My 90 year grandma had a fall a month ago and broke her wrist. She's had the splint more than 6 weeks now. Today she had her splint removed and hand x-rayed which still shows a fracture. The doctor told my mom that there were 2 options: 1. Surgery or 2. Keep the splint on for the long run. My grandma is old and fragile, so I opted out of surgery. She doesn't complain of pain but it's hard for her to walk since she can't support herself with a splint on. Has anyone ever been on a similar case with a loved one?
Last time she was put under- about 2 months ago, it took almost a week for her to return to a normal baseline. With Alzheimer's, she forgets more after anesthesia.
First, what is the doctor’s attitude to pain medication? At 90, the issue of addiction is not all that relevant, but some doctors these days are difficult to persuade. If your grandmother is in long term pain, try to get an OK from the doctor that she will get adequate pain medication.
Secondly, ‘splint’ makes me think of the old rigid plaster of paris splint I had on a fractured forearm as a kid, the sort that all the other kids in school wrote messages on. There may be ‘softer’ alternatives now that may not be as good at setting the fracture, but could provide some support that would minimise pain for your grandmother.
I hope that it all works out as well as possible, and send my love to you and your grandmother.
Yours, Margaret.
Thank you, I am hoping too!
I hope that your grandmother’s wrist heals soon.