If You Break Your Right Arm (and you’re right-handed). 7 Tips.

Recently, I fell while running in my basement and broke my right wrist. Yes, you read that right. I run [ran] 5K in an oval in my basement three times a week, because I’m afraid of falling off a treadmill or tripping in a pothole outside. . .

Smile compliments of dilaudid.
Smile: compliments of dilaudid.

That morning, I caught my toe on the splayed leg of our aged ping-pong table. It seemed like it took about five minutes to hit the concrete floor, and on the way, I had plenty of time to think about how this wasn’t gonna be good.

I knew this because about 10 years ago, I was walking the dog, wearing clogs in the rain, and fell on my left wrist, requiring the surgical implantation of hardware that remains there today. I was probably trying to shield that wrist and ended up breaking my right radius into 15 pieces, which somehow managed to stay together, so, I probably won’t need surgery (fingers crossed). We’re three weeks post-injury, and the bone man will make his final decision next week.

Anyhow, it’s bad enough to break your non-dominant arm, but what happens when you break your right wrist, and you’re right handed? What do you do when the ER folks are overzealous and splint you up to the tips of your fingers and practically up to your armpit, and you’re in it for a week?

You know this will be over in a month or two, and you don’t want to abuse your Amazon Prime with dedicated handicap aids, so how do you function? Here are seven tips that won’t break the bank, if you’re ever without the use of your dominant hand.IMG_2199

  1. For bathing (a): Pump bottles of shampoo and body wash in the shower. I just happened to purchase these in pump form before my fall, and I’m glad I did. I must be psychic.
  2. For bathing (b): Invest in a commercial cast protector rather than a plastic bag and a rubber band. You can put it on by yourself! Yes, it will set you back about $15, but that’s better than having to deal with a wet arm or having to be recasted because you have water in your cast or splint. CURAD® has a good one, but I wish they made a long-arm version. I had one for my last break, but I don’t know what happened to it.
  3. To open jars: Use two of those rubber grippers you got at the bank, one on the counter, and one to turn the lid. This really works, and I may use this hack to open spaghetti sauce jars forever! If this doesn’t work, you can try placing the jar between your knees and use the rubber gripper to turn the lid.
  4. To open lids, in general: Remember to turn the opposite way than you are used to. It takes an actual thought process to remember this. If you can’t get into your pain-med bottle, use the rubber-gripper hack above to push down on the lid. If you have the kind that requires you to push the tab down and then turn the lid, you may need assistance.
  5. For food prep: If you need to slice fruits and vegetables and no one else is around, use an electric knife. If you don’t have an electric knife, borrow one, but don’t buy one. You can buy plenty of precut fruits and veggies at the grocery store.
  6. To use scissors: I got this tip from a lefty friend. Turn the scissors upside down. Yes, you might pinch your fingers in the smaller hole, but it works.
  7. To open a Ziploc® bag: There are always your teeth, but when that gets old and your teeth get sore, you can hold down one side with your ring finger and pull up on the other with your thumb and middle finger. It works!IMG_2181

I hope these tips help you if you ever are without the use of your dominant hand. Do you have any other tips to share with us? Please comment below!

IMG_2190
I got a white cast, so people could sign it in many colors. Here’s what it looked like on the way home.

(You might wonder how I typed this post with one hand. I’m happy to say that I have a short-arm cast now, and I started typing with both hands two days ago, thanks to ibuprofen!)

Update: June 27, 2017 – Even my English major eye could tell that the bone didn’t look good on the X-ray this this morning. So, there will be surgery later this week. I guess I’ll get to use my new skills for a bit longer!

Update: July 23, 2017 – Surgery went well, and I’m on the road to recovery. I have a removable splint, instead of a cast, so I was able to start PT one week after surgery!

Update: October 11, 2017 – Here are some things that breaking my dominant wrist taught me:

7 Things I Learned After Breaking My Dominant Wrist.

 

Please scroll down for more tips from others going through the same challenges!

 

Ann Silverthorn

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63 Comments on “If You Break Your Right Arm (and you’re right-handed). 7 Tips.

  1. I am going to try a few of those tricks myself. Opening jars and pill bottles is not easy!! If I don’t succeed I may ask for a demo!! Thanks for your upbeat blog!

