# Things you can't do with one arm and weak hand.



## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

The cast is plastered at an L shaped position fingers to forearm.

I can't unscrew caps. I can't make a sandwich.
I shower with one arm
eat with one arm
wash face with one arm
can't button pants
can't put a bra on
can't trim my nails
can't blowdry and style my hand.- I mean hair!
can't fold my laundry
can't cut meat
can't eat 2 fisted

but I have gone from not being 2 hold a letter with fingers to now holding things the weight of a cell phone. This has been hard to sit and do nothing .
hopefully only 3 0r 4 more weeks.


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## chippy99th (Dec 22, 2016)

Wow, that's rotten. I'm sure it is tough to sit & do nothing. Sending support your way & wishes for a speedy recovery!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I know what a challenge it was for me the two times I had one hand inop, I can not imagine how bad it is with the whole arm involved. At least there was a ton of stuff I could still do with one hand and the arm still being free.


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## havasu (Jun 21, 2012)

Well, you get two bonus points for not being to hook your bra, but lost 3 points for not being able to make me a sammich!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

This my favorite from her list of things she can't do:

can't blowdry and style my *hand*.

I know, that was mean but it made me chuckle the first time I read it. Glad she hasn't been back to fix it, yet.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

I am getting tired of this. However I opened a can of clam chowder the other day and it slipped and went everywhere. hubby cleaned it up. i'm glad i didn't have to, LOL


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## Valentine (Dec 4, 2016)

I would sit back get a good book to read and get hubby to do ALL THE CHORES, COOKING INCLUDED. Oh and chat to us, hee hee hope at least the pain has gone.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

seminolewind said:


> I am getting tired of this. However I opened a can of clam chowder the other day and it slipped and went everywhere. hubby cleaned it up. i'm glad i didn't have to, LOL


There you go, that's the attitude to have. Let him clean up after you for when you get stubborn and make the attempt. It's only fair.

About the time you figure doing stuff with one hand it will be time for the cast to come off.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

I hear you,Sem!!!My right hand was out of commission and I couldn't do hardly anything left-handed.Lived in my jammies and sweat suits and to hell w/ the bra.Luckily it happened in Feb.,when not much was happening.Just when I was getting the hang of being left-handed,my right started to heal and I was able to slowly start using it again.You and Maryellen should be glad it happened in the winter time.Imagine it's summer and you can't cast a line,tend to your garden or whatever.By the time spring finally arrives,both of you should be well on the way to recovery...


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Well CQ, the best weather of the year here is in the winter. in the summer it's 95 degrees with high humidity.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

Bummer!!!You broke your wrist at the wrong time,then.Next time plan better and do it in the summer and stay in the a/c.I've been fortunate,I break things in the winter....


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

i'm proud of myself. I made myself eggs over easy and 2 waffles for dinner. now if I can get some bacon.....


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

The best way to fix bacon is to put it on wire racks in a pan and bake at 450 for 15 min.It turns out perfect w/o standing over a frying pan and no flipping of slices.And it doesn't sit in the grease.Bacon perfection and I think you could do it in your debilitated state.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

CQ, is spot on with the baking bacon. I don't know why but it even seems to be more tender done that way. Although it can get a bit messy in the oven. With the self clean ovens it's still easier than cleaning the stove top.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

I have always done it in the microwave between paper towels, but the oven idea sounds good. I'll try that.

Cast may com off tomorrow and replaced with a shorter one. I think I'm ready. I wonder if their protocol incudes washing an arm with some soap and water first or I will have to remind them. Honestly , the cast stinks. Sort of like a casty-yuck odor to it. Like the arm needs a good washing.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Yesterday I raked a pen out and limed it. With one arm. I sure felt good after that. 
Tomorrow I get my car wash-yippie!

I am getting so bored a night. Many nights I can't focus on reading so I'm stuck With movies. Lawrence of Arabia (4 hours) and The Deer Hunter.

