The Lemon Fool

Long story short:
The back of my wrist on the outer side suffered a hefty blow in the summer (mid August).
Diagnosis: one of the smaller bones at the hand/forearm join on the little finger side of the wrist was cracked.

Months on and although assumed healed, it still swells up (and can ache/twinge a lot when it does), consequently making my wrist and hand difficult to use for some hours when it does swell up.
Swelling happens especially if standing about (blood pooling in hand?) or if overheating from exertion (hands being used as heat exchangers when body temp rises?).

Someone suggested it might go on for a year or two.
Do you think maybe it's not actually healed?
Any guesses as to how long I might have (or have to mitigate) the annoying swelling issues?

Thanks!

Bones if cracked/fractured tend to heal in 6-8 weeks
it may not have heajed cleanly
Nip down to your local A&E and get it x-rayed

As you get older the healing process takes longer.

John

BT63 wrote:Long story short:
The back of my wrist on the outer side suffered a hefty blow in the summer (mid August).
Diagnosis: one of the smaller bones at the hand/forearm join on the little finger side of the wrist was cracked.

Months on and although assumed healed, it still swells up (and can ache/twinge a lot when it does), consequently making my wrist and hand difficult to use for some hours when it does swell up.
Swelling happens especially if standing about (blood pooling in hand?) or if overheating from exertion (hands being used as heat exchangers when body temp rises?).

Someone suggested it might go on for a year or two.
Do you think maybe it's not actually healed?
Any guesses as to how long I might have (or have to mitigate) the annoying swelling issues?

Thanks!

I'm not clinically qualified in any way. But I seem to recall that the process of healing broken bones involves laying down lots of bone around the break and then it is "etched" away over the next 12 months leaving the area as it once was. So I think swelling can be part of the healing process.

However, better safe than sorry and I'd go to a walk in centre and see what some clinicians say.

Take care

AiY

Thanks for the replies.

I'm hesitant to go for an x-ray because it's a very inconvenient time for my arm to be out of action again for several weeks because I need to be out and about using the car a lot.
Also hospitals and GPs are severely stretched so there are plenty more important things for doctors to be doing than seeing me - and I would be so embarrassed if, after hours of appointments/x-rays/scans etc, my troubles are just part of the longer-term healing process.

However, it's also inconvenient for my arm to be out of action for a day or two every week due to the aching and swelling. There's also the concern that if it isn't properly healed, it might worsen until it breaks spectacularly at some point and needs screwing back together.

Hobson's choice.

I was hoping someone might have suffered similarly and it was just part of the healing process.

BT63 wrote:Thanks for the replies.

I'm hesitant to go for an x-ray because it's a very inconvenient time for my arm to be out of action again for several weeks because I need to be out and about using the car a lot.
Also hospitals and GPs are severely stretched so there are plenty more important things for doctors to be doing than seeing me - and I would be so embarrassed if, after hours of appointments/x-rays/scans etc, my troubles are just part of the longer-term healing process.

However, it's also inconvenient for my arm to be out of action for a day or two every week due to the aching and swelling. There's also the concern that if it isn't properly healed, it might worsen until it breaks spectacularly at some point and needs screwing back together.

Hobson's choice.

I was hoping someone might have suffered similarly and it was just part of the healing process.

I would suggest that you don't continue to suffer. You might need further treatment (Steroid injection?).

BT63 wrote:.
I'm hesitant to go for an x-ray because it's a very inconvenient time for my arm to be out of action again for several weeks because I need to be out and about using the car a lot.

I have no idea how old you are but just leaving it is likely to cause you issues in your later years
Inconvenience now vs aggro later
not an easy choice but....

pje16 wrote:....I have no idea how old you are...

Middle-aged. Closest round number is 50 but prefer not to be too specific on open forums.

thats ok, sorry I wasn't trying to be nosy
but just give a bit of friendly advice
I have a mate who had a bad accident in his 20s, is now in his 60's and bones he damaged, even though treated properly at the time, are causing him pain on daily basis
take care of yourself

BT63 wrote:

pje16 wrote:....I have no idea how old you are...

Middle-aged. Closest round number is 50 but prefer not to be too specific on open forums.

No need to be coy. I doubt that anyone could identify you anyway, but no matter. Why not give your GP surgery a call and speak to a doctor and ask him about your concerns?

Dod

pje16 wrote:thats ok, sorry I wasn't trying to be nosy
but just give a bit of friendly advice
I have a mate who had a bad accident in his 20s, is now in his 60's and bones he damaged, even though treated properly at the time, are causing him pain on daily basis
take care of yourself

No need to apologise - I didn't take offence.
I was just being careful about giving out specific information.

pje16 wrote:I have a mate who had a bad accident in his 20s, is now in his 60's and bones he damaged, even though treated properly at the time, are causing him pain on daily basis

My wife broke her wrist skiing about 25yrs ago shortly before we got together - she says nothing complicated about the injury - but she can't remember much about her healing process in the months following her injury, other than commenting that it still grumbles when spending a lot of time manipulating things.

