My World is Shrinking

[spncity]

After 3 months I got my cast off and my wrist is stiff. He gave me exercises to do and said if not better in a month he will prescribe PT. It’s still painful with certain movements. I think this will be a long term reminder to be careful.

Is this a specialist who is sending you off with exercises to do at home? If you're not worried about coverage, I'd opt for PT from the get go, and keep going until your wrist is 100%. Just take a pain pill about 45 minutes before they start working on you.

Years ago I had PT on a broken elbow. Because it was so much worse than the sprained ankle, I didn't think I needed PT for the ankle. I'm sorry now, as there is residual pain that might have been different.

 

[spncity]

A friend attended a strawberry festival. Streets were roped off for pedestrians. She tripped on one of those low reflector things that are glued to the middle line of streets and roads.

Result: Hairline fracture below the knee (brace), wrist fracture (cast) and concussion.

I hope she will opt to pay for some hyperbaric oxygen therapy for the brain injury...

 

[Teacher Terry]

Yes he is a hand specialist. It would cost 150/session so will do the exercises and see what happens. If not fully functional I will call.

 

[Buckeye]

After 3 months I got my cast off and my wrist is stiff. He gave me exercises to do and said if not better in a month he will prescribe PT. It’s still painful with certain movements. I think this will be a long term reminder to be careful.

Mom broke both the radius and ulna of her left wrist at 80 and needed a plate and screws. I think the first cast (over the elbow) was 3 weeks and then another 6 weeks of a cast to the elbow. We asked about PT and he said she'll use it enough in daily life (even though she is right-handed) to work out the kinks. He was right! He did have her doing some squeezes of a small ball with her fingers even when she had her cast on so maybe that helped her, too.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Buck, your mom was lucky. My sister shattered her wrist and had surgery. A year later her right hand is not very functional despite PT. I moved my fingers all the time while in a cast. She couldn’t do that. Maybe mine will be fine like your mom’s with everyday use.

 

[Calico]

Terry,

I broke my right (dominant) wrist back in 2011 - broke both the radius and the ulna. It was a bad break, caused by missing the last couple of steps at work and falling several feet down the stairs. I unconsciously threw out my dominant arm to "break" my fall. Apparently that is a very common reaction - people do it without even thinking.

I had surgery to repair the damage, and now have a lovely titanium plate and several screws in there.

My ortho surgeon sent me to PT, and he required that I see a CHT (certified hand therapist) not just a "regular PT" professional. Not to cast aspersions on "regular" PTs - several of them worked wonders with me after I broke my shoulder last year. He explained that CHTs undergo very specialized training to work with hand and wrist injuries because they are so complex.

I had a few months of PT, twice a week, and I regained full function of my wrist and hand. I started PT as soon as possible once my cast was removed (we had to wait a little bit for the swelling to subside).

For each new exercise the CHT gave me I tried to replicate it at home, and she said that is why I made good progress.

I (my insurance) paid $50/visit, nowhere near the $150 you were quoted. That's highway robbery.

I can't recommend PT highly enough. Best of luck to you with your recovery.

Edited to add: The CHT I saw worked in a large PT practice, but all she handled were hand injuries.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I don’t have any choice as I have to stay in network for my insurance to pay decently. So I get whoever works there. My retiree state insurance is weird as when I see the doctor the charge is 250 and I pay 88. When the PT person made a cast out of plastic the charge was 500 and the negotiated price was only 23 less. So that half hour cost me 473. Calico, my sister had a really bad break like yours. So glad you fully recovered.

 

[Calico]

I don’t have any choice as I have to stay in network for my insurance to pay decently. So I get whoever works there. My retiree state insurance is weird as when I see the doctor the charge is 250 and I pay 88. When the PT person made a cast out of plastic the charge was 500 and the negotiated price was only 23 less. So that half hour cost me 473. Calico, my sister had a really bad break like yours. So glad you fully recovered.

Wow - that's an expensive cast. Sorry to hear that your costs are so high. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to them.

