random thoughts – Day 1,811 – (Sunday) – wrist action

The assistant at the doctor’s office told me the brace could come off and I could “start using the wrist.” There was no guidance on what “using the wrist” might encompass, and mostly the brace has stayed on, out of fear. The fear is of potential pain and not knowing what that “use” should be, how much might be too much because the so-called instructions were extremely vague. 

Beyond the previous pre-surgery G.I. Joe Kung Fu grip instruction of alternating making a fist and extending the fingers, there were no new post-surgery parameters provided. It would have been helpful from a practical stance to know that maybe buttering bread or picking up socks is good, but using a hammer or picking up an 18-pound bag of kitty litter is bad. But there was no such specific guidance. 

Today, feeling a bit braver, stronger, and slightly less grossed out about the appearance of the stapled together incision I need to periodically clean, I improvised my own personal physical therapy plan. There is movement, but it’s limited. I can bend my wrist forward like I’m showing off a manicure, but I can’t rotate and bend it back in the “walk like an Egyptian” pose. Not yet, anyway. Pushups are definitely out of the question, not that it was recently a question pertaining to me. 

With the brace on, the dish washer was unloaded using both hands. Both hands were used to remove and store the plates. Trips were successfully taken across the kitchen with coffee mugs in each hand. Nothing was broken and the exercise was declared a success. The next version will involve cups containing liquids.

Later, the create your own therapy adventure leveled up. The brace came off and experience points were earned for emptying onto the ottoman the bag of caramel bulls eye candies bought at Family Dollar during the previous day’s walk to the store shopping trip adventure. Wrappers were removed and several were enjoyed. 

Certainly, unwrapping candies is a practical life skill (at least at The BungaLowell). It required wrist action and is therefore deserving of XP. In the absence of actual medical guidance, it’s the best I could come up with.