Fra ctured wrist

My little grandson feels your pain :-) . He broke his the day before his birthday in December . His shiny new bike is still unridden and he cannot play sports, go in the playground or ride his bike until March as he fractured his growth plate.

I asked him for tips - he said- and I quote :-

1. Mummy will wash you ( but its ok to be grubby lol!!)
2. Ask your best friend to come over to play
3. Its ok to wear your pants for 2 days if getting them off is tricky but don't tell Mummy.
4. If you say it hurts people give you ice lollies and such.

Seriously , I feel for you , nothing worse than being incapacitated when you are raring to go. Exercise wise , maybe walking is the best you can do for now? Decluttering can wait ( no matter how much it will bug you ) .

I think covering it up with a plastic bag and showering is the easiest solution for personal care and likewise choosing easy clothes just for now. It will improve of course but you just have to get through to that place.

Hope I at least gave you a smile x

I broke mine a few years ago right before Xmas too! Had it operated on as broke both bones. I recommend physio - hospital has it available, will ensure all continues moving. My hand basically seized up so I could hardly move my fingers but physio was good.

thanks both! did make me smile ;-) bit doubtful whether hospital will offer vphysio as waiting lists are so long but i might treat meself to a couple of sessions of private physio if its not offered on nhs. at the moment a look and feel a wreck and am very tired and lacking in energy but youre right, walking is good and i need to build up stamina. persuaded my OH to take me to knole for a short walk today. thank you so much, both, for your replies! x

And poor little grandson! long time to wait for riding his new bike. loved his tips, but my mummy is long since gone so itll be OHs job now!

I did this just over a year ago during an abrupt and unscheduled dismount from my mountain bike. As well as the wrist #'s I had metacarpal #'s, a minor head injury and damaged teeth.

So my advice is this. Firstly get rid of the mats in your home. They are a leading cause of falls. Secondly decide if you want to be a victim or go head on to make the best of your lot (I feel I can say this as you have made a start by using your keyboard!) Thirdly assess everything you do and work out an alternative way of doing it. Cooking for e.g. get all ingredients out first and if you need water filled pans get someone to fill them and put them on the hob for you. Get the kettle filled too.

You will have been advised to elevate the hand and also to start moving your fingers (it hurts to start with) but these both help reduce the swelling and ultimately reduce pain. You just have to grit your teeth a bit to start with. As regards exercise, this is no problem. Negotiate a 2 month temporary membership of a gym and use the treadmill, stationary bikes and any resistance machines for the lower limbs.

I found washing and dressing the most tiresome. Bra you can do without or buy a step in one, ditch tights (I never wear them anyway) use jogging bottoms with elasticated waist and no pants (use pantie liners if you feel more comfortable with that) As its winter you may need help putting on/off socks, but really you will soon get into the swing of things and its only a few weeks anyway.

If you use public transport make sure you let the driver know you have a recent fracture and not to start until you are well seated.

If you need any further help pm me. I have become rather adept at this sort of thing over the years (I had lower leg pots on both legs at the same time some years ago, and several minor #'s since. Admittedly as a nurse i learned a tremendous amount from patients as to how they coped.

As for decluttering use your keypad to make lists, save bags and boxes for putting recycled stuff in and so on.

Good luck and go girl!!

Been there, done that, though not so badly, rowantree, and mine was misjudging where the ground was below me on a hill (a step into the void!), so I sympathise over all the problems and annoyances a broken arm entails. Good healing vibes coming your way ?

Sorry you are in pain and hope life improves very quickly. I think we all need to look around our homes and think what someone else trip over (obviously no one thinks they will do it!).

I sympathise. I broke my wrist 2 years ago, on the 2nd day of a holiday in Croatia. It had to be manipulated. (the hospital treatment was marvellous - seen, x-rayed, plastered and out in 3 hours) when I slipped on some wet steps, put my hand out (as you do). The plaster I had was different to the sort here - it was waterproof, lightweight, but still a proper plaster. The QMC - a very large hospital in Nottingham- hadn't seen one like it so they kept it when they cut it off. I had the plaster on for 4 1/2 weeks.

I found that getting my bra on and off was the trickiest thing, so I used to fasten the hooks, then step into it, pulling it up over my hips etc.

As for exercise, you could still walk. Housework? Use the vacuum one-handed.....or not bother too much. Wear trousers, jumpers, stretchy clothes.

I didn't have physio, but I have to say that my wrist was weak and painful for about a year afterwards .

Good luck.

I broke my left wrist slipping on ice and landing on my hand, under my bottom. My tailbone hurt more than the wrist fracture.? I had a back slab to begin with, then a huge pop. Unfortunately I had broken one of the bones into several small pieces and had to have an operation to insert external fixators. I was in plaster for a total of 7 1/2 weeks. I was working at the time so had to take sick leave for the entire time.
Physio told me to place my hands on a flat wall with elbows bent, and push myself away from the wall until arms straight. I did this, but found getting back to work the bes t thing to do.
Good luck, I hope you don't need an op.

