katiegrl Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 Hey guys, so in an ironic twist after fitness fan's thread, I fell yesterday. I was by myself walking home from work, it was late and no one was around. I landed on my left side, tried to break the fall with my hand, and landed on my hand/wrist. Called my fiance (L) and he came and got me. It swelled up but when I got home I iced it all night. L wanted to take me to ER, but I know how that goes, waiting for hours to be examined, so refused but said if it wasn't better by today I would go. Ugh!!!! So today, there is very little swelling, just a lot of pain. I know it's not broken, I know a broken bone when I have one, I am pretty sure it's just a sprain. L is at work but insists on taking me to ER when he gets home in about half hour. Is this necessary for a sprain? I mean what can they do, that I can't do for myself? I dread going, waiting HOURS for an X-ray, then wait for the results, only to be told I have a sprain, and send me home with a splint I could easily buy myself at CVS. Am I being too stubborn? Do I really need to go to ER for this? Thanks guys! Link to post Share on other sites
lgspot Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 Yes. Too stubborn. Go to the ER. Link to post Share on other sites
mrldii Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 Ahhh...you know your body better than anybody, buttttt... it might not hurt to go. A bone could be broken (that is, after all, what the swelling can be there to protect...a broken bone, to keep it in place), and you'll never know 'til later, when the swelling's gone down. Then, they might have to re-break it to reset it properly. I've heard of bizarre cases where [unknown] broken bones have punctured veins/nerves causing LOTS of problems. Even if it IS just a sprain, they'll give you a prescription for an anti-inflammatory (to bring the swelling down) and some pain killers (even if they're just low-grade). Remember: the pain on the second day after an injury is *always* worse than that on the first day after it. Get better. Take care. Let your fiance *baby* you...how we treat one another when the other is hurt(ing) is a[nother] great indicator of our character. ~hugs~ Link to post Share on other sites
SomeDude16 Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 What's your range of motion like?? Any difference besides pain between the hurt wrist and your other wrist in terms of its flexibility? Link to post Share on other sites
Author katiegrl Posted October 3, 2015 Author Share Posted October 3, 2015 (edited) What's your range of motion like?? Any difference besides pain between the hurt wrist and your other wrist in terms of its flexibility? Hi jab, range of motion and flexibility are good, THAT is how I know it's not broken. mrldii, the swelling has subsided a lot, hardly swollen at all actually. Turning black and blue now and alot of pain ..taking motrin which is helping with that. I actually hate being doted on and babied ...but I don't want to be obnoxious about it, and stubborn. Going to ER will ruin our Saturday night! Arghh. p.s. thanks for the hugs mrldii....needed that today.... Edited October 3, 2015 by katiegrl Link to post Share on other sites
fitnessfan365 Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 If flexibility and ROM are both good, and swelling has gone down, it's most likely a sprain. My GF's ankle has done the same thing. With RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) it's all but healed now. So my advice would be to continue to take an anti-inflamatory like Advil every six hours, ice, and compress. If it gets worse after 48-72 hours, go to the ER. But for now, I'd say just keep an eye on it. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
SomeDude16 Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 Hi jab, range of motion and flexibility are good, THAT is how I know it's not broken. mrldii, the swelling has subsided a lot, hardly swollen at all actually. Turning black and blue now and alot of pain ..taking motrin which is helping with that. I actually hate being doted on and babied ...but I don't want to be obnoxious about it, and stubborn. Going to ER will ruin our Saturday night! Arghh. p.s. thanks for the hugs mrldii....needed that today.... I'd say follow "RICE" protocol which stands for: Rest from aggravating activities, Icing, Compression bandage and Elevation. Keep taking Anti- inflammatory meds as well. I don't think the ER visit is necessary if the swelling has gone down and you have kept a normal range of motion. Try and get a regular doctors appointment which should be sufficient at this point and if it starts to get worse again, then id say go to the ER. Ultimately, the choice is yours tho. Link to post Share on other sites
GooseChaser Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 (edited) It's good to be thorough with that stuff, just in case. It's definitely possible to have a small break and not be able to tell before the X-ray. I like knowing for sure and knowing that I'm taking care of the problem the best I can so I heal right. This is especially the case if it involves a very important part of the body like the hand. Also, an alternative to the ER worth considering is urgent care. Feel better! Edited October 4, 2015 by GooseChaser Link to post Share on other sites
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