \u201cI\u2019m trying not to do anything with my right hand; if I took it out of the sling, I\u2019d be tempted to use it.\u201dEventually, Elaine will safely use her right arm again but won\u2019t have the same range of motion she had before.\u201cBeing fused, it won\u2019t be like a normal arm,” Elaine explains. \u201cThere are some movements I won\u2019t be able to make, but I\u2019ve accepted that this is the way it\u2019s going to be.\u201dElaine has nothing but praise for Dr. Garner: \u201cIt\u2019s like talking to a member of your family; I just love him. He\u2019s very dedicated and willing to ask for input from other orthopaedic surgeons.\u201dThe rest of the team at UPMC Orthopaedic Care has also earned her trust. \u201cThey are always checking on me, making sure everything is OK,” she notes. “I can call them anytime I have a problem, and they always get me into the office quickly if need be.\u201dThe Future Looks BrightThese days, Elaine is looking forward to reclaiming her life \u2014 volunteering at the library, the local historical society, and Meals on Wheels. Getting back in the driver\u2019s seat of her car is another major goal.\u201cI can\u2019t drive right now, and it\u2019s driving me crazy that I have to ask people to take me places,\u201d she remarks.Also high on the priority list is enjoying her brood of great-grandchildren. \u201cI absolutely adore and love spending time with them,\u201d she says. \u201cWe have so much fun together.\u201dElaine\u2019s upbeat attitude \u2014 combined with the skill of her medical team \u2014 has seen her through this challenging year.\u201cThis too shall pass, and it\u2019s going to be OK,\u201d she says. \u201cBeing positive is the only way to be.\u201d"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2024","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"09","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/\/09\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Elaine\u2019s Story: Navigating a Year of Fractures and Setbacks","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/09\/elaines-story\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]