It’s amazing the limitations one experiences when their wrist is injured or broken, especially the dominant wrist. Although I expected things to be difficult, I did not realize that I would have no pinch grip, and absolutely no strength at all in my fingers. I could not grip or pick up anything without breakthrough pain. It was amazing. Not even an empty hanger, a spoon,etc. And try to open a bottle of water or soda! My left hand did not even have the strength to do that even when I kept it from turning by holding it between my feet.

I thought you might enjoy discovering along with me the everyday things that become very difficult to do when you only have one hand to use. So here goes:

opening bottles, cans with pull top lids, caps off of toothpaste and lip gloss, cutting with your left hand, eating with your left hand, even pulling up leggings with one hand, impossible to make a knot on a shoe, or even on a plastic bag, brushing my hair with my left hand and brushing my teeth with my left hand. I take off my shirt like men do by pulling it from the back over my head and then down my arm, I wear camisole and loose shirts and that’s it. I’ve gotten the hang of putting on socks by hooking it on my toe first. 😂.

I thought it would be fun to share some of my adaptations I’ve made.

Something else I found out is how difficult it is to open new boxes of cereal, crackers, cereal, anything with those sealed flap tops. I use my left hand for a lot of things, but it had no clue how to get underneath that cover and pry it back. Plus my fingernails were too short! Unfortunately, it tried valiantly, but it messed up the whole flap. 🙄 So out comes the knife for everything! Now my left hand has increased its skill and can do it really well 😃.

it was February 23rd when I broke my wrist and as I’m writing this it is March 13th. That would make it two and a half weeks since I broke my wrist. I did have a follow-up doctor’s appointment a week later. This was with an orthopedic surgeon from Phoenix who works a week in Phoenix and a week in Cottonwood hospital. They removed the splint and wrap and my arm didn’t look as bad as I thought it would but I could still see an abnormal wrist. They took x-rays and then I went over them with the surgeon. What was now evident was that the edge of the bone that is broken is still tilted but more importantly it is compressed. So it now lines up with the end of the radius and it’s not supposed to do that. It will not articulate well with the radius nor with the other small bones in my wrist in that position.

(I thought they did something interesting when they showed me to my room. They gave me this little device, said to just place it on the counter inside, and then they would know that the room was occupied. Never saw or heard anything like that before now. Interesting.)

I was unwrapped from my splint and wrappings. They brought in the portable x-ray machine to take x-rays to see how my bones had settled. I’m glad they did because they never did before I left ER after he supposedly put it in place. I think they should have double checked it then.

unfortunately, the x-rays did show that there was more damage than what was previously thought.

The orthopedic surgeon stated that this would not heal properly the way it is. And being my dominant hand and wrist, it really would benefit from surgery. They would need to put in a plate and screws to put it back in its correct position. I wasn’t ready to hear that but I guess it didn’t surprise me either. That was a big old s***!

At least I was able to get a new splint! It is now off my elbow and it released more of my fingers so I could at least start to use them when I could and wiggle them and get my pinch grip. Before this I could not even bring my finger and thumb together because the split was in the way.

For the last week, I was confirming my surgery here in Cottonwood. But at my family’s insistence, concern, and questions about the quality of surgery I may receive here, which I really didn’t know… I also sent my records back to my physician. They were referred to the orthopedic surgeon through Theda Care. After a couple of days I did not hear anything, so I made some phone calls. I found out that the orthopedic surgeons kicked my referral back and said it should go to the Hand and Shoulder specialists. Wow! That was a wake-up call

If the orthopedic surgeons there would not take it on, I was sure not going to have an orthopedic surgeon here, whom I did not know, play with my wrist! 😯.

I spent a lot of time on the phone and a lot of time online. The bottom line is I’m flying home for surgery this Tuesday the 15th. I’m putting my unit in storage tomorrow here at Krazy K RV Park and driving down to Phoenix. So the days have been very busy ! I had to stay at another campground for four nights because there was no room here. So hooking from here, unhooking up there, hooking up there , and unhooking back here. All I can say is people were always willing to help and that was a godsend. I can do most of it now. 👍 But I cannot twist off my water connection and I cannot support and click into place one of my jacks with my left hand.

Today, after coming back here, I’ve been busy with the last minute things that need to be done. Laundry, sort out and pack the clothes, emptying out the refrigerator again, pack my meds, my lunch, etc etc. I cannot wait to get on the plane and sleep! I’m stressed and going through a lot of different emotions. 😕

As the surgery gets closer, I am so glad I made the decision to fly home. To have family with me to prepare for surgery, go through surgery and especially afterwards is going to be so comforting. It will be so nice to be around family and those that I love. I am so grateful for their perseverance to get me back home and be willing to look after me before and after. I am blessed! 💕

So take care everyone. Keep in touch. Send a few prayers my way, I would appreciate them. And I will let you know as soon as I can. 🤗 God bless.