  2. I recently tripped and fell on concrete injuring my right hand and for now it’s in a temporary splint. I have really struggled doing everything with just my left hand. I never realized how many things you needed two hands for. Thanks for writing this post it’s immensely helpful.

  3. Tips are good. Dominant wrist shattered 2/11/18 surgery with plate on 2/13. Week later I showered. Walk in shower and water everywhere. Shampoo/conditioner combo helped during the second shower. Bot tightening caps helps as well as filling water bottles once for all day esp if your still using a bed tray. Everything takes extra steps and forethought. One learns patience. Stitches out next week and I’m expecting less struggle when I gave a removable protective cast. No medical people really talked to me about how to manage after surgery. Certainly a adventure in problem solving and engineering.

    • Oh, I’m so sorry to hear this. The removable cast is wonderful, because you will progress much quicker than having a cast for six weeks. When I broke the other wrist 14 years ago, I had a cast after surgery and six weeks later, when the cast came off, my wrist was immovable. When my son broke his four years ago, he had a removable splint and was in physical therapy three days after surgery! Make sure to do all your physical therapy exercises. You want to get as much range of motion back as possible. Best wishes!

  4. week 1 waiting for surgery, typing left and still not getting clean or dressed. week 2, found my power with the vice grips and my strong feet holding the containers on the floor, and for larger OJ containers, and others with the seal of plastic, the pounding screwdriver and 3lb hammer worked for me. My worst struggle is getting clean, bath powder (i made my hack, no one knows what a powder puff is) and the bra. Sweats no good when the chafing started/. still need help, but living alone is hard. Small slice in good hand on cat food cans, but i have a hack for that, sort of. Left hand so good to me, gets ice, too. thank you for ur blog, and anybody who hurts should feel better! i keep a list, lefthanded, of all i will accomplish when this is better. my fmla was not certified by my surgeon. found ou today. hope i can do my tasks well lefty long enough to convince them. hang in there, anyone out there sufferin and surviving this. cas 🙂

  5. ps… 1 wk since plate and screw surgery. got 2nd hair wash and shower with seat. powder still issue. noticed chafing today. i can drive. seat belt is difficult. icing and exercise priority so i can point and click @ my info tech job 34 yrs. i tripped on 3rd cat out of bathroom 2 weeks ago. i still love them. cas 🙂

    • Oh my goodness. You have had a time of it! Was it difficult learning to use the mouse left-handed? I agree with you that seatbelts are very difficult as is shifting, even with an automatic. Regarding your cats, a friend of mine had foot surgery a few weeks ago and texted me tonight that she tripped over her cat today! Will you go to physical therapy? If so, do your exercises faithfully, even through the pain. My range of motion is nearly normal, but there are some gestures I make that I can see a difference between right and left. Did you read the companion piece to this post? It’s a reflection after healing from this injury. http://annsilverthorn.com/index.php/4805/7-things-i-learned-after-breaking-my-dominant-wrist/
      Best wishes to you and I hope you heal very well. Hugs to your kitties.

  6. Thank you for your great suggestions. Am waiting for distal biceps tendon reattachment surgery of my dominant hand/arm. And pretty much on my own-22 year old son back from college but that is not always a plus…
    Some things I have been getting in place before surgery:
    stretchy shoelace replacements for sneakers so no tying
    earbud headset for cell phone
    sport bras that have no hooks
    dental floss picks
    pump everything –
    put spices in shakers so no unscrewing cap

    Am working on mouse with left..that is a slow go.
    And verbal texting.
    Keep the suggestions coming!
    Gratefully, Lisa

    • These are great tips, Lisa. Thank you! Yes, the dental floss picks. I used those, too! Getting used to the mouse with the left hand sure is a challenge. Best wishes on your surgery!

  7. I lost a tendon in my thumb in Jan and had surgery at the end of july to transplant one from a finger. I have been two months in a cast and found your info helpful. I had fallen in May and injured my left. Becoming a lefty put strain on it so currently i have both hands casted but i can take my right one off half the time. I am hoping to get full function back of it
    Some of the things i did before surgery since i live alone was buy sweat pants and Tshirts and velcro sandels , sign a month worth of checks ahead of time and then called the bank when those were gone to let them know my signature would be off. Put things i needed to refill like dog food in small buckets And stock up on items because trips to the store are the pits when you have lots of bags to carry. But I did use big cloth bags that go one my shoulder. Another thing i didnt do but a friend loaned me what good icepacks

    • Allison, I’m sorry to hear about your troubles, but I hope that things will look better soon. Thank you for providing these tips. They will be very helpful to anyone who comes across this page. Take care.

