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No more fiberglass

The cast is off! My left arm is unfettered. Sort of. I am thrilled to be rid of the smelly lump of cotton batting and plastic. I was really getting sick of its soggy embrace. Just in case you didn't notice.

The doctor took the cast off this morning and I spent several minutes washing my hand and rubbing off dead skin. Niiiiice. Then they took new X-rays. The X-rays look basically the same to me as the ones taken the day I broke my wrist. I guess that's why I'm not a doctor.

The wrist is very, very, very stiff. I can only flex it a couple of centimeters forward or backward. It's in a splint. I start physical therapy next week. The first thing I did upon leaving the doctor's office was to go buy a second splint, one that I can work out in. Then I headed to the pool just to get a little wet and breathe the delicious chlorine fumes.

I put on fins and swam a total of 300 yards using both hands, mostly breaststroke, which is less uncomfortable on the wrist. Then I did some one-arm freestyle (with the good arm) and kicked for about 15 minutes. A couple of the lifeguards recognized me and congratulated me on my cast-free status. I capped off my 22-minute swim with at least that much time in the hot tub.

In the hot tub I chatted with an older gentleman who was telling stories about Parisian pool etiquette. He asked me how I injured my wrist, which I was holding in its splint above the hot water. He then said he hoped I was right handed. At this point I noticed that the man was missing his left hand. "I'm a righty too," he said, cheerfully waving his stump, "but I guess I would be now either way!"

Silly broken wrist. I'm such a whiner.

I'm not sure when I'll ride my bike outside again. I don't have a lot of confidence in my arm or wrist strength right now. I might wait another week or two until I get some PT done. But... time is running out for me to get out there if I want to do IMAZ. My doctor said I could ride outside as long as I don't fall. Hmm.

His parting words, I swear, were "Don't be a dork."

I'll try to follow his advice.

February 7, 2008 10:13 PM