I have to tell you, the removal of that delightful green piece of fibreglass that has been so utterly attached to me for the last six weeks was a terrifying surprise. But I am clearly a wimp with no stoicism or bravery whatesover.
No sooner had I put my nose into Beyond Bullet Points (my current tube read - I'm a bit unimpressed actually) than I was called into the fracture "action" area where the practicalities of applying and removing casts goes on. Giant man in blue overalls approaches with the kind of machine that looks like a cross between a hoover and a rotary chain saw. I quaked!
It's a simple process. The saw (a small round wheel driven by the "hoover" which also whisks the debris away) cuts a line along the top then bottom of the cast. Frankly it was terrifying, but I think Blue Overalls thought I was bonkers and ever-so-slightly over sensitive. The vibrations are nerve-wracking enough, however I could feel the heat of the whirring saw blade and honestly could trace it's journey - it felt a millionth of a millimetre from my skin. I kept squealing I had Lymphoedema so my arm was swollen right into the cast... in the end I couldn't look, I shut my eyes and went all girly-wimpy - completely pathetic! Blue Overalls did his stuff, split the broken cast off and sent me on my way with, I sense, a sigh of very unsympathetic sympathy!
I looked, expecting to find a fine red line etched on my skin top and bottom. None, of course.
But the pain took me utterly by surprise. I expected it all to be perfect, but my wrist really hurt. I expect the lymphoedema has something to do with it but not all by a long chalk. As soon as the cast was off, my wrist was limp as a kitten and painful as hell.
However, before I continue, I must add that as I write now 10-12 hours later, it's a million times better - about where I'd have expected it to be when the cast came off, actually. And I've been to work, had a stiff Personal Training session, cooked and been on the computer at home for a couple of hours. Not exactly recuperacting. And no more paracetemol so far.
So anyway, let's cut a long story short. Mr Marston reminded me some stuff about blood solidifying around the bone being the main cause of the pain. Still didn't quite get that, note to self to look it up. I should expect moderate pain at least another two weeks, and then still some on and off after that. He is booking me in for physiotherapy. And that's that as far as he's concerned.
The state of the skin under the cast was quite yukky. Immediately after being 'dismissed', I made for the loo and washed my arm and hand as best I could. I'd brought some moisturiser with me, and a full sleeeve, and I put both on - very gingerly, it was ruddy painful. I then crunched two paracetemol without water. Needs must...
I phoned Barts before getting back on the tube: must have sounded a tad irked, as they called back this afternoon, and I'm seeing them in the morning.
I spent every spare moment today - and a few that weren't - peeling dead skin off my hand. Reminded me so much of post-radiotherapy in 1980 when I used to peel dead skin off the back of my head. Yes, head.
After training this evening I has a good long shower and got rid of some more dead skin - and then had a really good moisturise. The skin looks much better and less at risk from cellulitis but my hand and wrist is very swollen still and the wrist is quite discoloured in places. Still, at least with a full sleeve back on I have consistent compression: what I really need now is a hand garment. Barts have said in the past they don't make separate ones any more: maybe I should try dig out the manufacturer details - I did have them years ago.
Onwards to Barts tomorrow...