  8. Thank you so much for your suggestions. My 7 year old just broke her right arm and we trying to figure how to help her be as independent with this injury as possible, as this is her dominant hand. She broke her left arm last year so it was easier to manage. I am trying to figure out how to help her write for school. We will conquer this!

  9. I just broke my wrist, right before the holidays, and live alone. I love cooking and of course need to cook to eat even if I forgo the fun stuff. Any tips on cooking and cleaning since I’m solo?

    • Oh, Jessica! I’m so sorry this happened to you and that it happened before the holidays. Regarding cooking, I usually try to make things from scratch, which involves lots of chopping, etc. I became a fan of prepared foods when I broke my wrist. It’s only temporary, so I didn’t feel too guilty about it. They have lots of healthy frozen foods these days. You can always get the freshly prepared foods at the grocery store, too. Needless to say, this adds expense to your household budget, but again, it’s only temporary.
      When it came to cleaning, my standards went way down in that area, too! What I found was that I was able to do just about everything, but much, much more slowly. It was interesting, because this caused me to be more present in these activities, which was kind of nice. Best wishes and happy holidays to you!

  10. It was lovely to come across your blog post – sorry to hear about your wrists (having injured each one at some point), but it’s heartening to hear how you took things within your stride, as best you could! 😉

    I broke my right humerus about 4 weeks ago, and am still on the road to recovery. I am continuing to do physiotherapy exercises (1 week after surgery), and have regained about 50% of normal movement. 🙂 I will still wear it in a removable sling, until the Dr says it’s okay not to.

    Though I’ve had to stay in hospital a short while etc… I’d say that the most challenging thing is figuring out how to do things with my left hand (non-dominant). There’s a lot that you don’t usually think about… until you have to!

    Here a some things that I think are helpful:
    1. Having foods that are prepared/chopped so you can eat with just a spoon. (e.g. pieces of chicken, veggies & rice/pasta)
    2. Fruits that don’t require prep (berries, grapes, apples)
    3. Screw-top containers – ask people to leave them loose for you, so you can get to them! If they’re loose, they still won’t fall off 🙂
    4. Easy to wear shorts with elastic – you can pull them up with one hand, and avoid falls with long pants…
    5. If showering is difficult, just don’t force yourself to do it daily. 🙂 Once every few days if you can. I used a clean, damp hand towel to clean my skin for a while. And change underwear too!
    6. Auto-fill when typing on your phone – really came in handy when I could only use my left hand! And just check for errors 😉
    7. Leave chargers in plugs/wall outlets – for important stuff like your mobile. I couldn’t use my arm to even remove the plug, because it was painful. But as long as your phone isn’t connected, it shouldn’t waste electricity.

    I’m back at work now too, and here are some of the things I found I could do:
    1. Open simple screw-top bottles – grip the top of the plastic body with your palm around it, use your thumb and pointer/or middle finger to unscrew the cap!
    2. Stapling papers – for bundles of 3+ papers, line them up, put a heavy weight on it (e.g. metal padlock), then use your one hand to position the stapler with the paper sandwiched in-between, then press.
    3. Writing on paper – it keeps moving about! Find a heavy weight you like to use, preferably not glass so it won’t break whenever you knock it over 😉
    4. Typing left-handed – a week before I returned to work, I went on TypeRacer.com and practised heaps just using my left. Speed was not the focus, but more on training & muscle memory 🙂 Also improves your confidence too

    The things I struggle most with is brushing my long hair with one hand… still need help to do that. It will be a while before I can drive again. Can’t really answer the work phone & type at the same time (haha) so that’s when I ask for help. And my elbow is inflexible, so need help putting on a bra! As for cleaning my face, I found using disposable face wipes are good if you only have one hand.

