Suspicions Confirmed: My Wrist IS Broken

[montanarose]

Thanks to all of you who nagged me yesterday (in the nicest way possible, of course!) to see a doctor about my badly injured wrist, I am sitting here in proud possession of a lovely blue fibreglas cast from my fingers to just below my elbow.

Yup, it's broken :cry:. To be specific, I have a non-displaced fracture of the distal end of the radius, one of the two bones of the forearm. As someone explained in yesterday's thread, a non-displaced fracture is the "good" kind because it's likely to heal well with casting, as opposed to requiring surgery to insert pins to bring the bones back together. The doc thinks I'll be in my cast for about four weeks with one cast change along the way.

I chose to go to a sports medicine clinic instead of an urgent care facility, because I figured they'd have a positive bias toward my keeping active rather than saying "Well, maybe you should think about giving up skating at your age" (I just turned 58). And sure enough, the doc said that of course I could skate -- even with my cast -- but to be careful not to fall the same way again (i.e., with an arm outstretched to break a fall). The risk of doing so is that, with my wrist not available to absorb the impact, it would be transmitted upward to my elbow or shoulder.

So now I'm contemplating the bigger issues (what will it feel like to skate again? will I get my confidence back? could this injury mean that I'm developing osteoporosis?) as well as the smaller ones (how the he** will I wash my hair? or clean my house? or fasten my bra? :frus: how much weight will I gain because of not being able to skate or do Pilates? hello, treadmill!).

Well, this should be an interesting few weeks with some laughs along the way.

Thanks again to everyone of you who generously shared your experiences and advice yesterday. Had it not been for y'all I would have probably procrastinated for a few days -- until after the holiday weekend, most likely -- and been that much further behind in the healing process.

Ellen (just call me "Righty")

[Mrs Redboots]

Well, I'm sorry to hear you really have broken it, Ellen, but at least you are having the best possible care. Skate when you feel ready - if you don't feel able while you're in the cast, that's fine; if you want to go back tomorrow or later today, that's fine, too! It's your body, and only you can know what it can or can't do!

[sk8er1964]

I'm sorry to hear this, Ellen. I have a friend who skated with a broken wrist - even competed at Adult Nationals with it! I'm not completely sure of her age, but she was a III so it has to be between 45 & 55.

[skateflo]

Well Ellen, join we middle age risque (sp?) women who for awhile have to go braless, use your other hand to brush hair, use old fashioned hair bands (you need 2 hands to wind a ponytail), slip on shoes (can't tie shoes or skates), put all your toilet paper rolls on the side of your good arm (and pulling panties up and down will be a struggle at first but you'll get the hang of it,) get an electric toothbrush (you'll need someone else to put in the batteries) and you might need help putting on deordorant, treat yourself to a beauty parlor for a good wash and set. Pretend you and your hubbie are back in your courting days and let him dress/undress you......I hope you don't have a stick shift car! I managed to use my left arm to move the right lever from park-neutral-drive but ever so carefully. Don't want the cops pulling you over and seeing you 'incapacitated!' Get one of those round rubber grippers to open bottles, put it on the counter, turn the bottle upside down and then unscrew it slowly (don't want pills, etc. spilling all over the place and you slip on them!)

As for skating, many do so with such a light-weight cast and you may find after a couple of weeks that the tips of your fingers can manage all sorts of things, including tying your skates. Don't worry about losing your confidence. The 4 weeks will fly by before you know it. You WILL be just fine!!!!!

[Isk8NYC]

I'm so sorry it's not just sprained. I hope it heals fast. Hugs and good vibes!

[TashaKat]

Hi Ellen

I'm sorry to hear your news :(

Although it's not easy you'll find a way of doing most things. I live alone so I HAD to, didn't have a choice :) The bra thing is a bit tricky but I didn't have to go braless ... fasten it at the front, hold the hook bit with your good hand, pin the other bit with your cast hand and pull the hook bit over. Then, of course, you need to yank it around! Of course you COULD wear a crop top!

