Broken wrist - how much time did you have off work?

[Kayoh]

I broke my wrist 2 weeks ago falling over (great timing). It was dislocated and I thought it would need pinning but fortunately they were able to realign it in the end (3 separate manual manipulations 😭), it's been very painful and swollen. I'll be in a cast for another 4 weeks.

I work in an office job which I enjoy but is high pressure and busy. I'm genuinely not sure how much time I'm likely to need off? A friend didn't have any time off for a broken wrist but I honestly can't see how I can sit in a typing for hours a day - thinking my wrist would be very painful - and I'm wondering about asking for a phased return. Just wondering how others found the later weeks of recovery.

There's a difference between typing a few short messages on a thread and sitting at a desk typing for 8 hours a day.

I had 12 weeks. My wrist was a mess. It has healed to a rather odd shape so I can’t bend it far, although I can push it to bend.
I had a dexterous job with some lifting involved so recovery time needed to be longer. I couldn’t drive for 8 weeks and keyboard use took a while too.

Your health is a major asset so prioritise healing over rushing back to work. Oh, do the physio too.

I would ask them if they could change my duties so I can go into work.

I chose not to have any time off - with a cast on I found I could still manage typing etc and using the other hand (despite the fact that it was my dominant wrist that broke). I was a bit slower than usual but probably 80-90 percent competent.

It doesn't matter what other people did or think. Wrists are complex joints and can break in different ways. Some people might be able to return in a few days, others might genuinely need months.

I had a complex break, with surgery, and then complications that left me in absolute agony for months despite heavy duty painkillers. Some posters on here are so thick they don't understand some situations are different from their own experiences.

I work in HR and would say don't martyr yourself.

Remember it's not your problem if your employers only have you doing your role. They should have plans in place for cover for you.

Do you need to keep your wrist elevated? Will you require physio? What about swelling?
(I haven't ever broken a wrist but have broken my ankle).

I think it really depends on the individual situation. I'm 3 weeks into a tiny hairline fracture on my left wrist from falling over ice skating. Only needed a splint. Its been bloody agony! It took over a week for the swelling to subside, but I couldn't move my fingers or hand at all without immense pain. No way could I have sat at a desk all day typing, I could barely get dressed! By 2 weeks I could start forming a fist, and when I had a check up they were happy with how it was going, but was still told to be cautious using it. I still have awful bruising, still can't use it to push/pull anything eg can't turn a tap on or off, can't cut my food up, only just started to be able to open up the cat food sachets! Cant turn my hand over, and it aches like hell if use it for too long. I'm hoping by about 4 weeks it should be a lot more flexible. I'm taking it slow as don't want to cause any lasting damage.

About an hour while I was at hospital getting it put into plaster. No other time off.

Could you use dictation software to reduce typing? is the pain under control?

I’d wait until the cast is off and you’ve had some physio to strengthen the muscle. If you’re public sector, you should get 6 months full pay to cover you (not saying you need that long).

I was off work with a broken wrist for 6 weeks. I worked in a supermarket, at the time, and I couldn’t wash my hand properly due to the cast being around my thumb - food hygiene.

DSis had 3 months off , she needed surgery to realign the break
However , she lives in rural area ( no buses ) so needs to drive to work
She works as a chef

Who do you work for? They sound like a great employer.