Wrist Update

No pictures this time, but for those of you wondering about the progress on my broken wrist, here is an update. Yesterday, I visited the clinic in Hayward for a followup examination. This was six weeks after the accident and five weeks since the cast was put on my arm. I had used a strap-on brace/splint the first week.

My wrist was X-rayed again (with the cast still on), and the doctor then met with me. She said that the bones are partially healed. We looked at the X-ray together, and she showed me that there are, in fact, two breaks on the radius, both now filling in with calcium, and that the nub at the end of ulna was separated from the bone but is also now reconnecting.

She was willing for me to have the cast removed, and that has been done. Thank goodness, because it was starting to be quite uncomfortable and smelly (sorry if that is TMI). However, she wants me to keep using the brace/splint for another three or more weeks to give the wrist a chance to completely heal. At least I can take it off to wash my arm now! When the cast was off, I could tell that although I feel much stronger, there are positions that are still painful, particularly if I try to tip my hand down. So I'm OK about continuing to use the brace for awhile.

There you have it. The doctor did share something with me that I found quite interesting. She described how after such a break, a certain kind of cell enters the area and essentially cleans up any debris that might be there (e.g., bone fragments) before the healing and calcium buildup begins. I had never heard of such a thing before. What fascinating mechanisms our bodies have evolved!