This is the last section of a 3-part interview with injured Belgian skater Lieve Lissens.
In this part of the interview, Lieve talks about complications
that developed after her broken
arm surgery and why she is still not able to skate
four months after her injury.
(For a description of Lieve's skating fall and photos of
her X-Rays and and the pins in her broken arm, see
Part 1
and
Part 2
of this interview).
Interview Part 3
Kathie Fry:
After your May 2003 skating fall at the track in Tienen, Belgium
you had four pins in your arm for six weeks.
How soon after the pins were removed were you able to start skating again?
Lieve Lissens:
Four months after my injury I am still not able to skate. Two weeks after
I had the pins removed, the doctors
discovered a serious problem with my arm.
Kathie:
Oh no, that is terrible. What happened to your arm?
Lieve:
I need to look up the English name for the disease.
OK, I found it. The name of my problem is
"reflex sympathetic dystrophy", and it is commonly called "RSD".
Kathie:
Now *I* need to go it look it up.
OK, I looked on the Internet, and I found a whole association devoted to that problem:
Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association of America.
I don't see a simple description on that Web
site, except it says the problem is a
"painful neurological condition".
Lieve:
The
RSD FAQ
includes a good description of the problem.
As you can see from that FAQ,
I was very lucky the problem was discovered in its
earliest stages.
Kathie:
How was the condition discovered?
Could it have been the cause of the pain
you were feeling before they removed the pins?
Lieve:
I don't know if it was causing any of the pain, but
the doctors discovered the problem because my hand was very
warm and it had a deep red color.
Kathie:
How did they treat the condition?
Lieve:
Every day they injected me with Miacalcic
(A NOTE FROM THE EDITORS: Miacalcic is a brand name for Calcitonin, a hormone that regulates
the movement of calcium between the blood and bones).
Kathie:
How long does it usually take to cure
Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome?
Lieve:
In the best case it can be cured in a month,
but it will often take a few months, and sometimes
it can take years.
Kathie:
You had the pins removed six weeks after your accident.
What is your condition today, two months after the pins
were removed from your arm?
Lieve:
My sympathetic nervous system is starting to recover
but I am still getting daily injections of Miacalcic.
I'm also still going to a physiotherapist,
and I still do not have a lot of movement in my hand.
Kathie:
Lieve, this is a terrible story. I had no idea
you were still not skating, and that your condition was so serious.
Do the doctors know what caused this nerve condition?
I suppose it must have been related to your injury, but how?
Lieve:
The specific cause is not really known,
but after a broken wrist a person has
a greater chance of getting the disease.
Kathie:
Thank you again Lieve,
for sharing your story. I know other
skaters will be interested to learn about a
complication that can occur after a broken bone,
and especially a broken wrist, since that is
the most common inline skating injury.
Lieve:
Yes sure. It is quite a story I know.
Kathie:
How limited is your use of your hand now,
and can you do any kind of physical training?
Lieve:
I do not have full movement back in my hand, but
I can use my hand for most things now,
as long as there is no heavy weight involved. Heavy
weight and pressure still hurt my hand.
Kathie:
So are you back to 2-handed typing again?
Lieve:
Yes, I am typing with two hands again. I have
even started to do a bit of cycling. But I
have to be very careful. I can't cycle too long
and I cannot do it on a rough surface.
Kathie:
If you can cycle, why can you not skate?
Lieve:
I can skate technically, but the bones in my arm are still not strong
enough yet to give a good brace.
If I fell again now, it would be worse for me
than my first fall. My wrist and arm are not yet healed.
They are both still painful, and my wrist
can only move about 30 degrees. Normally
my wrist rotation would be at least 90 degrees.
But I think I can start skating again, if I
can find a good brace for my arm, to protect
it from further damage during skating and other exercise.
I have heard of some plastic devices that are
available, and as soon as I can find something suitable,
and get the approval of my doctor, I will be skating
again. I hope that day will come soon.
(end of interview)
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More of This Interview
Related Links
Lieve Lissens Bio and Photo
More About Skating in Belgium
More About Skating Injuries
Introduction to Skating Disciplines
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