    As said above, adjusting to using only your non-dominant hand really requires forethought, but it’s not too bad after that. 🙂 You feel a sense of achievement when you can overcome a problem on your own, just by a simple planning session. 😉 It helps boost your morale during your recovery, which is always a good thing.

      • Aww thanks Ann! ^_^ Well, it was your blog post that inspired me to share simple yet really helpful tips for those of us that need it~

    • I just broke my right humerus last weekend and I have 6 dogs and 3 kids and a husband who works 12 hours a day and I’m trying to figure out how to do everything, it’s so frustrating! Thanks for the tips!

      • Amanda, I hope you heal well and can get some help. Glad the tips might help you, and I think it’s awesome that others have left their tips in the comments as well. Best wishes!

    • I broke my right arm 4 days ago. I’m right-handed so I know the strain. I also have long hair and have trouble brushing it because I’m tender headed. So now I brush little by little from the bottom up. I found that a sports bra works well(without snaps). It just goes over your head.

  11. My 98 Mom has a deep cut with stitches on her elbow, so she can’t bend her right arm to eat. She is VERY right handed. I’ve searched for adaptive utensils; none! Suggestions?

    • Best wishes to your mom. Regarding utensils, I remember seeing utensils for Parkinson’s patients that kept the food steady. When I searched for those, called steady spoons, they were quite expensive. If you search for “utensils for Parkinson’s” you’ll find a lot of different utensils that have better grips and curved ends on them. These might help as she adapts to using her left hand for eating. Of course, many will be designed for right hand use, but maybe they have lefties. Other solutions might be finger foods. It will be important for her to keep moving the fingers on her right hand. I remember with my own dominant wrist break, the pain was so intense that I stopped moving my fingers and it took a lot of physical therapy to be able to move them again. Best of luck and hugs to your mom.

  12. Childproof caps on Advil Etc are easier to open one handed if you turn them upside down on the table with a rubber mat underneath and press the bottom don’t know why this works better then trying to press down from the tub but it does

  13. Funny, I tried some of these. Great tips. Thanks. When you rely on your dominant hand and it’s broken everything changes. The things I do differently is almost comical. Didn’t realize that something so simple like washing your hands would be so complicated. Well, you need 2 hands to do that! Thanks for this thread. It’s interesting.

    • Thanks for your feedback, Kathleen. It would definitely be helpful to find some humor in the situation!

  14. I am going in for Basal joint surgery on the 27th. I was so hoping I could find some information not being able to use my dominant hand. And there you were! Thank you so much for your tips and everyone’s tips!

    • Hi Trish!
      I’m so glad you found it. I really think it’s great the way that others have shared their tips, too. Very valuable. Best of luck with your surgery on the 27th!
      Ann

  15. Hi I am writing left-handed right now – day 15 after break of radius bone at wrist. I live alone and have found this to be very hard and frustrating. Several days ago I had my plaster fixed from what the emergency department had done which was cover fingers with plaster and my fingers were growing an awful cheese smelling ooze in there – so glad fingers are now free and clean. I had started to get ear buds with eucalyptus oil into the cast between fingers but so glad now area is aerated as revealing what was going on was like an ulcer between fingers.
    I have long hair and have washed it 3 times. Main issues are can’t tie it back. Trying to squirt shampoo / conditioner on to head can’t judge how much coming out of bottle. My hair is curly and unruly and usually straightened. I have managed with difficulty to straighten it once but not to normal level. The fact that I already had a bathroom with main items on bench and electrical items on hooks plugged in has been useful. Can’t put on make-up but did manage mascara with putting main tube in mouth and unscrewing with teeth and application with left hand (ear buddy for mistakes).
    Have had period and found it very challenging to remove plastic from tampon. Usually it would be a screw motion to remove – managed to find if put plastic covered tampon in mouth and bit it hard and then twisted plastic cover end could come off. Very laborious to do anything.

    Am finding that my mouth is very handy in this situation.

    Main issues are

    – left arm getting tired

    – lids

    – can’t use percolator for coffee – major problem -(joke) got large glass jug and brew coffee in it and then pour coffee through a tea strainer balanced on sauce pan and cup.

    -everything takes about five times as long.

    -accessing mobile phone password entry. Gritting my teeth and being prepared for it to take 15 attempts to enter password on smart phone touch screen is how it is.

