Cast-off

A couple of weeks after having the smaller cast on, I saw my physio again.  She was very pleased with the flexibility and told me I could stop wearing the cast for things like driving short distances and no longer needed to sleep in it.  Given that those were the only things I was actually still wearing the thing for, after I left that day I have not worn it again!  She also said we can start to work on strengthening from now on, which means it could be about to get a whole load more painful!
A couple of days later, exactly 6 weeks after the operation, I was back at Spire for an x-ray and a meeting with my surgeon.  He seemed pleased with how things are going and asked to see me again in about 6 weeks.  I have to say, I left his office feeling somewhat deflated.  If I'm honest, I don't think there is much difference in my wrist now from how it was before the operation - aside from another bluddy great scar.  It still hurts just as much (in fact sometimes more so), and my range of movement hasn't improved at all.  I know I shouldn't, but sometimes I feel a bit negative about the whole thing!  A colleague asked me out of interest what sort of things the lack of rotation limits me from doing, as I guess until you can't rotate your wrist you have no clue as to how not being able to do so might affect you.  I've listed a few things below.  Although none of these are a massive hinderance, over the course of each day they do add up and although not life-limiting, it can get pretty frustrating from time-to-time!

• Eating or doing anything that requires holding a spoon/fork level.
• Opening and closing my car boot.
• Wiping my bum (sorry, TMI!!!!!!!).
• Applying lip gloss or lipstick.
• Plucking eyebrows.
• Carrying cups - I can do this but it hurts.
• Carrying a plate - I can't level it out so stuff would fall off.  So if you combine this with the point above you have a problem!
• Washing and applying moisturiser to certain parts of my body.
• Eating chips and dip (and anyone who knows me knows how often I do this!).
• Doing my nails.
• Doing my hair.
• Washing my face and doing my make-up.
• Blowing my nose.
• Picking up cats and small children - I can't create that cradle.
• Holding my mobile in my right hand means I can't hold it flat.
• Licking my fingers on my right hand isn't easy!  Neither is eating pizza!
• Using a camera.
• Ladelling soup at the work canteen. Or anything else for that matter.
• Accepting change.
• Getting soap into my hands from soap dispensers.
• As and when I think of more, I'll add them, so this will be an ever-expanding list!!!

Anyway, as an aside to all that, here is a picture of the new scar.  Very neat, but not exactly subtle!  Thankfully, because it's on the far side of my wrist, and because I can't rotate it, it's actually quite hard for me to see it!!  There's always a silver lining!!