Thanks for your good wishes - I wish you a speedy and complete recovery too.

I'm sorry to hear about your sister's ongoing issues with her hand.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I am going to be glad when my husband turns 65 so we can both be on Medicare. I am starting Medicare A and B only along with my state insurance so maybe that will help with PT expenses. I feel so bad for my sister as she lives alone at 73 and can barely use her right hand after 1 year and continuing PT. Her fingers aren’t fully functional.

 

[Rianne]

Misery loves company. Brief story about that sweet sleeping lab in my avatar. DB, body builder (@ 230lb.) held him on a leash for a second while I picked up dodo of the other lab in avatar. I stood up turned around and DB on the ground, 30 ft away. Sweet lab pulled him over a driveway onto some rocks. His head was bleeding like a waterfall. His eyes rolling in the back of his head. He was unconscious. Ambulance, firetruck and 3 CT scans showed a brain bleed that would not quit. He could not work for a year, luckily he's a prof and had over a year sick leave built up. His memory and speech were affected, BUT all returned and he's fine today. Took a long time to recover.

 

[Teacher Terry]

R, wow that’s a horrible injury. Glad your brother is fine now. The person that did my MRI of my head said that the main injuries that they see are falls from walking dogs.

 

[Teacher Terry]

So called and schedule PT and start Monday. Despite doing all the exercises my wrist is stiff and I cannot do pretty simple things with it. Hopefully I will make progress quickly.

 

[haha]

So called and schedule PT and start Monday. Despite doing all the exercises my wrist is stiff and I cannot do pretty simple things with it. Hopefully, I will make progress quickly.

I hope you will be very successful with your therapy.

Ha

 

[Chuckanut]

So called and schedule PT and start Monday. Despite doing all the exercises my wrist is stiff and I cannot do pretty simple things with it. Hopefully I will make progress quickly.

I hope you heal quickly. Buona Fortuna.

 

[Calico]

So called and schedule PT and start Monday. Despite doing all the exercises my wrist is stiff and I cannot do pretty simple things with it. Hopefully I will make progress quickly.

Best of luck to you! Do all the exercises your physical terrorist* gives you and you will hopefully have a full recovery.


*phrase stolen from another poster somewhere on ER.Org

 

[Teacher Terry]

Calico , had my first one today and it was painful but I am sure worth it.

 

[Calico]

Calico , had my first one today and it was painful but I am sure worth it.

I remember that part.

I can't say I ever enjoyed PT (even though my therapist was a sweetheart) but the results were definitely worth it. Hang in there!

As I recall, "contrast baths" for my wrist and Advil were my best friends for many weeks.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I had my 3 PT appointments and they have been amazing. They measure my range of motion before and after and it’s big. The therapist is pleased and I can tell the difference. Best thing I have done.

 

[Calico]

I had my 3 PT appointments and they have been amazing. They measure my range of motion before and after and it’s big. The therapist is pleased and I can tell the difference. Best thing I have done.

That is excellent news!

 

[Moemg]

Glad to hear you are doing better !

 

[Chuckanut]

I had my 3 PT appointments and they have been amazing. They measure my range of motion before and after and it’s big. The therapist is pleased and I can tell the difference. Best thing I have done.

Your experience gives me hope for the PT I will certainly need later this year. Thanks.

 

[Animorph]

Recently, I have been using trekking poles during my urban walks. Initially, I was interested in picking up my pace for a more aerobic workout and my trainer suggested using them. But having twice as many points of contact with the sidewalk really helps with balance on uneven surfaces. They don't help if I need my hands free, such as when walking the dogs, but otherwise I really like using them and they help keep my heart rate up.