    – was not advised to raise arm above heart to stop swelling until 12th day – now that can see fingers; realise swelling is major issue in the cast. Raise arm! My fingers are basically like sausage versions of themselves.

    -bathing. Have placed stool beside bath to rest arm on for bath. Have done glad wrap/plastic wrap or plastic bag for shower – using possibly 5mtrs wrap for it. Have placed sticky tape on bench. All of it is hard – as hurt back/arse in fall too. Have noticed now my skin seems to be peeling/ flaking – probably because its so used to normally being scrubbed hard daily and that’s just too hard. Not sure how you guys are using pump pack soap as I have tried but it means push down on pump and soap goes down side of bottle or on bench and then try scoop up – soap bar is kind of okay. Shaving underarms impossible but have done legs once.

    -food. Cooked rice once. Got online food delivery. Jars are out. Have found juicing fruit veg good. Light plastic wrapped things are ok can be ripped open with teeth or scissor if not too light / moves around bench. Feel too nauseous for food am losing weight. But attempted cook eggs last night hard to crack egg but did it. Anything pre-made good. Can’t navigate mouth with cutlery very well so preferably small things can just grab eat – muesli bars, biscuits, liquids, roast vegetables, fruit – tried tub yoghurts but cutlery in left hand managed to spill over clothes – eat over bench etc if attempting cutlery. Can’t cut cheese, bread, vegetables – everything moves around too much without hand steadying it. Food is work in progress. Thinking bbq may be good idea.

    – Bed issue with doonas moving down and not havng strength in left arm to pull up to bed head. It is winter and have 6 doonas. Have pulled all bed linen off and put back on once everything is ridiculously hard. Feel like you need to sit for hour after doing such task.

    – portable dvd player in bed good.

    – friend came over left some lids ajar on instant coffee and sugar jar – could kiss her.

    – my arm break is workcover incident so luckily had some taxi cab charges given to me to get to and from medical centres – if you want to give a normally independent person a present in this situation give them cab charges so they can have some dignity.

    – bra is major negotiation if hold it backwards around waist and put centre clip above navel can hold with right arm squeezed against torso and use left hand to do up clips then swivel it round right way and pull straps up across arms to normal shoulder position. Dressing tracksuit pants leggings anything stretch – ugg boots are still very loved right now – for more outing just large pull on clothing that can fit over large cast and be pulled on.

    – gritting teeth and attempting everything is about the only way I am surviving this. I miss cracking pepper on to everything. I miss percolated coffee. I miss jumping into my car – it’s still at incident location. Feel quite house trapped but trying to ignore.

    Looking forward to future and right arm working.

    • Oh, Rachelle, my heart goes out to you. You’ve brought up such good details. Everyone has. My post is minor compared to all the helpful responses. Hope you heal quickly.

  16. I broke my right (dominant) distal radius 9 days ago. Things I’ve managed to do myself: shower in a cast that goes past my elbow.
    Blow dry the top inside edge of the cast on “cool” because for a moment I’d forgotten to hold my arm WAY high.
    Don a longline front hook bra. (Laid it on high bed, sat next 2 it, stumbled quickly on a good one-hand technique for the hooks and eyes, baby powder my torso, step in, wiggled and tugged.
    Sliced 2 loaves of bread and a block of cheese with a bread slicing guide and an electric knife
    Got the caps off my pill bottles and left them off
    Figured out to avoid heavy lifting so I don’t get a tendinitis on the left wrist
    Practiced the Getty-Dubay Italic handwriting program and figured out i do best turning the paper 90 degrees so the top edge is at my left
    Lost my sling in the house somewhere then fashioned a strap around my neck that I can slip the cast in and out of—much better
    Stopped NSAID after a week cuz they might inhibit bone healing. (Jury is still out on that)Just doing Tylenol and cold.
    Added Vitamin C 500 mg daily to decrease risk of Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome.
    Can’t put my hair up. Taught my mom with a YouTube video. We are a 3 generation household otherwise I’d get it cut short cuz it’s really hot this time of year

    I pinch my shoulder blades down and back and together along with postural correction whenever I think about it.
    Benadryl for itching at night.
    I try a task before I ask for help. Unless it’s something heavy. I split the load if possible.