BT63 wrote:My wife broke her wrist skiing about 25yrs ago ...it still grumbles when spending a lot of time manipulating things.

As this isn't Beerpig we won't comment...

I damaged a knee in a car smash forty years ago, and if I walk too far or carry heavy weights it expresses discontent and swells up.
In my case there is nothing that can be done, but I would at least talk to the GP about having your wrist X-rayed to ensure it's healing properly.
I tend to agree about pressures on the NHS, I would think one could book an X-ray privately.

V8

88V8 wrote:

BT63 wrote:My wife broke her wrist skiing about 25yrs ago ...it still grumbles when spending a lot of time manipulating things.

As this isn't Beerpig we won't comment...

She's (mostly) right-handed and it was her left wrist which was broken, so all's good in that respect.

88V8 wrote:I damaged a knee in a car smash forty years ago, and if I walk too far or carry heavy weights it expresses discontent and swells up.

Do you know why it swells so long after the injury?

BT63 wrote:Thanks for the replies.

I'm hesitant to go for an x-ray because it's a very inconvenient time for my arm to be out of action again for several weeks because I need to be out and about using the car a lot.
Also hospitals and GPs are severely stretched so there are plenty more important things for doctors to be doing than seeing me - and I would be so embarrassed if, after hours of appointments/x-rays/scans etc, my troubles are just part of the longer-term healing process.

However, it's also inconvenient for my arm to be out of action for a day or two every week due to the aching and swelling. There's also the concern that if it isn't properly healed, it might worsen until it breaks spectacularly at some point and needs screwing back together.

Hobson's choice.

I was hoping someone might have suffered similarly and it was just part of the healing process.

BT63 ... some tough love coming your way ... and the emphasis is on love

Please go to a walk in centre. They will help. If you need and x-ray they will do it there. You will not be ridiculed, laughed at or told to go away. You will be treated by professionals. Caring people. Just do it please.

We all want you to get some help. We're not telling you what you should do. But if we have to we reserve the tight to order you I know' my sense of humour is a work in progress.

We genuinely want what is best for you.

Do it for us

Take care

AiY

AsleepInYorkshire wrote:

BT63 wrote:Thanks for the replies.

I'm hesitant to go for an x-ray because it's a very inconvenient time for my arm to be out of action again for several weeks because I need to be out and about using the car a lot.
Also hospitals and GPs are severely stretched so there are plenty more important things for doctors to be doing than seeing me - and I would be so embarrassed if, after hours of appointments/x-rays/scans etc, my troubles are just part of the longer-term healing process.

However, it's also inconvenient for my arm to be out of action for a day or two every week due to the aching and swelling. There's also the concern that if it isn't properly healed, it might worsen until it breaks spectacularly at some point and needs screwing back together.

Hobson's choice.

I was hoping someone might have suffered similarly and it was just part of the healing process.

BT63 ... some tough love coming your way ... and the emphasis is on love

Please go to a walk in centre. They will help. If you need and x-ray they will do it there. You will not be ridiculed, laughed at or told to go away. You will be treated by professionals. Caring people. Just do it please.

We all want you to get some help. We're not telling you what you should do. But if we have to we reserve the tight to order you I know' my sense of humour is a work in progress.

We genuinely want what is best for you.

Do it for us

Take care

AiY

I'll second that.
Having it looked at won't make it worse, quite the opposite.
You really wouldn't want it to properly give out at an inopportune moment due to stressing it.
Better to get the all clear from a professional... or the care it's presently missing out on.
My missus is presently dealing with what she'd put off as a bad bit of swelling because she'd tripped and walloped her finger rushing to answer an urgent phone call she was expecting.. I'll see if I can find the photos

-sd

OK found it
I present one walloped ring finger from two angles



It really just looked swollen from the outside
- took about a week to be addressed though because the owner was busy

it's back where it should be now (well accurately it's compressed with some fancy rubber velcro stuff and sheathed in a custom hard plastic helmet while it heals) and according to those that put it there she was lucky that there's not been any permanent damage given she was trying to use it

it's never worth putting off getting something looked at

- sd

on a simlar theme
What a halfwit
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/59251263

BT63 wrote:

88V8 wrote:I damaged a knee in a car smash forty years ago, and if I walk too far or carry heavy weights it expresses discontent and swells up.

Do you know why it swells so long after the injury?

The knee tendon was partly severed, and there was cartilage damage. I think it's the cartilage that's residual.

I broke my sternum this June. I was told that the bone would knit in about 6-8 weeks, but the cartilage/soft tissue damage would take a lot longer, perhaps six months. Where are we... five months.. I'd say it's OK now.

V8