Life Lately Dealing with My Broken Arm

Hi everyone I saw my orthopedist this week, and they said that my radius is healing nicely. They x-rayed, and he saw fuzziness, which meant bone was growing, fusing my radius back together. I go back to see the doctor in two weeks, and if all goes well, I may graduate to a short cast! I would LOVE to have use of my elbow again!

While I'm getting better functioning with my left hand, it's exciting to see my right fingers move and work again without pain. This Wednesday, I realized that I can now touch my index finger to my thumb and even play the world's smallest violin!

Styling a Cast with CastCoverz!

With the strength comes style and some more comfort. My sister told me about CastCoverZ! and I ordered myself two. They're so much fun and especially nice now that my cast is at that dingy-grody stage.

CastCoverz are made from stretchy bathing suit material and come in a ton of different prints and fabrics, sizes for all ages and types of arm, hand, and leg casts. It was hard to choose which prints to order, they all were so fun!

CastCoverZ! also sells items to make your healing process more comfortable: crutch accessories, mitts and boots for snow and cold weather, waterproof covers, and this genius item called a CastCooler. You wrap the CastCooler around your cast and connect it to your vacuum cleaner; it cools and dries your cast and feels aaaahhhh-mazing!

The best thing about CastCoverz! is the service – quick shipping, and each order comes with a sweet personalized handwritten note (I know they're different because my mom bought the CastCooler for me as a belated birthday present).

Fashion with a Broken Arm

As for fashion, there isn't much excitement going on. Every day, I am in NYDJ's ponte pants or jeans (I love how their pieces are stretchy enough for me to button one-handed and comfy yet polished and stylish and available in petites) with a tee shirt. Shocker, the tee is often an Old Navy Vintage V-neck.

I'm using scarves to add variety to my outfits, and I like how they don't make the sling the focal point. Since my life is at home or going somewhere thrilling like the doctor, drugstore, or maybe a restaurant when Karl's sick of doing dishes, I've been wearing casual flat shoes that stay securely on my feet and don't have to be laced up.

Shoes are hard to get on by myself so I bought the above shoes by Bernie Mev. These shoes are not something I'd typically buy, but they're insanely comfortable and the rainbow colors are fun. They have a flexible sole, decent cushioning, and elastic straps woven together, so the shoe moves with you and is breathable. I can get them on without assistance and the style works well enough with jeans and pants.

Sleeping with a Broken Arm

Sleeping is still really difficult. I am someone who sleeps on their side, and of course, it's the side with the broken arm. Lying on my back still puts pressure on my right arm, and lying on my left is awkward with the weight of the cast. My husband and I changed sides of the bed we sleep on to make it easier (and to prevent me from knocking him out with my cast in the middle of the night).

Life Lately Dealing with my Broken Arm

Wearing a sling and a full-arm cast is a lot. I can't wear jackets, and I am not accustomed to my shape, so I often miscalculate and bump into things. I catch myself reaching with my right arm and then remembering oh it's encased in plaster and tied to my body with a sling. I can't even imagine what it's like for those who have limbs removed; this whole experience is awkward, uncomfortable, smelly, and surreal.

The smell of a cast is awful. The CastCooler helps a lot with it, but still, my arm underneath is sweaty and naturally exfoliating dead skin cells. Everything is trapped under that plaster, which, even with CastCoverz and being careful, is getting so dingy and nasty. I can't believe we're in the 21st century and haven't found a better alternative to plaster casts!

I really miss my coworkers and even miss my commute and routine schedule. I feel lucky to have PTO and short-term disability and a husband at home to help me get around. But gosh, I cannot wait until I can function a bit more. Each baby step of progress is a celebration. I feel I can see the light at the end of this broken arm tunnel, and I cannot wait for freedom and a return to normalcy!