Home Therapy, Range of Motion & My First Day

Today has been a really rough day.   With the cast off of my arm, the real work has begun.  Don't worry, I haven't started any Holmes projects.. yet.

Lately my sweety has been working late nights.  While my wrist was in a cast, he was picking up the slack in the kitchen.

That's my sweety ~  he is the greatest!!

But the past 6 days, he leaves for work before the sun wakes.. and comes home after the sun has called it a night.  I spend half my sleeping hours in bed, and the other half on the sofa.  Effects of sleeping in a 4 bedroom 2 bath house on 1 acre of partly dark property.  We are currently working on lighting my property up like Tampa International Airport.  Let me know if you see a very bright property from the sky.

Any-who, today started my Home Therapy.  I need to get my damaged wrist up to the same level as my good wrist, before my next Ortho visit; in three weeks.

At the Ortho visit May 9th

    While at my Ortho visit, the physician asked me to do a series of exercises.  I couldn't even make a fist.  I became very worried.  Very.  I hadn't counted on not having any Range of Motion when the cast came off.  I mean, I expected there to be stiffness, but not having any range of motion; hadn't crossed my mind at all.

    Today I began with a clean slate.  Just how bad was it?  Just how much work was ahead of me?  Just how hard was this going to be?  In a matter of seconds, all my questions were answered.

 

 

Uninjured Left wrist

Injured Right Wrist

    As you can clearly see, the range of motion in the left hand, is much better than my right.  Not only that, I am unable to make a fist with y right hand.  Folding the thumb into my palm in my right hand, is also another problem.

Uninjured Left hand

Injured Right hand

    Yay!!!! I worked very hard to fold my thumb inward on my injured wrist,  for this picture.  It was hard work, harder than I though it would be.  And it made me sweat!!  As you can clearly see, I can not fold my right wrist backward, well a little maybe... it's a start.  Not bad for the first day in my opinion.

Uninjured Left Wrist

Injured Right wrist

    While the palm of your hand faces you, make a fist and bend your wrist right and left.  In other words, bend your wrist sidewards.  This is one of the hardest exercises for me to do.  There is very little give for me to bend my injured wrist inward or outward. 

    The Ortho stated in my appointment .. the type of injury to my wrist can lead to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, the only treatment for that is surgery.  You can see the need for me to stay on track with my Home Therapy, but I will keep on top of logging my progress with you.  Pictures and all.  I have to tell you, I almost forgot.  I am really worried about one exercise.  

    I haven't tried it yet.  I know, I should.  But, you are talking to the gal who stayed awake last night until 2:45am worrying about the pain I might have felt without the cast.   Anyway, the exercise that has me really scared ~ place both hands, palms facing you and fingers pointing downward.. now bend your fingers toward you, walk to a table, place your bended hand on the top of the table, and touch your wrist to the table top.  Oh yeah, I am very afraid of that.