I am kind of nervous about my appointment with my orthopedist this afternoon. I am not currently in a cast, but really would like to be back in one or have some sort of treatment plan going forward. I want to heal and feel as though I've been at a standstill recently. So, vibes are needed.
As some of you may know, I broke my scaphoid/navicular bone in my left hand/wrist about a month ago. It was a big hullabaloo (is that even how you spell that word?!) because the bone would sometimes appear fractured on x-rays, but, at other times, it would not. The scaphoid is one of the most difficult bones to diagnose fractures in and is also hard to treat due to its placement and issues with blood flow. So, that being said, I was placed in a cast almost immediately after the injury. Since then, I have had a series of short arm casts as well as one munster cast (it goes above the elbow along the side and back of your arm, but the top and inside of your elbow is left uncovered so that you can bend your arm, but not fully extend it). However, a bit over a week ago, my last cast broke and came apart -- leaving me with no protection aside from a small splint provided by the emergency department. The ortho didn't want to place a cast on me last week as I was recovering from a very terrible stomach virus and so I've been without much support. However, that may change today.
I had an MRI done Monday evening so that we could definitively see what was happening with my scaphoid/navicular bone as well as other bones, tendons, and ligaments in my hand, wrist, and arm. And, I have an appointment in about an hour with my orthopedist to find out the results of that MRI. Depending on what was seen, the next step could be anything from surgery to a long arm cast to a short arm cast to an aircast/splint to, well, nothing. I don't know what to expect and I am a bit anxious. While I still have lingering pain and tenderness, it's usually not more than what I would feel if I had a sprain or strain. However, I have a lot of issues with movement. I can't put my hand into a fist without sharp pain, my thumb's ability to move is limited, and I cannot grip or lift anything more than a couple of pieces of paper -- and, even then, I often wind up dropping the papers since my hand cannot grip for more than a minute or so. And, then, there's the nerve pain. Apparently, the navicular nerve runs right along the scaphoid and it has caused me a lot of pain in my hand and wrist up into my elbow and shoulder. So, that being said, I would like some sort of treatment intervention at this point. But, by the same token, a cast or, worse, surgery, is not the most appealing of thoughts. But, regardless, I am kind of hoping for a cast since I did feel so much better with it on. It may not be fun, but healing is my top priority.
So, if you could just send out some vibes that my hand, wrist, and arm are properly taken care of this afternoon, it would be most appreciated. And, I promise to come back and update after my appointment. Thank you all in advance!
As some of you may know, I broke my scaphoid/navicular bone in my left hand/wrist about a month ago. It was a big hullabaloo (is that even how you spell that word?!) because the bone would sometimes appear fractured on x-rays, but, at other times, it would not. The scaphoid is one of the most difficult bones to diagnose fractures in and is also hard to treat due to its placement and issues with blood flow. So, that being said, I was placed in a cast almost immediately after the injury. Since then, I have had a series of short arm casts as well as one munster cast (it goes above the elbow along the side and back of your arm, but the top and inside of your elbow is left uncovered so that you can bend your arm, but not fully extend it). However, a bit over a week ago, my last cast broke and came apart -- leaving me with no protection aside from a small splint provided by the emergency department. The ortho didn't want to place a cast on me last week as I was recovering from a very terrible stomach virus and so I've been without much support. However, that may change today.
I had an MRI done Monday evening so that we could definitively see what was happening with my scaphoid/navicular bone as well as other bones, tendons, and ligaments in my hand, wrist, and arm. And, I have an appointment in about an hour with my orthopedist to find out the results of that MRI. Depending on what was seen, the next step could be anything from surgery to a long arm cast to a short arm cast to an aircast/splint to, well, nothing. I don't know what to expect and I am a bit anxious. While I still have lingering pain and tenderness, it's usually not more than what I would feel if I had a sprain or strain. However, I have a lot of issues with movement. I can't put my hand into a fist without sharp pain, my thumb's ability to move is limited, and I cannot grip or lift anything more than a couple of pieces of paper -- and, even then, I often wind up dropping the papers since my hand cannot grip for more than a minute or so. And, then, there's the nerve pain. Apparently, the navicular nerve runs right along the scaphoid and it has caused me a lot of pain in my hand and wrist up into my elbow and shoulder. So, that being said, I would like some sort of treatment intervention at this point. But, by the same token, a cast or, worse, surgery, is not the most appealing of thoughts. But, regardless, I am kind of hoping for a cast since I did feel so much better with it on. It may not be fun, but healing is my top priority.
So, if you could just send out some vibes that my hand, wrist, and arm are properly taken care of this afternoon, it would be most appreciated. And, I promise to come back and update after my appointment. Thank you all in advance!