It's illegal to drive in the UK with your cast on and your insurance will be void (so they told me). I was in a quandry, though, my car was at the train station car park and I didn't want to leave it there because it probably wouldn't have been there 5 weeks later when I could drive again! I was VERY naughty and drove on the same day that I broke my wrist, I shouldn't have because it's manual (gear stick) and had to change gear with my right hand (remember that the driver sits on the right in the UK!) which wasn't exactly easy or safe 8O

As my wrist healed I found it much easier to do things and was naughty again and drove in the week before the cast came off.

Because I carried on doing things with my 'bad' hand I didn't have too much muscle loss though it surprised me how weak it was once the cast came off. You WILL be told not to stick knitting needles etc down the cast to have a good scratch but you'll also probably not listen! As my arm withered away ;) I found that if you move the cast up and down it loosens off the dead skin so you can then tip the cast upside down and get rid of them to limit the itching. It's pretty gross though so DON'T do it in front of other people (like I did).

When I did get the cast off I couldn't understand why my wrist wouldn't move and sat in the waiting room (waiting to see the doctor) pulling and pushing my wrist up and down to see how far it would go. One of the nurses came over and said "excuse me, don't be so impatient, you've only just had the cast off, it's to be expected that the movement will be limited". Whoops! I've gained back most of the flexibility in it but still can't touch the back of my arm with my thumb which I used to be able to do, it's still about an inch off :cry: If anything I have more trouble with my right hand though I did end up doing the departmental database for 6 weeks, I couldn't see patients because I wasn't able to do life support! I did, however, do the yearly resuscitation training which was, erm, funny :)

The worst problem I had was when I tripped over the coffee table (no I don't drink). I couldn't use my hand to break my fall so landed flat on my face and then discovered that I couldn't get myself up again because I couldn't use the cast hand (not because it hurt but because of the way it was set). I was pretty hacked off at that point as I was wedged between the sofa and couldn't get up, I felt very sorry for myself and did the whole drama queen thing of 'I could die here and nobody would know'. Of course I managed to shuffle myself into a position where I could get up but it took a while.

Another thing to be aware of is that just because you have a cast on doesn't mean that people are necessarily going to be more careful about knocking you, in fact I found quite the contrary. Waiting for a bus one evening an elderly man (I can't say gentleman) not only pushed in front of me but elbowed me in the arm to get me out of his way :evil: If I'd have been more hot tempered I would probably have smacked him with it :D

The funniest moment (well there are two) was when I was in a shop wrestling with my shopping and trying to not only open my purse but get the money out. This hand appeared from behind me and grabbed my purse!!!! Poor guy nearly DID get a cast round the face but as I quickly realised he was only trying to help me :oops:

Then one of our consultants (a friend of mine) who is very shy was obviously looking for a way to start a conversation at work and said "so, have you had the cast off yet?" .... erm, no, Tom, I told him waving this big purple thing in his face .... bless :)

Sorry ... waffled on again.

I hope that you're feeling ok.

[sue123]

Well, since it does go to below the elbow, I'm assuming you can still bend your elbow. So that'll help a lot. It really won't be all that bad. When I broke my wrist, I did the old 3 garbage bags tied around my arm, and then stick my arm out the shower. And it still got wet. I didn't have a fiberglass cast either, it was plaster for me. After a week or so of all the sweat getting caught in there, it'll probably start to stink. A lot. I used to get so naseous (sp?) from the smell, I was constantly spraying my cast with a scented body spray because I didn't know what else to do.

As far as putting your bra on, well, I really don't know, because I broke my wrist when I was 12, so I was still pretty flat chested. Maybe a sports bra that you can pull over your head? But I wish you the best of luck and a speedy recovery. And go skating if you want, just don't do anything you don't feel confident doing. As in, I wouldn't try any new tricks or tricks that come and go, I wouldn't want to risk falling. But my grandma went parasailing with a broken arm. She was in a cast that went past her elbow, but she hated being in it, so she slipped it off and went parasailing. I don't remember exactly how old she was at the time, but definitly in her 60's. We all actually got a kick out of it.