As for ice, I lived in Finland for awhile and have two recommendations. The first are Yaktrax grippers, which go under and over your shoes or boots and are reasonably comfortable for walking on icy sidewalks and driveways. Super easy to get on and off. The second are Kahtoola spikes, which I found more suitable for thicker ice and bit more difficult to get on. During the winter, I didn't leave home without one or both of them in my backpack and I got through a few winters without a serious fall.
BR

Thanks! I bought these trekking poles on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0742KJPVL

They are great for balance. I think my front/back balance is decent, but side-to-side is pretty bad. Looking up or to the side while walking is just plain risky. I am a little faster now with the trekking poles. Anyone with similar balance problems should try something like this. They weren't hard to use. I was using them pretty effectively after my first four mile hike. I was faster with them than without them on my second and third hikes.

Better balance - whichever pole is on the ground, I can feel it as a point of reference for balance. I still tend to lean over to the side at times, and I can just push on the pole to stay up. This is especially great because it allows me to look around more instead of studying the ground 100% of the time.

Having to track poles and feet is a little more to mind, but my foot placement doesn't have to be so careful now, and the poles can pretty much be placed anywhere. My only annoyance now is if I don't lift the pole enough and hit a rock on the forward swing. With the poles I can tolerate more ankle turn if I step on the side of a rock, since they don't have to carry my full weight.

Better endurance - going up hill is like scrambling up on all fours, only you're still standing. With the assist from my arms, my legs do not get as tired, which helps balance as well. More fun, less work.

Better knees - I'm not as good at going downhill with the poles, but enough to keep some of the weight and impact off my knees. Long downhill stretches used to be the worst, with my knees complaining and at times refusing to continue. Now my knees are no longer a big problem, and aren't aching at the end of the hike.

Hopefully this can extend my hiking another couple of years.

 

[ER Eddie]

R, wow that’s a horrible injury. Glad your brother is fine now. The person that did my MRI of my head said that the main injuries that they see are falls from walking dogs.

Damn. I think I'll stick to weiner dogs and terriers, especially as I age.

Sorry to hear about your troubles, Terry and Rianne. I wish you well.

 

[W2R]

Thanks! I bought these trekking poles on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0742KJPVL

They are great for balance. I think my front/back balance is decent, but side-to-side is pretty bad. Looking up or to the side while walking is just plain risky. I am a little faster now with the trekking poles. Anyone with similar balance problems should try something like this. They weren't hard to use. I was using them pretty effectively after my first four mile hike. I was faster with them than without them on my second and third hikes.

Better balance - whichever pole is on the ground, I can feel it as a point of reference for balance. I still tend to lean over to the side at times, and I can just push on the pole to stay up. This is especially great because it allows me to look around more instead of studying the ground 100% of the time.

Having to track poles and feet is a little more to mind, but my foot placement doesn't have to be so careful now, and the poles can pretty much be placed anywhere. My only annoyance now is if I don't lift the pole enough and hit a rock on the forward swing. With the poles I can tolerate more ankle turn if I step on the side of a rock, since they don't have to carry my full weight.

Better endurance - going up hill is like scrambling up on all fours, only you're still standing. With the assist from my arms, my legs do not get as tired, which helps balance as well. More fun, less work.

Better knees - I'm not as good at going downhill with the poles, but enough to keep some of the weight and impact off my knees. Long downhill stretches used to be the worst, with my knees complaining and at times refusing to continue. Now my knees are no longer a big problem, and aren't aching at the end of the hike.

Hopefully this can extend my hiking another couple of years.

Our sidewalks in New Orleans are very uneven and rugged, and it is easy to trip and fall on them. I attached a couple of photos of them from the internet, which I think represent the average sidewalk around here.

We are getting older and feel it's time to address this problem if we are to continue walking on the sidewalks around here.

So last week Frank, who normally uses a cane, bought these trekking poles. He loves them and let me try them out. Very cool, and I am thinking of buying some, too. We have not hiked or climbed mountains for many years, but would use them purely for added stability and fall prevention in urban environments.

 

[Teacher Terry]

We were in New Orleans in February and I walked looking down all the time. I can’t use poles because of the dogs. I only have Maltese now. I got the concussion because I was power walking the big old guy that is now dead. That’s the last really fast walk that I took. I gave up hiking in the mountains 10 years ago.