Lawrence of Arabia was wonderful, but I got the feeling that Peter O'Toole overacted the part. I wonder if the real Lawrence really acted that way. The movie is fairly true, but did Lawrence really act like a fairy/ living in sort of a fantasy world/ thinking he's such a miracle man? I did not understand all that "thinking" he did . I felt that was weird.

Then I watched The Deer Hunter. Kindof a fascinating movie. But I would have expected to see Robert D'Nero not be the only one that was a friend. Seemed all one sided. I thought the scenes (backgrounds) were great. 

Anyone have any insight on these movies?


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

I've tried to watch Lawerence of Arabia a couple of times and just couldn't get into it-I think it was because of all the "thinking" and it was slow.I have just started to watch American Horror Story and got through the 1st 2 seasons.OMG,I love Jessica Lange!!!I never knew what a great actress she was.Both characters she played were so believable.She is a true artist!!!


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## Valentine (Dec 4, 2016)

seminolewind said:


> I have always done it in the microwave between paper towels, but the oven idea sounds good. I'll try that.
> 
> Cast may com off tomorrow and replaced with a shorter one. I think I'm ready. I wonder if their protocol incudes washing an arm with some soap and water first or I will have to remind them. Honestly , the cast stinks. Sort of like a casty-yuck odor to it. Like the arm needs a good washing.


Hmm don't like the sound of that arm smelly Sem, hope it's ok and glad they are giving you a shorter one, makes more sense.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

chickenqueen said:


> I've tried to watch Lawerence of Arabia a couple of times and just couldn't get into it-I think it was because of all the "thinking" and it was slow.I have just started to watch American Horror Story and got through the 1st 2 seasons.OMG,I love Jessica Lange!!!I never knew what a great actress she was.Both characters she played were so believable.She is a true artist!!!


I know what you mean about all that thinking! If you cut all of that out the movie would be an hour shorter.


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## profwirick (Jan 24, 2013)

Ugh! Try yoga meditation? It saved my life when I was bed ridden.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Got the cast off yesterday and have a brace now. Still waiting for a piece of bone to completely calcify. I can do a bit more but i seem to have to be more careful not to twist my arm. And after cutting the cast off, they take me to radiology, then i get back to the examination room, and there's a stack of gauze with some alcohol poured on it. I threw that away and washed my arm with good ole soap and water. I'm just not familiar with their method of nursing! It doesn't seem like laziness, it seems like lack of good protocol.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

This is what I don't understand. The radius (thumb side) fracture does not hurt and almost totally calcified. But the Ulna (pinkie side) hurts when I turn my arm and hand around like going from palm side up to knuckle side up. I don't see anything on the xray. could it be ligaments?


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

You may have a little muscle wasting from being casted in a fixed position.Take it easy,let it heal and let the muscle build back up.I was in my 30's when I broke mine and it was a few months before it finally quit bothering me.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Thanks, CQ. I am beginning to think that things need time to heal. If I landed on my hand hard enough to break a bone, then there's probably more that is affected but not broken. : (


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

How are you feeling ?


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

My grip is weak, and I'm pretty sure I have some tendon damage which takes a long time to heal. Doc said with normal use, the stiffness should go away. I think I'll still wear the brace for a while when doing certain things.

Is your knee wrapped?


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Yep knee wrapped till tomorrow, I get to unwrap and put band aides and seram wrap on so I can shower. 
Ouch,hand injuries usually take longer to heal. Hopefully you Will start healing


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

My bone is mended, just need to keep stretching those .......everything else


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Yeah I'm starting to stretch my knee and boy it hurts bad...


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

I know what you mean. I stretch, count to 8 and release. Seems to improve things. But I do get some throbbing in between. And I have carpal tunnel which is bad right now. PIA.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

With all this I tried to trim my horse's back hooves. She always snatches the hoof away from my hands and I think she does it because she can. She doesn't do it with farriers because they are pretty strong. So the other day I got one hind hoof half way done. It's depressing me that I used to be able to do all 4 hooves at once, but now I just don't have the stamina. So I only get one done at a time. I need to find a new farrier. I hope one of the boarders has one that comes because I don't get along with the one at the barn (8 years ). What a pain!


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