[NickiT]

I'm really sorry to hear this Ellen. I'm so glad you took our advice and got your wrist checked out. At least now you are getting the correct treatment for it and will be able to get back on the ice all the sooner for it.

Nicki

[singerskates]

Thanks to all of you who nagged me yesterday (in the nicest way possible, of course!) to see a doctor about my badly injured wrist, I am sitting here in proud possession of a lovely blue fibreglas cast from my fingers to just below my elbow.

Yup, it's broken :cry:. To be specific, I have a non-displaced fracture of the distal end of the radius, one of the two bones of the forearm. As someone explained in yesterday's thread, a non-displaced fracture is the "good" kind because it's likely to heal well with casting, as opposed to requiring surgery to insert pins to bring the bones back together. The doc thinks I'll be in my cast for about four weeks with one cast change along the way.

I chose to go to a sports medicine clinic instead of an urgent care facility, because I figured they'd have a positive bias toward my keeping active rather than saying "Well, maybe you should think about giving up skating at your age" (I just turned 58). And sure enough, the doc said that of course I could skate -- even with my cast -- but to be careful not to fall the same way again (i.e., with an arm outstretched to break a fall). The risk of doing so is that, with my wrist not available to absorb the impact, it would be transmitted upward to my elbow or shoulder.

So now I'm contemplating the bigger issues (what will it feel like to skate again? will I get my confidence back? could this injury mean that I'm developing osteoporosis?) as well as the smaller ones (how the he** will I wash my hair? or clean my house? or fasten my bra? :frus: how much weight will I gain because of not being able to skate or do Pilates? hello, treadmill!).

Well, this should be an interesting few weeks with some laughs along the way.

Thanks again to everyone of you who generously shared your experiences and advice yesterday. Had it not been for y'all I would have probably procrastinated for a few days -- until after the holiday weekend, most likely -- and been that much further behind in the healing process.

Ellen (just call me "Righty")

Take at least a week off of the ice to rest up from skating but do take walks to keep the blood flowing.

singerskates

[skaternum]

Sorry to hear this, but at least you didn't let it go and heal wrong (or not at all).

I second the idea of a pull-on sports bra. Just wear one that's about a size too big -- the compression thing looks funny under street clothes, so a slightly bigger size will still give you ... uh ... definition. ;)

[dbny]

(((((Ellen)))))

I'm 58 too, and broke my right wrist (Colles fracture with cast past
elbow) a few years ago. I was in the middle of losing what turned out
to be 45 pounds and was also concerned about that. I have a Nordic
Track, and used it at three or four times a week and did continue to
lose weight during that time. Use the treadmill like your life depends
on it and you won't gain weight. I also wanted to be sure I didn't
lose strength in my legs, and the treadmill will take care of that for
you too.

Now to the other practical matters:





fasten your bra in front and pull it around and up
you have a fiberglass cast, so getting it wet isn't such a problem, but if you wash your hair in a sink, use a plastic cup to pour rinse water
a bone density test is a good idea at our age anyway, but isn't reliable for very small bones like the wrists; however the readings for your hips and spine will give a good enough idea of your risk. It wasn't a factor in my fracture,
but I took fosamax for a year anyway, since they didn't know about
wrists not reading well at the time.
finally, so your house won't be spotless for a while ;)


I didn't skate at all with the cast or even for two weeks after per my
doctor's advice. He wasn't a sports med guy, but had been an athlete
and treats lots of athletes. Truthfully, the pain plus the shock of
being so incapacitated (it's much worse when you can't bend your elbow
or get your cast wet), took all the desire to skate out of me. I don't
know if I would have gone back at all if it hadn't been for my relatively new custom Klingbeils and my coach's encouragement.

Keep us posted on your progress.


