Thursday, October 8, 2009

On day 4 of physiotherapy

1. Physiotherapy hurts like hell.
2. It really helps!

Since this Monday I've been spending part of each day in the hospital physiotherapy department . The first procedure I have is ultrasound therapy, which reduces the pain- an ultrasound probe is coated with gel, and my wrist is gently massaged with it. After that my wrist and hand are encased in molten wax and wrapped in a sheet of plastic and a towel. Once the wax cools down it is removed. This is followed by various painful exercises to help my hand regain its strength and full range of movement.

I also have to work on it at home: I have to soak it alternately in hot and cold water (as hot as I can bear, and as cold as tolerable), and then exercise it. I actually sit in the bathroom and read, with my left arm in a bucket up to my elbow!
I have bought a soft ball which I can squash thoroughly with my right hand, hardly at all with the left. I'm supposed to squeeze the ball as often as I can, throughout the day.

Today, for the first time since the fracture, I rolled out a few chapatis for the SRE's breakfast and packed lunch. It was painful, but it felt like a major triumph. Normalcy seems possible now.
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19 comments:

  1. starry eyedOctober 8, 2009 at 8:21 PM

    Awwww....physio really does help...but I wasn't as industrious as you with the 'home-work'...sounds like you're doing major hard work...am sure you'll be back to normal very very soon. Kudos!

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  2. ChoxboxOctober 8, 2009 at 8:55 PM

    Hope you get fully normal soon.

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  3. raOctober 8, 2009 at 9:39 PM

    is this the 3rd degree or physio...anyway hope you make a full recovery soon

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  4. UnknownOctober 8, 2009 at 11:16 PM

    Lay off the chapati rolling .Or has the doctor vetted it ?

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  5. radsOctober 9, 2009 at 4:25 AM

    Oh yes! I remember the very painful first steps after my knee surgery last year this time. The walk to the bathroom without crutches, the highlight!

    Hang in there Dipali, it's a matter of time :)

    ..and with that wrist, you actually commented on my blog while teh rest of the 100 or so folks just whizzed past it. Am flattered and honored! Thank you :)

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  6. PenguinOctober 9, 2009 at 7:04 AM

    HUGS! I hope the wrist gets better super soon!

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  7. EraOctober 9, 2009 at 9:35 AM

    Keep up the good work, it does pay off.

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  8. BannoOctober 9, 2009 at 10:30 AM

    That's hard. Get OK soon.

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  9. Tall Girl in Japan October 9, 2009 at 11:10 AM

    My aunt broke her wrist almost the same time as you and I remember last week when she could close her fingers fully to make a fist she was so excited she called me long distance to relay the good news !
    Hope you recover fully real soon.
    And may I be impertinent enough to suggest the intake of some calcium :-)

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  10. NatashaOctober 9, 2009 at 1:36 PM

    Yeah, for being able to roll chappatis. But shouldn't you give it a little more time before you start doing that. Why stress the poor wrist more than it needs to be stressed?

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  11. NatashaOctober 9, 2009 at 1:36 PM

    Yeah, for being able to roll chappatis. But shouldn't you give it a little more time before you start doing that. Why stress the poor wrist more than it needs to be stressed?

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  12. Mamma mia! Me a mamma?October 9, 2009 at 5:53 PM

    Kudos! This was indeed as triumph! Celebrate!

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  13. dipaliOctober 12, 2009 at 10:00 AM

    @starry: I tend to start with a bang and fizzle out in most efforts, but this feels too important to let slide!
    I hope I keep it up:)
    @ choxbox: I hope so too:) Thanks!
    @ ra: 3rd degree claiming to be physio? Thanks:)
    @ eve's lungs: The doctor is advising me to use my hand as much as I can. I can't roll out more than 2-4 chapatis in a single session, the maid makes most of them still.
    @rads: Yes, you've been there, I know. The effort is now in getting the painful left hand back at the keyboard- I was writing everything with my right hand till this morning!
    @Penguin: Thank you so much!
    @Era: Yes, there is already such a difference!
    @Banno: Thanks- I'm working towards it!
    @Ruch: Lovely seeing you here! My fist is still not very tightly clenched, but the strength increases by the day. I'm glad your aunt is doing better too. I've been taking calcium for years, I just happened to have a really bad fall.
    @Rayna M. Iyer: I wanted to see if I could! Now I'm back to my lazy ways:)
    @m4: Yes, each little step forward is something to celebrate:)

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  14. nityaOctober 13, 2009 at 8:39 PM

    You are doing all the right things - hugs and best wishes. :-)

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  15. dipaliOctober 13, 2009 at 8:48 PM

    @Nitya: Thank you.

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  16. Indian in NZOctober 16, 2009 at 6:05 PM

    I hope the wrist is much better now !

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  17. dipaliOctober 17, 2009 at 11:13 PM

    @2B's Mom: It's getting there, slowly but surely. Thanks:)

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  18. wordjunkieOctober 22, 2009 at 10:42 AM

    Hugs. Do go easy on housework.

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  19. UnknownOctober 22, 2009 at 12:43 PM

    Let the SRE eat bread for a while Dips. Give the hand some rest.

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