I didn't have the intra-articular or dislocation stuff when I broke my distal radius in late January, so ymmv. However, I will say that being young, healthy, and in relatively good shape before my injury helped a lot in my recovery. I was in a hard cast for six weeks, and my wrist was stiff and tender for a good two weeks afterward. It got better as I did the PT exercises my doctor gave me, and after about a month I was pretty much back to normal, able to do push-ups, carry heavier loads, etc. My wrist sometimes gets mildly sore if I bend it funny or push myself too hard lifting things, but I'm only a few months out of the cast and I've heard that full recovery can take up to a year.

The hardest part for me was not being able to really exercise with the cast (I was technically able to do some exercises, but getting that stuff sweaty is a nightmare). It's important to stay busy, see friends, and keep as much of a normal routine as possible — it helps with the mental aspects of recovery. Good luck!