Rowan I told Jackson about your Mummy he has offered to lend you his :-)

How I feel your pain I broke my shoulder and upper arm 3.5 yrs ago now and it has been a very long road to some kind of recovery.
I know how hard personal care is for you trying to shower etc with the use of just one arm and trying to wash your hair is an impossibility to say the least.
My break could not be operated on as the bones fragmented badly so even now I can feel some of the fragments move in the upper arm,I have lost most of the strength in my right arm and my surgeon has said even replacement shoulder joint may not help with any repair.
Just leave your de clutter for a later date managing your injury is far more important.Take care

Been there. Done that.
Best advice apart from don't do it again:.Get one of the waterproof arm covers from LIMBO. Next day delivery. Other makes available. Then you can soak in a bath.
Comfrey oil poured down the cast really speeds healing. Its common name is knit bone.
I begged to have my plaster off early. I wasn't allowed but they re- bandaged it with a clean sweet smelling cast .
On the bright side:
You can't chauffeur so can have a drink.
You can still enjoy things which don't involve using your hands watching films. reading, talking etc
A long shoehorn was useful.
As soon as my cast came off. I slipped on ice and did it again.

Broke both arms in the summer of 2016. Nightmare.

You can get a waterproof cover for your arm so that you can shower. I had one when I broke my foot and was in plaster for months - we called it the giant condom!

When I broke my ankle I purchased a waterproof cast cover from the local mobility shop and I cannot tell you how wonderful it was to be able to shower again. Good luck with the wrist, think Easter - you’ll be fine by then - fingers crossed!

Nanaandgrampy Jackson is a star

i feel your pain! i crashed my car two days after christmas (skidded on mud and went into a tree).
turned out that i cracked my breastbone. never known such pain!!
i was only able to lie down yesterday and had to because sleeping sitting on the settee had caused fluid retention and my feet were just two white bags.
the christmas decorations were due to be taken down yesterday but will stay up until i can sort them. no volunteers here - daughter too tired to clamber around, grandaughter 1 was injured in the crash and grandaughter 2 calls it work and won't do it (she's on the autistic spectrum).
just hang on in there - decluttering will go better if you plan it. and i can always say i'm being early with next christmas's decorations!!

Friend slipped on decking and broke both wrists. Nightmare for her initially but did find ways to manage. Zips were a big problem, no leverage to pull. Bent a knitting needle to hook through top of zipper and seemed to manage to a degree. Definitely poly bags on wrists for shower but did need DH to tie them on and take off. She was miserable for two weeks. Exercised her fingers as much as she could from start. Having a cuppa was difficult even with a sports type mug and hated too much milk to cool to use a straw. Just don't realise how much we depend on our limbs. The decking was removed pronto!

I have sympathy as I had an operation to move the Ulna nerve in my right elbow several years ago. DH did his best but I went back to work on light duties as I was bored at home & found it hard to cope, even making a cup of coffee was difficult. I dread anything happening now as I live alone (widow), I don't think I could manage

Loved reading all replies so thank you! I've been told not to wiggle my fingers for some reason. Hoping will improve when I get proper cast on Tuesday. It's so uncomfortable in backslab. Breaking two wrists or arms must be truly awful. I'll get there and gransnet is a help! Tyipn on phone easier than my old desktop too.

I feel your pain! I’ve not broken a bone, but had my appendix out this week. I had no idea how little I could do. I was due to start an extensive programme from Monday towards my black belt in kickboxing. I can barely shuffle to the loo and will be unable to exercise for weeks. I hope you mend quickly.

Best of luck Rowantree, - me too, fell and broke my wrist on Dec 23rd just 3h before due to go away for Christmas! Great treatment as always from NHS, put in 3/4 slab which will stay on til Jan 31st and able to leave 2h late (great as it turned out as hotel so everything done for me!!). Unfortunately my leading hand.

After some experimentation can now (slowly!) get dressed; can use nail scissors so hands OK but can't cut toe nails, so think I will have to contact podiatrist..

Still in pain especially after dressing but nothing stronger than paracetamol and occasional ibuprofen in between if necessary.

Very very best of luck for a good recovery

Flexes and extension cords are another major hazard, so if you have any of them in the house, ask DH to do something about it and to check that you have no carpets that have edges turning up!.

If you don't feel naked or worse indecent without underpants, discard them and wear underskirts and skirts indoors. Makes going for a wee much, much easier.

Perhaps you should consider an easy-to-care for hairstyle until both hands are back in commission. Taking a shower should be possible with the broken wrist covered with a plastic bag. You need someone who is prepared to help you cut your finger nails!

I hope your wrist improves fast.

Speaking as a paid-up member of the OUCH! club, I managed to fracture my wrist the day before I was due for ankle replacement surgery, so I now have to wait for at least six weeks for the wrist to heal sufficiently to cope with crutches. Feeling seriously suicidal at present.