lyb

this past friday at lunch time i broke my wrist. of course one of my first thought was 'luckily i don't have a trip planned in the near future!'

then i remember reading about fodorites who get a broken foot, hand, or other things and I feel for you and admire you...first i never realized how much a break hurts and second, it's not easy doing things with just one hand!

so again, my admiration to those of you who have had to travel with an injury!!!!

Fodorite018

lyb--I feel for you! I broke my right hand a couple years ago, and it was so hard to do everything. Even doing hair and makeup, getting dressed...everything. We did a road trip to go househunting the day after I got my cast on. Not a fun trip for me at all, but it was necessary. We arrived into a snowstorm. So househunting, my DH had to help me so I wouldn't slip and fall, lol, and he had to put my shoes back on me after each house we saw. It was good for him

How long will you have your cast?

lyb

mms,

i was told that i'll have it on until march 1! i live alone, so i'm trying to figure how to do a lot of things, such as hair, i cant even put on my contact lenses because the cast includes my elbow so i can't reach my eye. but luckily i'm right handed...it's amazing how we take our body for granted!

Luckily i live in CA so i don't have the fear of slipping on ice --

any tricks you developed on doing things with just one hand?

travelgirl2

not sure if you're a lady, but I bet taking a bra on and off is tough...

lyb

travelgirl,

yes, i'm woman and thankfully, i have a bra that has a front snap -- but i only have 1, so i think i'll have to go buy another or this one will be worn out by march 1st!

TahitiTams

I wrote on Fodor's about having a broken foot and winning a trip to Sydney Australia and my Doctor said it would be very dangerous to go..
Deep Vein Thrombosis is common after foot surgery when flying long distances..I was not going to forfeit that trip with the Four Seasons suite..No way!
Thank you for the kudo's but if you can do it, why not..
I went to Maine/Cape Cod in September with Shingles..talk about pain..and I'm not even old.

mellifluous

I fractured my wrist, slipping on ice, two weeks before my winter trip to the Caribbean. Since I live to snorkel on these trips, I was so sad. My Ortho was very accommodating and after a week in a plaster cast, he removed it and gave me two removable casts. One to wear while snorkeling and one for the rest of the time. While my wrist still hurt a lot, I was able to snorkel, which really meant the world to me.

OO

Ouch lyb!!

For bras...I had a shoulder injury that was the devil with getting a bra on. Hook your "regular" bras in the front (as if you were putting it on backwards), then pull the front around where it belongs.

My daughter broke her arm roller skating and was in a cast to her shoulder too. It was winter and the devil to get it into anything long sleeved. Hopefully you are in a part of CA where it's warm enough you don't need sleeves all the time. Her bonus...her orthopedist made a plaster of paris long stemmed rose, which we painted, on the portion of the cast on her lower arm. It was quite the conversation piece.

Fodorite018

lyb--So you can't bend your elbow, right? Oh, that is rough! My cast went right to my elbow, but I could move it. I agree...I never realized how much a break could hurt...mine hurt so much worse the day after the cast went on. The entire drive I was in tears. For tips...I think the best that I have is to use plastic newspaper bags to cover your arm in the shower. Use a rubberband to secure it. And shoes...get some mules or some other slipon. To do your hair, forget using a brush...I just used a diffuser. Buy pumps for you shampoo, and those items. I hope you are in a warmer part of CA so that clothing is easier for you. My DH's retirement was a month later, so I begged my doctor to take the cast off. He did, and put me in a plastic one, which was removeable. That was so much easier to work with, but I did have to be careful. So you might ask about that. I did have to go to hand therapy for a few month afterward to regain use/strength and that was kind of painful too. Not sure if you will need anything like that, but if you do, just don't be surprised.

BeachGirl247

Ouch! I can't imagine a broken wrist as nothing would get done around here. And all the little things like showering, dressing, etc.

We had a Paris trip planned -- our first one -- when a couple of weeks before I decided to move my parents tv by myself and injured my back -- ruptured a disc. Very painful. (Still is) But I went anyway and had a great trip.

lyb

>>Hook your "regular" bras in the front (as if you were putting it on backwards), then pull the front around where it belongs.<<

thanks, i don't know why i didn't think of that! i guess there's too many things i'm trying to figure oou how to do.

>>mine hurt so much worse the day after the cast went on<<

glad to hear that, because i got the real cast on yesterday and it did hurt more, my elbow is killing me -- it's good to hear that's normal the day after. they had given me some vicadin (sp?) for the pain which i didn't take until last night bevause i couldn't sleep because of the pain, so i decided to take half of a pill and it did help.

i go back to the dr in a week, hopefully he might change the cast.

i live in northern CA and it is cold these days, luckily i have a great wrap that i bought in venice that i throw over my shoulder. it keeps me warm and i can think of venice.

while i was waiting in the emergency room and the pain was excruciating, i went to venive a loy. i closed my eyes and imagined myself in venice to ease the pain .. it worked a little.

lyb

>> i went to venive a loy<<

meant a LOT -- also not easy typing with just one hand!

Fodorite018

lol lyb Yes, the typing is hard!!! I didn't go to the doctor til 3 days after I broke mine. He was amazed I had gone so long without pain pills. We were in the mountains though, so I just waited til we got home. Not one of my best moves Finding clothing that goes over a cast can be hard. Friends loaned me things, which was great.