    • Michelle,
      Thank you for these valuable tips. I wish I had read yours before I broke my wrists!
      Happy healing.
      Ann

  17. I am so glad I stumbled onto this page as I just broke my right wrist yesterday and don’t know how I am going to manage being left handed indefinitely as my right hand is my dominant one. Thank you to everyone for all the great advice

    • Hi Carol. Sorry to hear about your break. Glad all the tips people have shared seem helpful to you. You will get through this just fine, even though you might sometimes wonder how! Happy healing! Ann

  18. Thank you for this thread with all the helpful tips. I have surgery in two days so I started practicing with my left hand. I wrote out checks through the next month; I put my pills in open containers; I learned how to fill my glass from the Pur tank on the counter! Much relieved because I drink a lot; I mixed my tea and water in 5 different drinking cups so I wouldn’t have to pour from heavy Brita pitchers or bottles. I’m glad I will see both a PT and an Occupational Therapist before I go home. And thank God for my sister! I live alone so she will help out as needed.

    • Dear Jane,
      Best of luck to you with your upcoming surgery and recovery. You have a great attitude toward this, and I’ll bet you’ll be happy you did some prep work ahead of time. PT and OT are essential. Sisters are the best (I don’t have one, and wish I did!).
      Take care,
      Ann

  19. I’m having a dominant wrist trapezectomy (thumb joint repair) in 2 1/2 weeks and super stressed to be dependent on my husband. BUT after reading all of your messages I realize how very blessed I am to have my husband (thankfully retired and willing to help me in any way I need). I do appreciate each and every tip so I can do as much myself as possible. Thanks and blessings to you all!!

    • Dear Debbie,
      I’m so glad all the comments were of value to you. I hope your surgery goes well and best wishes for your recovery!
      Ann

      • Those are tough! I seem to remember starting with the bra clasp in the front, but I must have blocked that out of my memory. With the panties, I think it was pulling them up little by little. Let’s see if someone else has a fresher recollection! —Ann

  20. these are all great tips. i tripped and made the mistake of trying to catch myself rather than doing a tuck & roll. Ulna & radius both broken. 2 weeks in, I’m over it. I’m single with no family around everything is ridiculously difficult and exhausting. If I ever do this again, I’ll request a medically induced coma until it heals

    • Oh, Terri. I’m sorry to hear about your fall. I do like your idea of the medically induced coma! I could also use lessons in tuck and roll. Hang in there. It seems far away, but you will heal and look back on this time knowing you got through it. Take care, Ann

      • Ann
        Bless you for this site! So many great tips from so many wonderful people. I shattered my 5th metacarpal on 9/1. I have MS w/foot drop; my toe caught on step and I fell down the stairs. Now, I know in my brain to “not try to catch myself” but apparently that message failed to get to my right hand which had a death grip on to metal bannister. Initially I just kept downplaying as a bad bruise but when swelling didn’t abate after day 5, my boss insisted I go to urgent care. X-Rays confirmed it, straight to the orthopedic surgeon same day, surgery following week (on 9/11!). Surgeon came in right before my surgery, my splint was slightly damp, (its still pretty humid here). He asked me why it was wet & if I didn’t think I couldn’t keep it dry after surgery he was going to cancel my surgery! I told him I understood importance, had surgery. The fracture site had to be opened & secured with wires. Came home with arm/hand in a soft splint & a large foam pillow sling (mailbox look a like) Velcro to my arm. The only instructions I was sent home with were to make 2 wk follow-up appt w/Dr. “Charming”. Like others, I also live alone w/very little support. Since I knew surgery was going to happen here are a few things I did to help myself out. I made sure I had plenty of easy to prepare food on hand. Pre chopped veggies. Stocked up on cat food, their dry food is stored in a large bin, making it easy to scoop their meals for them. I take a number of prescription meds, keep them in a 30 day pill dispenser. I made sure that it was completely filled prior to surgery. I also went to the pharmacy and asked them for a few extra non childproof lids for those meds I don’t take every day. I also asked the pharmacy to use non child proof caps for my pain meds/antibiotics & anti-nausea meds. Big help! I already have a shower chair, that’s helpful for hygiene. The Curad cast covers work well; but took a cue after seeing large animal vet shows & found that the long vinyl gloves they use for cow pregnancy checks work even better. They extended up to my arm pit. Secured it with some waterproof tape just to be sure. These have been a great find/work well for me. You can get them from agriculture/feed stores or on Amazon reasonably. I am having a bit of a challenge getting my garbage to the complex dumpster, since I have to carry it down the same demon stairs that got me here in the first place. I will figure it out…I know this injury has already really given me a great deal of insight into how much I take for granted in day to day life. Like Joni Mitchell so eloquently said “you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone”. True that for sure. Like many things, I’ll get through this, but it’s definitely going to be an interesting adventure.

