Friday Night Update!

I had my fracture clinic appointment on Monday morning – the consultant said that I didn't need a second X-Ray, as he didn't think that I had a Scaphoid fracture – he asked me to keep my issued wrist support (Actimove Gauntlet) on for another four weeks and gave me a fit note for work for 'Light Duties' only. He said there is no way I should be lifting anything heavy or physically working with patients and said that sprains/bruising can sometimes take longer to heel than a fracture. I have to ring them in four weeks if I am still in pain. One of my physio colleagues explained that a scaphoid fracture is very difficult to see on an X-Ray and my wrist may well be fractured and that I should request another X-Ray at the end of the four weeks as if it was fractured, the X-Ray will show calcification, which will prove there was/is a fracture. I was hugely disappointed, as I had expected either another X-ray and plaster cast or to be told to remove the support and start using normally, which I couldn't anyway as too painful. ANOTHER 4 weeks – this is so tedious. Its also worrying me as my right affected hand is my dominant and strongest hand, I just hope this doesn't go on for too long! I can move my fingers ok in the splint and can now write, but attempting this out of the splint is painful. I'm fed-up struggling with daily chores, such as trying to take a lid off a jar and not being able to squeeze a flannel or cloth out at all or turn a handle etc etc. My right hand is also the hand that takes the main weight of my camera and lens – something I won't be able to do for a while. I'm at work doing 'light duties', but its not the same as the fulfilment of working with my regular patients in community.