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Did you just break your arm close to the wrist or did you actually break the bones in your wrist.. the supposed "Carpal Tunnel Bones."

I hope you are excercising your fingers excessively everday, or else it will t ake months of physical therapy for you to get that range of motion back.

Say you did it rock climbing. Chicks will dig it.

asiantay wrote:Did you just break your arm close to the wrist or did you actually break the bones in your wrist.. the supposed "Carpal Tunnel Bones."

I did actually fracture (hairline fracture I believe the ER guy said) a bone in my wrist. The orthopedic doctor used the term "navicular" to describe the bone I broke. According to wikipedia the "hand navicular bone" is the scaphoid bone and it is indeed one of the Carpal Tunnel Bones. It is just a hairline fracture or two though. (I think it was 2 hairline fractures, but I'm not 100% sure).

asiantay wrote:I hope you are excercising your fingers excessively everday, or else it will t ake months of physical therapy for you to get that range of motion back.

The thumb is totally immobilized, so obviously it isn't getting any exercise. As far as the other fingers, I don't do any particular exercises (this is actually the first I've heard of that suggestion, the doctor didn't say anything about it). However, since it's my right hand and I'm right handed, the exposed fingers get used as much as I can use them. I still use my computer mouse with my right hand most of the time and I type with both hands still. And I used the fingers to grip the little 'handlebar' on my right crutch some too.

Actually, the muscles I've been worried about is my lower leg and ankle: calf, shin, etc. My left leg was the weaker leg to begin with, so now after what is likely going to be 8-10 weeks of total immobilization I'm afraid it's going to be rediculously pitiful. It's already been nearly a month of absolutely ZERO weight bearing on it, and I've got 2 more weeks of that at least before I get a walking cast and can even put any weight on the leg. Unfortunately, I can't think of anything I can do now to help that situation, I'll just have to take it easy to work the strength and motion back up in that leg.

Keep your fingers working so you don't lose dexterity in those digits. You can lose quite a bit due to atrophy and ROM in a matter of weeks. The same for your toes if you can. You won't be able to get around PT once that cast is off. You'll be starting from close to baseline zero as far as strength goes, but that should come around quickly if you consistently and steadily build from that baseline. Even if you think the exercises you do are with 'girly weights' or therapy bands, don't rush through it to get the to heavier stuff. Your muscles need to relearn again and strengthen again, so, don't skip steps.

Good luck with the recovery. Regaining strength is difficult and frustrating in arms and legs so give it a good fight when the time comes.

Shorts wrote:Keep your fingers working so you don't lose dexterity in those digits. You can lose quite a bit due to atrophy and ROM in a matter of weeks. The same for your toes if you can. You won't be able to get around PT once that cast is off. You'll be starting from close to baseline zero as far as strength goes, but that should come around quickly if you consistently and steadily build from that baseline. Even if you think the exercises you do are with 'girly weights' or therapy bands, don't rush through it to get the to heavier stuff. Your muscles need to relearn again and strengthen again, so, don't skip steps.

Good luck with the recovery. Regaining strength is difficult and frustrating in arms and legs so give it a good fight when the time comes.

Yea I can't straighten my fingers due to atrophy of the muscles and weakening of the tendons. You should just keep those fingers moving, working them individually and as a group. Hope you recover well.

Just make sure when you tell the story you don't say 'hairline' fracture. Make it a compound fracture and embellish from there. You won't impress any women with the word 'hairline.'

You're going to loose strength and dexterity in your fingers no matter what. If you play an instrument it's going to take some time getting it back, if you don't and don't do anything as fine you won't notice as much.

of course the PT toys they give you for rebuilding strength and dexterity are fun! My stepmother the plastic surgeon/hand surgeon keeps a whole range of them at home. Granted I didn't need to use them but now I have ridiculously strong hands.

I broke my neck, arm, cheek, knee cap and chin doing the laundry. I was on my way down to the basement to put the clothes in the dryer, stepped on a can (of Key Food peas and carrots) never touched another of the 14 steps, and crash landed on the cement floor. THere was a chest of drawers at the bottom of the stairs, and I stuck my hand out, and my mouth hit my hand instead of teh corner. At that velocity, I would hav broken all my teeth on the wood, instead, I broke my skin with my teeth....

Anyway, sometimes the most innocent thing can be "dangerous".

I would tell your friends you had a mishap on your first try with a bike. While "they" are dangerous, it was really your inexperience that caused it.

Don't sweat it! You look like anice guy, and will probably get alot of support - and help carrying your stuff! I found everyone was really nice to me when I had all myy casts and braces!

(it was 20 years ago - lasting effect - my right arm and hand are quite numb, and my knee will never be the same!)

I understand not wanting to give a bad impression of the "Safety" class.

Your injuries do appear to be pretty bad, given the apparatus you've got to use.

What you could say is "I wrecked in a motorcycle TRAINING class" - it is, after all, all about learning, and sometimes you fall down while you're learning.

When I wrecked, two summers ago, I got a hairline fracture of the scaphoid bone as well. Left thumb must have hooked in the handgrip. Folks had a hard time believing that I would consider returning to riding, but I quickly perfected the look of incredulousness: "WHY on earth would I NOT continue riding?!" Just the look shut people up pretty quickly.

P

Tell them you were injured running with the bulls in Spain.