Fracturing one’s hand is a whole new learning experience. I won’t recount the stupid way this happened, except to warn everyone to beware of those low concrete parking lot delineation thingees. If one does a search about the hazards of these (more officially called Parking Barriers) you’ll see the results are mostly articles from legal firms…’nough said!?

All things considered, things could have been worse. It was a closed fracture, so just a matter of knitting itself back together instead of getting it set and/or surgery with pins and whatever. It is my non dominant hand so I can still write, and sign things (including those many medical forms they give you in the ER). Also apparently medical science has advanced to allow healing hands to wear removable braces instead of fixed casts after the initial immobilization period of a couple of weeks. (This is a huge!)

But still, there are many restrictions and work arounds. It’s largely hunt and peck typing with only one hand, so its taking me three or four times longer to write this post. But I did want to share some of what I’ve learned, in case it will help anyone else who finds themselves in this situation!

1. Say yes to help of various kinds and get creative as to what might be most helpful. It makes people feel good to be helpful (up to a point at least). Though it also makes you feel good to try to do things by yourself as possible, assistance is very useful. For instance, my sister wanted to help from afar, so I asked her to wield her Amazon Prime membership to order me one of those plastic things you slip over a cast to take a shower. No more fumbling with plastic bags and rubber bands!! I also realized the nail polish on my good hand had to go, but I needed assistance to make that happen. (Thanks, Andrea!)

2. Put your elbow and upper arm to work. It’s amazing how useful the crook of your arm and that area below your shoulder, if that has a name, can be. Also your neck, and even your teeth (though try to avoid tooth chipping!). Still, applying deodorant and putting toothpaste on your toothbrush can be a huge challenge.

3. Always put on your coat starting with the bad hand. It’s almost impossible to do otherwise. Also, hope you have a coat somewhere in the recesses of your closet with big, manageable buttons, not a zipper. Zippers are a two handed operation. As is tying shoes, opening cans, and a bunch of other stuff you don’t even think of until you can’t do them with one hand.

4. Don’t hibernate, unless you really feel like having an excuse to do so. When friends who feel sorry for ask if they can come pick you up and go for coffee or lunch, or an opportunity to go out to a show or the movies arises with minimal energy expended on your part, take it! Otherwise you may start to feel deprived, forgotten, depressed. But, just get cozy in your pjs and fuzzy bathrobe when you feel like it. You are injured, after all, and deserve to binge Virgin River on Netflix!

Those are my major takeaways, and I really hope none of you needs to use them any time soon. Appreciate your hands, if you have two good ones, and be careful out there!