Broken wrist

no1catman

My partner broke her wrist on Monday (27th) went to A & E who were great - X-rays before and after resetting, bandaged and plastered.
Fingers crossed that everything heals okay for four rafter than six weeks, and that we can get back to some sense of 'normality' soon afterwards.


It not easy for her trying to cope with only one hand/arm, while the other is wielding what feels like a 'brick'!


Any body else been in anything similar? How did you cope?

Old_Git

yea I broke mine in 1998 .
i was living on my own and it was difficult .Took me two hours to change a light bulb ,I asked my sister to do it but she said I could manage .

suejb2

My d.d broke her left wrist in 2013 and then her right wrist in 2014 clumsy oaf! It wasn't a case of "coping" more of getting on with it.

pmduk

I shattered mine in 2011, they decided it wasn't going to repair on it's own so operated to put a plate and screws into mine. Ironically I was able to use it within 72 hours of the op rather than wait 4-6 weeks. The most difficult thing after the accident was cooking for myself. I'd never realised just how many normal daily activities require both hands - even opening a jar of coffee! You cope, because you have to!

I'm not a good patient, but I hope she feels better soon

DigForVictory

Hairbands to replace shoelaces - get the slip on effect.
Simple baggy clothing that goes over the cast & skirts or elasticated waistband trous. Surrender your wardrobe if appropriate! You can snaffle it back later...
Absolutely straight face as you assist her into her brassiere. That's a real so-&-so with a cast.
Ask & cooperate with help washing. I was a bit disappointed to be washed like a pot, (given the ooh-er opportunities), but on the whole better clean.
Get professional help hairdressing. Or thanks friends with chocolates. It's *wonderful* what feeling washed & brushed & sorted does for morale.

Pillows galore to rest cast on & protect rest of her, & you, in bed?

Have a hard look at your cooking skills & the budget. Plan takeaways &/or supermarket pizzas as well as milk, cheese, & fresh fruit.

Get her out of the house for a few minutes each day, even in dire weather. A plaster cast can become a jail sentence of a sort - fight off cabin fever!

If you've not got Netflix, now may be the right time for that free trial?
Keep talking, where possible keep laughing.

calleyw

You just get use to it.

My mother broke her wrist about 9 years ago and ended up having it pinned. My dad had to help her with stuff.

My husband is permanently one handed after a stroke.

He just had to learn to adapt and do things in a different way.

Yes its very annoying and frustrating but its only for a few weeks.

Oh and one thing always ask if they want help don't just assume. I got a lot of telling off's for that one from my husband. As i would jump in to help and he wanted to do it himself.

Yours

Calley

torbrex

It was the 'little' things that got to me like taking a shower and keeping the plaster dry, washing the dishes and tying my shoelaces

Callie22

Binbags over the plaster if you want to take a shower or bath - it's not glamorous but it helps. When I broke my arm the main thing I found difficult was washing and brushing my hair. If you've got longish hair then tangle teezers are good as for some reason they're easier to use than brushes. And the bandeau-type headbands are so much easier than trying to manage clips and grips.

Old_Git

Callie22 wrote: »

Binbags over the plaster if you want to take a shower or bath - it's not glamorous but it helps. When I broke my arm the main thing I found difficult was washing and brushing my hair. If you've got longish hair then tangle teezers are good as for some reason they're easier to use than brushes. And the bandeau-type headbands are so much easier than trying to manage clips and grips.

I used cling film over the cast in the shower

pollypenny

I found a bath easier than a shower.

Dressing for work was awkward, tights were impossible, so trousers and socks fir the first time ( it was 1992).

OH was meant to do ironing, but I could hear him banging, rather than smoothing with the thing. In the second week, he was pleading with to just do the shirts.

Marking was hell! I could read the work, then scrawl minimum comment with left hand.

KxMx

Mum broke her left wrist (she is right handed) not so long ago.

After a few weeks she was very self sufficient and there were very few things she couldn't do one handed. Even if she could not do a whole job she could do half-putting away clean dishes or clearing the floor of rugs etc so I could vacuum.

Also she got used to doing things with one hand, just going slower and with much more thought.

The brick will become less strange and as the wrist begins to heal your partner will get more confident using the brick side and be able to do more with it.

I realise the situation is very new and seems overwhelmingly hard but with time there will be improvements.

One thing my Mum did assume was that once the cast was off, things would be normal. It was several weeks afterwards until that happened when she regained full ability to do eveything.