Anyone here break a wrist and needed surgery to fix it??

[fallinlove]

I just recently broke my wrist (freak accident) and the emergency room docs told me I'll need surgery within a few days. Like the bones were badly hurt and need to be put back together with a metal plate and screws.
I'm totally freaking out and afraid something will go wrong, or that I'll have complications down the road, or that the surgeon will mess it up.

Anyone have such a surgery in the past? What was your experience like?

 

[gsdx]

I have. In fact, I broke my right hip, my right wrist, and my right shoulder a few years ago. I had surgery on my hip and wrist at the same time. Both were plated and screwed. My shoulder was left to heal on it's own.

But you're interested in my wrist. Mine was broken on the inside of my wrist opposite the outside bump and beneath my thumb. When I came out of surgery, my wrist was splinted and in a cast. With all my breaks, I was in hospital for a month but the cast came off before I was released.

Even with physiotherapy, the plate and screws have reduced the mobility in my wrist by from 30 to 40%.

It's a simple operation, really, and the only after-effects are a scar that won't ever go away and a percentage of reduced mobility. I was put completely under for my hip surgery but I don't know what they would do for just the wrist. Either way, there's not much to worry about nor to be afraid about. You won't even know that the plate and pins are there unless you see the X-rays.

By the way, my surgeries happened in November 2016. I was 65 then.

 

[TickTockMan]

I got hurt at work when I was 24 in 2006. My right wrist was one of my injuries. I did have a screw put in, but had to have it taken out about a year later as it was causing me pain. I healed fast and besides the pain which lead to the screw coming out I was fine. I have nerve damage in my wrist is why it hurt so much with the screw in. It still hurts sometimes, but way less than before. In fact the pain is so much less I never filled my RX for oxy after my surgery to remove the pin.

There is nothing to it and if your doctors seem to think you need it they are probably not wrong. I know for almost every surgery I have had they knock me out so it is easy for you.

 

[gsdx]

^ I hated oxy. It got to the point where I refused to take it. They had to keep offering it to me knowing that I would refuse it, but they had to offer it. Same thing happened when I was released and refused the prescription for it to take at home.

I H.A.T.E.D it!!

 

[rareboy]

Yup. Broke my wrist.

But didn't go to emerg.

About 3 weeks later it was x-rayed when I mentioned it to my Doc on a visit for something else.

And I had to have some surgery to reset it.

Unless you are going to some back alley quack, stop freaking out. If you don't have the surgery you will have problems for the rest of your life. With surgery, the likelihood is reduced...even though nothing is ever without the potential for complication.

Panic isn't going to fix it.

 

[TickTockMan]

^ I hated oxy. It got to the point where I refused to take it. They had to keep offering it to me knowing that I would refuse it, but they had to offer it. Same thing happened when I was released and refused the prescription for it to take at home.

I H.A.T.E.D it!!

I was on oxy for over a decade. It was the only pain pill that helped at all, but it put me to sleep for hours. Even though I took the lowest dose possible. My neurostimulator is what allowed me to come off the oxy.

 

[rareboy]

DO NOT TAKE OXYCONTIN FOR MORE THAN 48hours.

PERIOD.

 

[gsdx]

^ I can't remember what it was about it that I didn't like, but it was enough that I was willing to suffer through the pain of 2 surgeries and a broken shoulder bound up in an immobilisation sling.

I had read that people became addicted to oxy and I couldn't figure out why they would want to do it voluntarily.

 

[rareboy]

It just makes you stupid. The pain is there, but you don't care. It is morphine/heroin after all.

I have a very high tolerance for narcotics and used to have an oxy pill bottle around all the time. But I would take it for a few days and then park the rest because I didn't like the state of suspended animation it put me into.

The last time I took any was when I had kidney stones because I was writhing on the floor in pain.

But when I saw the unbelievable wreckage that Oxycontin had created everywhere, I buried the rest of them.

 

[fallinlove]

I have. In fact, I broke my right hip, my right wrist, and my right shoulder a few years ago. I had surgery on my hip and wrist at the same time. Both were plated and screwed. My shoulder was left to heal on it's own.

But you're interested in my wrist. Mine was broken on the inside of my wrist opposite the outside bump and beneath my thumb. When I came out of surgery, my wrist was splinted and in a cast. With all my breaks, I was in hospital for a month but the cast came off before I was released.

Even with physiotherapy, the plate and screws have reduced the mobility in my wrist by from 30 to 40%.

It's a simple operation, really, and the only after-effects are a scar that won't ever go away and a percentage of reduced mobility. I was put completely under for my hip surgery but I don't know what they would do for just the wrist. Either way, there's not much to worry about nor to be afraid about. You won't even know that the plate and pins are there unless you see the X-rays.

By the way, my surgeries happened in November 2016. I was 65 then.

Ò

That sounds really tough ...to have multiple fractures at once. Glad to hear that's behind you!
I'm really afraid of nerve damage/pain, tendon pain in the future, etc. They make it sound like these are rare complications but they're not.

 

[rareboy]

Suck it up.

You broke it. Now let other people fix it. As I said...panic is isn't going to fix it.

 

[gsdx]

Ò

That sounds really tough ...to have multiple fractures at once. Glad to hear that's behind you!
I'm really afraid of nerve damage/pain, tendon pain in the future, etc. They make it sound like these are rare complications but they're not.

I had no time to worry. I went to the hospital one day and had the surgeries the next day. I can only advise you to try not to worry.

The biggest thing for me was learning to walk with a one-handed walker.

As I mentioned, my only 'complication' is reduced mobility. Granted, I had a superior surgeon. He had replaced my left hip (complete replacement) 2 years earlier in 2014.

I try not to fall down these days.

 

[rareboy]

^ yeah. try to not do this. The crazy part is that you don't drink, aren't likely to be tripped by cats (how I broke my wrist) or otherwise prone to a FOOSH. Just make sure to sit for a moment before rising from bed and hanging onto anything or anyone if you get up suddenly.

 

[Vannie]

I take very good care of my wrists

Especially my right one.

 

[gsdx]

^ yeah. try to not do this. The crazy part is that you don't drink, aren't likely to be tripped by cats (how I broke my wrist) or otherwise prone to a FOOSH. Just make sure to sit for a moment before rising from bed and hanging onto anything or anyone if you get up suddenly.

I have two: mother and daughter.

 

[ShadowCat]

Well No not my wrist broke my foot and know EXACLY how you are feeling about being freaked out! I fell down my back stairs. A wrist is going to be different than a foot though I have to wait A LONG TIME to make sure its healing right because its in an area that has limited blood flow. Well the wrist being closer to the heart has more blood flow and will start healing wrong if not properly aligned. Try getting a second opinion see what they say about the area, but you really don't wanna start healing because if it does heal wrong they might have to break it again to set it properly happened with an uncle's leg hospital A real shitty place but was where the ambulance was contracted to set it wrong had to have revision surgeries and get it fixed proper!

 

[fallinlove]

Breaking a wrist is an absolute horror show. It's called "distal radius fracture" and usually metal plates and screws are implanted to fix the bones. Then there is six months of extreme pain as you learn how to use your arm, wrist, hand, and fingers again. The rate of complications/second surgery is quite high and most people get operated on by surgeons who don't do a good enough job.

Piece of advice: don't fall!

 

[rareboy]

Good advice.

I was happy to come through with only a twinge and fairly good restoration of mobility.