It's illegal to drive in the UK with your cast on and your insurance will be void (so they told me).

Now that would have cooked my goose. Driving single handed was no problem, but parking a minivan with one hand took some patience. I was pretty miffed that the state of New York would not give me a temp disabled parking permit because the cast wasn't on my leg.

[jazzpants]

I'm so sorry, Ellen!!! :cry: But at least you got your confirmation and you know that you got "the better" of the two wrist fractures.

I haven't been in your scenario, but if it were me, I would take the time off, just b/c it's too scary to risk causing other injuries. Then again, if it were to happen to me right before a competition, I'd probably try and compete with it anyway, just b/c I have AOSS and therefore deemed "justifiably insane." :lol: :P

[Casey]

I chose to go to a sports medicine clinic instead of an urgent care facility,

How did you find it, and how much did it cost?

[montanarose]

How did you find it, and how much did it cost?

Interestingly enough, they have a huge banner at one of the rinks where I skate occasionally (because it's mostly "all hockey, all the time") and I must have filed the name away in my subconscious, just in case I ever needed it.

As it happens, the clinic (the Boulder Center For Sports Medicine) is affiliated with our local hospital. They treat a lot of world-class athletes there -- primarily runners, cyclists, triathletes, skiers and snowboarders. In fact, the doc who treated me is himself a cyclist, mountain biker and cross-country skier (and he looks to be even older than me :lol: ) and he was the chief medical officer of USA Cycling for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

As to cost, I paid a $25 "triage" fee to be seen by a PT/athletic trainer who examined me and recommended x-rays. The x-rays, physician's fee and cost of the cast were billed directly to my insurance carrier (thank God for my husband's job!) so I don't know what they were.

Ellen

[dbny]

One more thing. When the cast comes off you will be offered physical therapy to regain full motion. My orthopod showed me the exercises, and I did them and also used my hand and arm whenever possible, such as when opening doors, carrying things, and never did have to spend time with a PT. In spite of a permanent deformity (not very noticeable) because I didn't have surgery (long story), I do have the complete range of motion in the affected wrist.

[Andie]

I'm very sorry it's broken. :cry: But at least it's the "better" type of break. Best of luck on recovering... it'll probably happen sooner than it seems.

When I was 7yrs old (Labor Day weekend 1992, actually) I fell off my bike into a chainlink fence in a ditch and broke my right thumb, in the joint where it connects to my hand. Despite how badly it hurt, the doc said it was good I HADN'T broken the growth plate, because if so the finger would have quit growing 8O First I had a splint, then they gave me a full pink cast up to my elbow.
I was just about to start 2nd grade and I write/use scissors with my right hand but couldn't move my thumb- that was somewhat difficult.

So I can empathize with your situation.... and it's one reason I try to be careful when skating: I don't want more injured bones.

[Mrs Redboots]

All these instructions to "Fasten your bra in front and turn it round"... how else does anybody put on a bra, I didn't know there was another way???

Other Woman broke her wrist at a skating camp and insisted on a removable cast so that she could carry on doing absolutely everything, including finishing the camp! The only thing she found tricky was dancing with a husband (either mine or hers!), who swiftly learnt to be very, very careful!

I believe the downside was that she had a great deal more pain than she would have had with a fixed cast, the upside was that she had no atrophy and her wrist was quickly back to normal once it healed.

I've never been so unfortunate as to break a bone (yet), but I did burn my arm very badly indeed eighteen months ago, and had to keep the dressing dry - if you put a bin-bag over your arm and tape it up with masking tape, this does work. Because it was only my arm that was affected, not my hand, I could still wash my hair, etc.

Wear a sling whenever you are out - it not only stops it aching quite so badly, but people are less likely to bump into it! If you don't own one, a pretty scarf makes an excellent substitute.

And they say that the herb comfrey helps bones to knit, or you could try homeopathic arnica tablets.