        • Amanda, thank you for sharing your tips. The vet glove suggestion is priceless. I never thought of those! All of your preparations beforehand were so wise, too. I think the readers of this blog will really benefit from your tips. You are right that you will get through this. I like the reference to Joni Mitchell’s song, and it’s a good reminder for me even today. I hope your healing progresses smoothly from here on!

        • I fell over and broke my wrist. Needed surgery and I live alone !
          Every time anyone shows up I get them to do stuff. Open jars, fold washing etc. I’m quite brazen about it and no one seems to mind.
          Friends have to come to walk the dog so I always have a list in my head.
          Also things like this thread are brilliant for tips !

  21. I like that you mention how helpful it can be to have pump shampoo and conditioner in the bathroom for showering. My husband fell on his arm yesterday and says it’s still hurting. I think I should take him into an urgent care center to see if they can help him figure out what is going on.

  22. These are all wonderful tips! I had rotator cuff surgery on my dominant left arm three years ago and the only “luxury“ purchase I made was to spend $30 on Amazon for a blow dryer stand that sits on your bathroom countertop and adjusts in nearly every direction so that you can blow dry your hair with one hand. It’s for people like me who have to use a brush while using the blow dryer.
    As I prepare for thumb CMC joint surgery with a trapeziectomy in two weeks, again, on my dominant left hand, I will be preparing ahead of time with all of these excellent ideas. Thank you!

  23. Thank you to all for sharing their wonderful tips and hints. I broke my distal radius & scaphoid of my dominant hand by falling on ice covered by a light dusting of snow. I’ll forever be an advocate of wearing spikes on winter boots!
    I agree that pump bottles in the shower are an excellent choice if you can get them. I prefer using a thin washcloth so it’s easier to wring out one-handed. Zip-ties are great for scratching (lightly) inside the cast. I’m very fortunate to have a helpful, generous &patient family willing to pick up my slack. I wonder if anyone else has been dealing with hot flushes while wearing a cast. Very frankly, the extra heat and abundant perspiration are driving me crazy. Tomorrow will be 2 weeks since my accident. I’m returning to the hospital for a follow up. I really hope they will change the cast: the smell is horrible. Good luck and speedy healing to all who come across this blog : )

  24. Thanks to all for the great tips! One of the tips I have is getting a waterproof cast! That has helped me tremendously, as I have broken my right wrist and arm.

    • I totally agree. My insurance didn’t cover the extra cost, but it was worth it. Unfortunately, two weeks after I got the cast, they said I needed surgery! After the surgery, I was put in a splint that I could take off for showering.

  25. Hygiene tip: we used to live in a house without indoor plumbing, and I learned from my mom that a cloth saturated with 70% isopropyl alcohol is a great way to freshen sweaty areas between baths. Any drugstore has it. I’m about to use some on my fingers where this temporary cast has them all jammed together, sticky & sweaty.. Plus pits and the delicate derriere area (a bit away from the anus, but accidental contact isn’t harmful, just stings a little), at least until I can shower. I’ve also ordered some of the vet gloves & a one handed can opener.

    Thanks so much for starting this thread and to everyone who has contributed their ideas and hacks. I broke my radius yesterday and have already been in tears with frustration — can’t drive, can’t use my right arm, & I’m extremely right-handed. Opening nearly everything is 2-handed, still trying to work out the little Glad & Rubbermaid containers I store prepared food in without spilling. getting better at it, though. It makes a difference when you’ve been there!

    • Patricia,
      I’m so sorry to hear about your injury and I hope you heal well and quickly. I really believe the comments on this and the other post have more value than my original blog posts!

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