Damaged wrist

[Flute56]

Two days ago I bashed my left hand on a swing door when I was opening it and it didn't hurt but a few hours later it was very painful and I couldn't lift anything with that hand so I saw the rest was broken so I went to get an X-ray and the x-ray said nothing broken but just badly sprained. My wrist and hand was putting a splint and I was told to just go home and see my GP if I needed further advice. 1 end of the wrist is extremely painful so I was convinced that there was a hairline fracture but the doctor said nothing showed up on the x-ray but it is still extremely painful when any pressure is put to it so I'm going to my GP to ask for a further examination and I would like to know what the x-ray said if there's any tendon damage or anything like that and the reason why it is more painful at one end of the wrist and the other and also this Hospital doctor said to me it will be better within seven to ten days and I don't think she should say that because how does she know people get better at their own rates. I spoke to a friend of mine he used to working a hospital and she said are you sure that doctor was an orthopaedic doctor because sometimes when their short of staff they get another Doctor Who isn't and orthopaedic doctor just to cover I said I want someone to explain what they saw on the x-ray not just fog me off with oh it's not a fracture because I don't know if I've got tendon damage or what she didn't say and I'm on very strong the painkillers which masks the pain which means I can use the hand but because I'm using the hand with the stronger painkillers once they wear off my wrist will be twice as painful because I've been using it and putting stress to whatever is wrong with it so I'm going to get a second opinion because this doctor at the hospital said to me what job do you do and I said I work with computers can I type oh yes she said you can type what I can't type no way it's going to put stress on the finger stress on the the wrists and everything that don't think she should have said that

You might have damaged a ligament. Ligament damage doesn't show up on an xray. I had to have an MRI for them to finally realise I wasn't needlessly moaning about my wrist hurting. I was being treated for a fractured shoulder and they completely missed 3 'fractured' ligaments in my wrist.

You should prepare yourself for not having a very fruitful appointment. You need to self certify for 1week off work before they can issue you a med3/sick note. They can't issue them for the future so you'll need to contact them again after the first week if you still need more time.

Also whilst they don't tend to refuse medical notes I do wonder whether they'd say wrist sprain would be a valid reason to be off, obviously typing speed reduced single handed but i do think most employers will take a dim view in regards to multiple weeks off for what you've described. The GP can only really advise that you should return when you feel able to.

Secondly it's quite possible the GP won't be able to see the x-ray, often different systems are used and not accessible. They'd just see your discharge letter which can be quite minimal/might just say you've been discharged with wrist pain.

Essentially they're just going to check your neurovascular status, which will very likely be fine, squeeze your wrist to see where it hurts, which you already know, then try to reassure you you've had an x-ray and thats the standard test.

Even if they can see the x-ray it could have been years since they last interpreted an x-ray/might never have really done it depending on where they've worked. Anyone currently working in a&e is likely going to be more current. It's not normal to have all x-rays interpreted by an orthopedic doctor - anyone who's done the appropriate training course- that can include nurses, paramedics and of course any Dr. There's typically a secondary check or report by the radiographer so if something's missed they'd call you back.

Will my employers said to me don't come to work until you feel better and ask for the GP I'm happy to go along with whatever she says

Also as others have pointed out the suspect diagnosis of wrist sprain means it's quite likely you've got some degree of ligament damage. This doesn't show on x-ray but is graded on range of movement or loss of. If they've told you improving over 7-10 days suspect they think you've just got a mild bruising injury.

Sprains typically improve to normal over several months. If you didn't get one there's a good info pack at the following address (wrist sprain leaflet from fracture clinic).

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=www.ruh.nhs.uk/patients/patient_information/ORT_057_Advice_after_a_wrist_sprain.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwitopOes_2JAxWx7AIHHVLeN-kQFnoECDsQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3TsA6ASm6WePM-ClXLgLi1

I had a shoulder X-ray. Was told nothing was wrong with it. A couple of weeks later asked for the X-rays to be reviewed and was told minor fracture and I would be seen in a virtual fracture clinic. Long story short, I was rushed in for emergency surgery as my shoulder was broken in several places and my rotator cuff was broken and had been for six weeks by the time I got the X-rays properly looked at.

