Broken wrist

[ausable_ny]

As the titles states, I slipped on the ice during our little NY blizzard, and broke my right wrist. 57 yrs old and this is the first cast I've ever worn. Worst of all, I'm right-handed. (i'm typing this with the index finger of my left hand) has anyone here ever broken they're casting wrist? Just when I was getting proficient at casting again, too. How long before I can realistically expect to be casting my life away once again? Doc said it isn't a bad break, so no surgery is needed, just 6 weeks in a cast and then physical therapy. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

Ken

[Fatman]

Ausable

I broke my thumb joint on my right hand (Casting and writing hand) and spent six weeks in a cast. Got it off they x-rayed and re-casted with my thumb totally straight and enclosed.

Moral of the story!!

Don't screw around before or during PT trying to cast or you can screw up your wrist (because your wrist has been in a cast) trying to use it too much after the cast is off you can damage the muscles and ligaments, which would mean starting all over again (ask me how I know LOL).

When you start PT tell the therapist that one of your objectives for the PT, besides gettin your wrist healthy again, is being able to fly cast, heck take the bottom half of your rod with you and show them the kind of range of motion needed for it. A good one will build excercises into your program to help you get there.

Good Luck

Fatman

[Steve Molcsan]

Nice to hear what to Doc says, but still a bummer

Best wishes to you to heal quickly.....

[James Smith]

Sorry to hear of your injury. But look at it this way, that's one way to make sure that you keep your wrist straight when you're casting

Jim Smith

[PA Dave]

When you start PT tell the therapist that one of your objectives for the PT, besides gettin your wrist healthy again, is being able to fly cast, heck take the bottom half of your rod with you and show them the kind of range of motion needed for it. A good one will build excercises into your program to help you get there.

Fatman gives great advice on this. I didn't break my wrist, but I broke my casting arm at the shoulder and required surgery. I explained to my physical therapist that fly fishing was my main hobby and he worked with me. Several years later a herniated disk in my neck sent me back to PT and I explained that I shoot archery. Again, they set me up with a routine that had me back at it after several weeks. If your therapist tells you to forget fly casting, see another one.

Once you find a good therapist, this is the critical part...do everything he tells you, and do not do things until he tells you to try them. The physical therapist is only as good as a patient's ability to listen to and follow instructions.

Of course, this could be an opportunity to learn to cast left-handed until you can go back to right-handed. You could come out a more skilled caster than before!

[sagefisher]

Ken,

Now would be a good time to start thinking 'Lefty'. Start casting short casts with your left hand, don't even use your right hand, just hang onto the line with your left fingers. As you get good at picking up and laying down, say a 30 foot length of line, then go for 35 or 40. It won't be long before you can cast rather well with your left hand AND, even when you go back to being a 'righty', you will have the ability to cast left handed, which sometimes is great to be able to do.

Also, think of it this way. Better now than in the spring or summer during the best of fishing times.

Larry ---sagefisher---

[luckie88]

I had a couple of friends break their dominate hand and were stuck in a cast for about the same time the doc says for you. Bummer... You just got to do what's recommended and you'll have it back in no time. You'll find everyday things to be a bit more difficult lefty, if ya know what I mean, but like Larry said cast a bit like that. Maybe mount a rod holder on your cast?? Good luck!
-Jake

[flyfishfairwx]

Broke my styloid process off, and through the joint in the ulna, now have a pronounced clicking that hurts like HE Double Hockey sticks.. actually cut my cast to be able to hold my fly rod, but had to change to left hand casting..

Still cast left when needed but do not enjoy it, I now only fish a 6wt and a 4wt, no more 8wts for me... also had the right shoulder broke and last march I did this to my left hand....

[Boyscout]

I feel your pain. Broke mine New Years eve. Great advise already given so just remember, we picked the best time of year for this sort of stuff. We be casting by April...just in time!

I'll work on the left hand casting anyway.

brokearm.jpg

[nighthawk]

Broke my styloid process off, and through the joint in the ulna, now have a pronounced clicking that hurts like HE Double Hockey sticks.. actually cut my cast to be able to hold my fly rod, but had to change to left hand casting..

Still cast left when needed but do not enjoy it, I now only fish a 6wt and a 4wt, no more 8wts for me... also had the right shoulder broke and last march I did this to my left hand....

That is those light observation scout helicopter types always bending and breaking something!