[MannyisHOT]

ok... there is this guy at my school... he has brken his arm/elbow so many times that he has to have this metal thing on his arm and it pokes at his arm and he is always bleeding... i feel soo bad for him... :cry:

[TashaKat]

Oh yes! Forgot to mention the sling 8O

I wasn't given one at first but one of the nurses at work kindly 'loaned' me one and it made the world of difference in the first couple of weeks. Without it my arm was really achey and sore, with it on I didn't get any pain whatsoever.

Hope you're feeling ok.


Lx

[dbny]

All these instructions to "Fasten your bra in front and turn it round"... how else does anybody put on a bra, I didn't know there was another way???


Many years ago when I went on a month long cross country trip with my dearest friend, she had that same reaction to how I put on my bra (fastening it in the back), and I had never imagined fastening it in the front :lol: . I thought of her right away when I broke my arm, and was glad I knew there it could be done in front.


I've never been so unfortunate as to break a bone (yet),

That's because folks like me have more than our fair share! This was the third time for my right arm. The first was when I was 5 and fell out of a tree after being stung by wasps, and the second was in a freak accident at the roller rink when I was 15. On both of those occasions, when my arm came out of the cast, it was as good as new, no stiffness at all, and no PT needed. Ah, youth!

[garyc254]

I had a similar break from falling on the ice when I was 49. It was a Monday night. I went to the ortho on Tuesday and was back on the ice on Wednesday with my cast.

I forced myself to do the same turn I was doing when I fell, only with a lot more concentration on not stepping on my own blade. :oops:

I found it difficult to skate with my broken arm extended, so I skated with my arms down.

Good - it taught me to really turn my torso and shoulders rather than relying on my arms to lead the way.

Bad - I'm more comfortable skating with my arms down now.

[flippet]

Many years ago when I went on a month long cross country trip with my dearest friend, she had that same reaction to how I put on my bra (fastening it in the back), and I had never imagined fastening it in the front :lol: . I thought of her right away when I broke my arm, and was glad I knew there it could be done in front.


I had to :) at this too. My mom's always done the 'fasten in front and shift it round' thing. I've always thought it looked pretty silly (and uncomfortable! All the chafing!), but then, I have very flexible arms and shoulders, and not much of a chest, so it was never a problem to just fasten in back. And the only time I've had a fractured wrist was before I was wearing a bra, so it was never an issue! :lol: (That itching/dead skin thing though....gosh, I remember that! Torture. That, and the smell. :?? )

[Vicki]

You may want to check into this waterproof cast cover to use when bathing or showering. I used one of these after I had foot surgery a couple of years ago. It was completely water tight and well worth whatever I paid for it.
www.xerosox.com (http://www.xerosox.com/intro.htm)

[Patsy]

I'll quickly emerge from lurk-mode here to comment on something I *do* know about--and that's keeping an appendage dry while showering the rest of yourself. (total right knee replacement 11/10/04).

Get ahold of a box of Glad Press 'n Seal Wrap. Wrap once around the cast, press, and seal top with a length of masking tape. Do this a second time, extending slightly above the first wrapping. Press the second application, and seal top with masking tape. You're good to go--shower away. I'm assuming, of course, that you'll keep your arm down so water doesn't get in the fingers. If that's not practical, I'd suggest running the wrap all the way over the fingers and sealing them in that way.

Wonderful stuff! I got the idea from a joint replacement listserv just before I got my new knee.

We can discuss the fastening-bra-in-front or back syndrome in The Parlor.

I'm back to lurk mode now.

[NCSkater02]

how much weight will I gain because of not being able to skate or do Pilates? hello, treadmill!).



At least you can use a treadmill. I just got back on the ice after a broken ankle. Fourteen weeks off ice (and essentially off my feet) I've gained a little more than 5, but less than 10 pounds. I guess the higher metabolism from skating saved me the first couple of months, then it started creeping on. I'm hoping to slow--or better yet stop it--now that I'm back on ice. I've still got to build up to more than an hour at a time, and more than twice a week.

Good luck healing.