Hi all, im almost 19 and have basically had my life screwed over because of this injury. I sent a PM to FattyFat because I think I remember seeing somewhere that he has had this injury, but I don’t know if the PM system works. If anyone sees him or knows of someone that can help me please send them this way (just reread that, sounds kind of dumb. “sees him”? on the internet? lol) . This post is kind of long, first part is my story and if you don’t want to read that fine just skip to the end.
I hurt my wrist back at the end of May in 2010 and took about a week off, went back to lifting and lifted through the pain. In September I got fed up with it and went to a doctor, got an MRI, was told I tore the TFCC in my right wrist (turns out the guy was only half right) and was put in a soft brace for 6 weeks. I went through that, didn’t get better and went to see another doctor in January.
He was a wrist orthopedic surgeon and after looking at the MRI he examined my wrist and told me that I had an ECU subluxation as well as an TFCC tear. He put me in a cast from my hand past my elbow, keeping my wrist supinated and my elbow at 90 degrees.
I suffered through that for a month, got it off and was told to start working the motion back into my wrist. I’ve been doing that for 3 and a half months now, got most of the motion back pain free (which was not the original problem, my original problem was it hurt a lot whenever I picked something up so no real idea if its fixed). Im supposed to start lifting things supinated first, and gradually progress to lifting pronated.
The problem is when I spread my fingers out and try to pronate my hand I feel a loud painless “snap” which is a symptom of a ECU subluxation, though this does not occur if i have a relaxed hand when I twist it. Needless to say im pretty scared.
The surgery he recommends if the last cast didn’t work is cast my wrist for 3 months in the same uncomfortable full arm cast, then 9 months of rehab and I would likely not have full range of motion on my wrist. I’ve already been out of lifting for 6+ months as well as pick up basketball and lost all my muscle, it will literally drive me into a depression if I have to sit out another full year.
Im going to call the doctor tomorrow and set up another appointment, but I want to see if anyone has any advice/experience with this. Does this appear to still be a ECU Subluxation? Did you do surgery? Just deal with it? is it possible to just deal with it or will it gradually get worse? Tell me anything/everything that you think can help me.
Cliff notes:
- ECU Subluxation that I have had for 1 year now, supposed to have healed from casting but i don’t think it did
- 18 years old, worried/scared
- Calling doctor tomorrow
- What can I do? (surgery, PT, nothing, etc.)
- Long term outlook?
Thanks for your time,
fisch