Any advice please

[Mummabear310]

Saturday just gone I had a nasty fall which resulted into me badly breaking my wrist. I’ve had a proper cast on now since Monday from my fingers up to my shoulder. The pain has gone down a fair amount but still sore/achy feels like it’s rubbing but I did have a manipulation I think it’s called where they pulled my bones to line them up. Am I still supposed to be in slight pain , heavy cast feeling? Pressure is realised when I lean on elbow in cast but as soon as it’s just hanging with sling it feels tight.

I've broken my wrist in the past albeit not as spectacularly as you have! The first week or two was definitely uncomfortable and I needed to be careful how I supported the cast to stop it hurting. I hope you feel better soon.

@HowardTJMoon ive never broken anything before so wasn’t sure if it was normal for the pain still and the tightness of the cast. Sounds like it’s normal and should subside by end of next week I hope! Absolute pain in arse right on top of summer !

You'll find that the cast will get looser over time as the swelling goes down. Unfortunately this is one of those things that just takes time to heal. But yes, your timing sucks. Can I recommend March or April?

I’d prefer recommendations on never again LOL ! I guess I just keep forgetting it’s not even been a week yet! Just the tightness and uncomfortable wouldn’t say pain as such! Thanks!

I did exactly the same as you a couple of years ago. I ended up going back to A&E about ten days after to get a new cast because the original one was so tight I couldn’t even flex the palm of my hand. My whole arm felt under pressure. In all honesty the young student nurse that put my first cast on struggled to do it. She told me she never really done it before, the relief when the cast came off!

@Rogerstreasures I can move all my fingers just round the actual wrist feels tight and sore as if it’s rubbing but it’s still early days. If I lean on the elbow part of the cast the pressure reduces standing up and moving around makes it extremely heavy And tight

Bump!
fracture clinic just phoned and told me I need a urgent face to face appointment on Monday. I’m now sweating with panic and anxiety through the roof!! Is this normal procedure??

I broke my wrist a week ago. I’m currently in pot up to my elbow and have fractured radius and ulna. My cast is only half hard, the underside is just cotton wool and soft bandage to allow for swelling. It has got looser over the week but is uncomfortable around the breaks. I also had manipulation. I’m going back on Monday for another x ray to make sure everything is still in place and I’m expecting a new full cast. I can move my fingers easily and grip better than a few days ago but it is still very sore. It’s difficult to find a comfortable position to rest it, your longer cast must be so uncomfortable.
I know my case has been reviewed this week, presumably yours has too, maybe they’re unhappy with the results of the manipulation. Mine wasn’t as good as they hoped apparently and there is a chance of surgery, which I’m hoping won’t happen.

@Just2again oh sounds like we’re in the same position right now as I’ve also broke the same bones. I had the manipulation done Saturday and had half cast, went Monday for full cast now the cast is rubbing so swelling has subsided, I can move my fingers etc no pain. Sometimes I feel an ache in the arm but nothing awful. I’ve only had one lot of pain killers today. frightened if they tell me surgery I have bad anxiety and I know I’m gonna cry about it all weekend! This will be the first time I’ve seen anyone from fracture clinic. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do to cope. How do you feel about it all?

Try not to worry about surgery, if it’s necessary it’s because the bones won’t knit together correctly as they are. My daughter recently broke her collar bone and after two weeks was very relieved to have surgery, her recovery has been very quick.

I’d prefer to avoid it but I want a fully functioning wrist so will do whatever is required. They might just want to repeat the manipulation. I’m fed up with how useless I am, it’s my dominant hand that’s affected and it does hurt still. The cast is uncomfortable and heavy and I desperately want to wash my hand properly but I’ve been through worse.

keep occupied if you can and don’t panic, Monday will come quickly now.

trying to find your reply soothing but I’m so tearful, I’m absolutely petrified of hospitals as it is and all this doesn’t help. My partner is already moaning about his loss of money to support the family. Finding things difficult now mentally 😣 @Just2again I was fine until the hospital called

In my experience hospitals staff who make these calls actually have no medical knowledge, they are admin staff so please don’t panic.

@Mummabear310 on the subject of being called back, I spent a Saturday in A&E not long ago with a very swollen foot. Had x-rays, different people looking, poking and prodding, then I was sent home with antibiotics.

On the Sunday I got a call asking me to go back on Monday. Obviously you start to worry, maybe they've missed something, maybe it's worse than they thought.

I went back on Monday and the doctor had no idea why I was there. He had the x-rays and notes on the screen and was adamant nothing was wrong. Didn't offer any explanation, treat me like I was wasting his time - despite them calling me back in - and told me not to take the antibiotics I had been given!

It's easy to think the worst, but it could just as easily be nothing to worry about.

@Just2again They had already told me what would happen via phone call and appointment next week it’s just when she started saying well it’s urgent the doctor sees you next Monday and first thing in the morning it fried my brain!

@FluDog sometimes I do wonder where they got the medical degree, but they seem to make it everyone’s business and it sets my anxiety off. Worse part of all of it is it’s causing arguments between me and my partner and I’m getting no support just him moaning, like I asked to do all this damage 😞

@Just2again hope your appointment went well today 🤞🏻🤞🏻

Is it today you were back at fracture clinic OP? If so how did you get on?

Yes thanks, I got a new cast because of a pressure sore with the original one. The bones are still in line so no surgery. Another three to four weeks until this comes off with another x ray next week. Hope you had similar good news?

@Shallysally All went well thankfully they don’t know why I got a phone call saying urgent it was just a regular appointment and they apologised 🙄

@Just2again Sounds like we had the same appointment thankfully the bones have stayed in place for me too!! Hopefully it stays this way for us both 🤞🏻 X-ray again for me next week too I got told at least another 4 weeks just hoping the bones start sticking soon x

Ah glad it went ok. All that worry for nothing for you though 🙄

@Shallysally Yep and they already know I have bad health anxiety / anxiety!! Doctor said today it’s on the notes that I suffer so there really was no need for them to cause me the stress they did over the weekend when it was just a check up. No need for the word urgent at all 🤦🏻‍♀️

That’s good to hear, very pleased you got good news too. I think the staff who make these calls are usually not medical and just trying to ensure patients attend. No excuse for scare tactics though

So finally my cast came off today and been given a wrist splint but my goodness the pain is worse than when I actually broke it 😔 how to help this pain subside? How are you @Just2again

That’s not good to hear. Mine should have come off on Monday but because it was the bank holiday they didn’t hold the fracture clinic. It will come off in three days now, counting every minute. Did they give you any advice?

Yeah the advice was move it and don’t lift anything heavy I’m trying but it’s so stiff the pain is awful ! Hope yours goes well. They said I had floating fragments I’m hoping it will subside pretty quick as I’m so fed up now lol