21 February, 2012
The Other Half took the morning off work today to drive me into town for my weekly visit to the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary to have my fractured wrist checked.
I saw a professor of orthopaedic and musculoskeletal science, who’s also a trauma specialist.
He said it was one of the worst wrist fractures he’d seen successfully managed through conservative treatment, that is manipulating the bones back into place and using a cast. In his experience, about 90 per cent of injuries similar to mine need plates and screws immediately while about half the remainder need an operation at some point.
The professor praised the consultant and technician who’d been on duty on the night I went in as they’d had the skills and nous to go for the conservative approach instead of surgery, plates and screws. Good for me, good for the hospital.
Having seen the previous X-rays before I went in, he’d considered it likely that the fractures would have separated despite the good line achieved. Fortunately, today’s X-ray revealed the fractures are stable, although they’re still vulnerable and will have to be monitored closely for a while yet.
I’ll have to continue being extremely careful for the next week, but the professor was confident that if progress continues at this rate then the likelihood of potential complications would reduce markedly. If next week’s X-ray is a good one, then I’ll be able to relax my guard slightly and do a little more around the house.
Other than that, I’m likely to remain in a cast for a further three weeks and be unable to do lifting/hard physical work for six months, but I’ll settle for that given that things could have been much worse.
Phew!
Related articles
- The perils of crofting (stoneheadcroft.com)
- Whatever you call it (sirenvoices.blogspot.com)
- A conversation (insomniacmedic.com)
good, although still frustrating
I managed to get a load of washing hung out this morning, much to the amusement of a courier driver. I was lifting clothes to the line with my left hand, holding them in place with my teeth to free my hand and then pegging them in place. Well, it worked!
And yes, it is strange to be hanging washing on the line in February. In a more typical winter they’d freeze solid.
Hello Dennis
I am sorry to hear about your fractured wrist if you need any help with anything my husband and I can spare some time to call on you and help you with any jobs that need doing as we are not that far away from you (Turriff).
Get your wife to drop me an email to make arrangements
Get well soon.
Suzy B
Some good news Stoney…take care!
Dude,
My wife broke her wrist like that on a Friday. emergency room gave her pain killers, etc.. and scheduled her for the next day. the morning of the next day she was feeling kind of good from the meds, slipped on a kids toy and broke the other one the same way.
I spent 3 months babying her back to health. She could not reach her face. I had to do everything for her including scratching her face, shaving her legs, wiping her, and everything.
Please be thankful it is only one wrist. I can tell you how hard it is. I even lost my job because her care was too much for me.
Good news that you had good care at the git go and still mending well. I can imagine the frustration you must be experiencing. Hopefully, you will be back at it soon! You are lucky to have such hard working boys and other half!