I had a broken wrist a few years ago, and weeks later my hand was still in agony, more than my wrist.
When I went back to hospital to have the cast removed they gave me another xray and said they had missed originally that my hand was also fractured. What they called a 'boxers fracture' I can't remember the proper name. I wish I had asked for another opinion earlier as by the time it was discovered the bone had already fused, so if you are still in pain don't worry about making a fuss ask for another xray.

Absolutely not something I could judge for your situation, but do you not think she was thinking a day or 2 with a sore wrist? I mean surely most office workers would be expected to return in that kind of time frame even if it were fractured/on the understanding that allowances occur/amended duties as needed?

Here's the guidance around fit notes: https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/gps/getting-a-fit-note/

If your employer demands one in the first 7 days they become chargeable, but if you request following 7 days self certifying they're free.

And that's no slight on office workers! Just meaning that there's likely to be other ways to support the team, or just type 1 handed or dictate. As opposed to say a builder/labourer, firefighter etc where there are less options to move to/manage with the same injury.

When I broke my foot I had three months of work because my GP said it would be dangerous to travel on public transport using crutches in the rush hour and I said to her I have seen other people on crutches in the rush hour and she said maybe you have but I am the one that's dealing with you and if I say it's dangerous then I'm not going to allow you to travel in the rush hour so I will sign you off

I broke my scaphoid and had a cast for 2 weeks and then a splint. A friend did hers and went straight into a splint.
It depends on the break.
Hairline fractures will just heal on their own.

I’d just strap it up and see how you go.

Sorry first fracture clinic link didn't work so here it is proper:
https://www.nbt.nhs.uk/our-services/a-z-services/emergency-zone/ed-miu-patient-information/wrist-injuries

Also here

www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/muscle-bone-and-joints/arm-shoulder-and-hand-problems-and-conditions/wrist-fracture/

I fell last week and landed with wrist bent. There is some doubt as to whether it is broken or sprained/damaged but THE TREATMENT IS THE SAME- splint, rest. Broken or not it will hurt for 4 weeks or so. Give it time.

You were off for 3 months with a broken foot? OP they've told you it isn't broken and you've got a note for a week. Don't panic, wait and see how you feel at the end of the week.

If I'd been your employer I'd have been looking at adaptation of your working hours rather than your being absent for three months. That's the sort of thing that could have been covered in a fit note to encourage a return to work.

When I broke my scaphoid all the pain was at the base of my thumb, not in my wrist

You are not my employer and my employer was more than happy to go along with it they gave me three months off no questions asked and they said to me if your GP won't allow you to come back until three months time then that's fine

You cannot say What Every employer would do based on what you would do they are all individuals with their own decisions and if they want to go along with a GP that says three months then that's up to them

I did say to the GP I want to go back to work and she said no I won't allow you to I will sign you off until I think you are fit to travel without crutches and in those days we didn't work from home if we had worked from home then that would have been a different matter I would have been fully back to work because obviously I wouldn't have to travel on public transport

No I'm not your employer. That's rather stating the obvious. You will note that I said if I'd been your employer.

Where did I say what every employer would do?

That just sounds so unbelievable now, I mean it's not even what a fit note is for, which is specifically for work. Essentially you're saying your GP wrote a 'not fit to take the bus when it's busy' note.

That your employer was happy for you to just not show upto work for 3 months so you didn't have to take a particular bus? That you couldn't just shift your working hours/reduced hours they didn't make any effort to help you return? I presuming you were in a surgical cage/must have been a pretty nasty fracture/multiple surgeries so not saying adaptations wouldn't have been needed, but presumably you weren't house bound for 3 months!

I was on crutches for three months

I was doing online shopping because you try going around the supermarket with a trolley and crutches it's almost impossible and then if by some miraculous way you could get shopping by going to a supermarket how could you use crutches with your two hands and then carry a bag of shopping I don't live with anyone who can help me I live by myself

Taking a bus would have taken hours on the train I have a two hour journey

There are several bones which will not show up initially actually- scaphoid and triquetral are 2 I can think of and need either a cone bone CT or a repeat X-ray approx a week later to show calcification. So I'd keep the brace on and re asses in a week with the GP.