Two broken wrists but the show must go on

Look what happened to me

On the 31^st of July 2025 I was out walking with my husband, Bob, when I tripped and fell heavily on the hard undergrowth along a narrow footpath bordering a stream between the Hayling Billy Trail and Wade Court at Havant. Stunned, I realized I had hurt my wrists but didn’t think that I had done more than possibly sprained them. I wasn’t in a great deal of pain although I felt dazed. As it turned out I had broken both wrists! Had no movement or use of my fingers in both hands.

An operation two days later by a skilled trauma and orthopaedic surgeon and her team at Queen Alexandra Hospital Portsmouth, and I have one plate in my left arm and two plates in my right arm. I have a splint on my left wrist and a cast on my right one. My movement and the use of my fingers is limited but it's gradually getting better every day. Mercifully, I can still type as it is good exercise. I am also taking the time to learn a speech to text recognition programme, which should come in handy for writing my novels. I have already used it to write the outline to Inspector Ryga mystery number six.

It’s back to the hospital on the 18^th of August to have the stitches out and to see how the healing process is coming along. Fingers crossed for good news.

UPDATE 18 AUGUST 2025

Stitches out, wounds/scars healing nicely. New wrist support for left wrist and new bright pink cast for right arm.

Back again to hospital on 1 September to have another new cast fitted and X rays taken to see how the wrists are healing. Meanwhile on with the typing, in between training my speech to text recognition programme.

UPDATE 1 SEPTEMBER 2025

Well it was back to the hospital this morning to have the cast on my right arm removed and replaced with a wrist splint. 

Everything looks to be OK and it is a relief to get that heavy cast off my right arm. 

I now have a splint on the left wrist and a splint on right arm.  These will stay on until I see my wonderful consultant on 15 September and have X rays to see how fractures are healing with the pins in place.  Fingers crossed they have been healing well and I can then begin to wean myself off the splints and commence the wrist exercises and gradually get more finger movement and weight bearing on the hands. 

So, another step forward and progress is being made. 

UPDATE 15 September 2025

Back to the hospital for X rays and to see my wonderful orthopaedic surgeon.  I am delighted to say that the fractures are healing nicely, although as she pointed out they are not healed yet.  The splints on my wrists have been discarded, which is excellent.  I now need to start my exercises to get the flexibility and strength back in the wrists.  I can also begin to undertake many household tasks and develop my strength and the ability to lift heavy objects.  So it’s progress indeed.  

Next follow up appointment is in December, just before Christmas.  I will then have some more X rays to see how the healing process is progressing.  Following this I am likely to undergo a couple more operations to remove the plates, but we will cross that bridge when it comes.  For now I am very happy that I have got the use of my hands back, which in itself, given the severity of the fractures, is a miracle.  I am immensely grateful to the skills of my wonderful orthopaedic surgeon and her team at Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth and the staff in the fracture clinic there who have been superb.

So it’s on with writing DI Andy Horton Solent Murder Mystery number 20.