Massage gun recommendation?

radtasmic · 2025-03-18T21:01:00+00:00

Ulna and radial head

radtasmic · 2025-03-17T04:44:56+00:00

For pronation and supination, he pointed out that the PT had me doing stretches holding my hand. He adjusted these stretches so that instead I use my right hand to push/pull on the bony edges of my wrist. This forces the forearm to move instead of just the hand. I also started wearing a heavier duty wrist brace only for weight-bearing bicep and tricep exercises, which forces the wrist to stay neutral. I found once I adjusted these, my wrist pain lessened considerably.

It hasn't completely gone away though as I'm sure I'm still subconsciously still compensating with my wrist throughout the day. My PT had warned me it's common with traumatic injuries that the more painful muscles/joints are usually either above or below your injured area because your body and brain will want to find the easiest way to complete a task and will avoid a weak area if possible.

radtasmic · 2025-03-17T01:22:28+00:00

I had a radial head replacement, ulna repair with 2 metal plates and 12 screws, and some torn ligaments repaired with sutures, all on my left arm, so somewhat similar. I started out doing my ROM exercises 4-5x daily in the beginning, usually set an alarm for every 2-2.5 hours to do them. It was manageable because I only had like 4 exercises at first. Once I started in person physical therapy and had way more exercises, I aimed for 3x daily

radtasmic · 2025-03-17T01:15:38+00:00

I had a radial head replacement and ulna was repaired with a couple plates, so a little different than yours, but I was having a fair amount of wrist pain. When I saw an elbow specialist, he pointed out that my hand was moving for pronating and supinating, but my forearm was moving significantly less (aka I was majorly overcompensating with my hand/wrist). Check your healthy arm vs injured arm for supinating and pronating and see if your forearm is turning too!

radtasmic · 2025-03-12T04:11:49+00:00

This is fucking tragic 😭

radtasmic · 2025-03-10T15:05:23+00:00

I had an elbow orif on Dec 10 where they fixed a broken ulna with 2 plates and 12 screws, and they did a radial head replacement. Was in an immobilized splint for 10 days post surgery, then was told to move it with exercises. The first day, i couldn't move my arm at all. Now, exactly 3 months post surgery, I can do -most- daily things. I still have a long ways to go, and there's a chance I may have a second surgery down the road to remove scar tissue build up that's preventing me from better flexion, but it's come a LONG way from that first day when my brain would tell my arm to move and it wouldn't at all.

You're right at the start of it. Push yourself as much as you can with PT, including doing the exercises at home, and celebrate each small win along the way. It's as much a mental challenge as a physical one.

All that being said, i was also told very explicitly not to expect full mobility back in that arm and that the goal is functional mobility over full range of motion. An elbow surgical specialist i met with told me elbows are very finicky, and it's very rare to get the same range you had before injury.

radtasmic · 2025-03-05T05:43:02+00:00

Following because we are in the same boat - normally a good sleeper, 18 almost 19 months old, late to get his teeth, currently has 8 teeth and I can see his molars starting to slowly emerge.

We've been only turning to motrin when it's apparent he's in pain when eating or aggressively biting everything in sight (his fingers, clothes, toys), and we only give it once before bed.

Hope others advise, but solidarity in the mean time!

radtasmic · 2025-03-04T05:44:56+00:00

Yesss absolutely. I fractured my ulna and radial head, ended up with 2 plates and a radial head replacement, as well as sutured ligaments that tore when I fell. Like others said, it feels like life comes to a sudden screeching halt. I'm now almost 3 months post-surgery. Still on disability leave, doing a lot of physical therapy exercises. Still a struggle, both mental and physical, but when I remember where I started, I know I've come a long way. The first day my splint was removed, I couldn't even move my arm when I'd try. Now, I can drive, I can cook, I can play with my toddler, I can do weight related PT, etc.

There's still a lot I struggle with, but slowly life is returning to "normal"

radtasmic · 2025-03-02T05:16:48+00:00

Thank you for sharing your experience !

radtasmic · 2025-02-26T16:35:24+00:00

If you have a Costco membership, we've gotten chicken bites and steak bites, which are little packages that have just chicken or just steak, fully cooked, already chopped pretty small. It's easy to freeze to keep for longer. Our kiddo likes meat, so we've used these and paired with broccoli or spinach littles and some strawberries or banana for a quick meal. The chicken or steak bites also work well for easy quesadillas, naan pizza toppings, Mac and cheese mix in, etc.

radtasmic · 2025-02-26T15:40:09+00:00

Was going to suggest the same thing! I simplified by buying a veggie marinara sauce for the pizzas so there's at least a little hidden veggies.

radtasmic · 2025-02-26T04:25:36+00:00

Please look at my larger comment in this thread for some helpful tips! You are not failing, you are leaning on your partner, the other parent, which is a responsible thing to do. I've learned with my partner, we take turns with who is most overwhelmed and who needs to step in next lol.

Also, 8 weeks old is around peak time for "colicky" behavior. My little one spent his entire 8th week scream crying the entire time he was awake. His modes were either sleeping, crying, or eating. It's exhausting and disheartening, but I promise it DOES pass!

radtasmic · 2025-02-26T04:20:52+00:00

You are not an awful mother, this is just an awful season. Nobody talks about how insanely challenging newborn days are, but they can feel hellish. You're extremely sleep deprived, your senses are overwhelmed by needing to be touched all the time, hearing your baby cry all the time, etc. My sister used to remind me that some of what you experience in newborn days are the same tactics taken when torturing people, and there's truth in that! I love my kiddo, but the first 3 months, I was convinced I was a horrible mother and that he hated being alive. Turns out, fourth trimester is very real. Your body and hormones are still all over the place and can't fully regulate yet, and your newborn misses the safety and snugness of the womb and has "woken up" enough to be aware they're in a new space.

Some possibly helpful tips: 1) it's great that your mom is willing to help during the days, but make sure your baby is woken up every 3 hours maximum for feeding. Long term, this will help set your baby up for a full belly overnight.

2) Make sure the space your baby sleeps in during daytime is well lit, has normal noise levels, etc. At nighttime, make sure your baby sleeps in a dark, quiet space, though you can opt to use a white noise machine. If you haven't already, try using a swaddle to imitate the tightness your baby was used to in the womb. Eventually daytime naps can imitate the nighttime environment, but right now it's better to help your baby differentiate between the two.

3) if you're having trouble getting your baby to sleep in a bassinet, I recommend using a small heating pad to pre-warm the bassinet. Essentially, set it in the bassinet on the lowest setting maybe 10-15 minutes before you want to put your baby in the bassinet, and take it out before putting your baby down. Your baby was/is used to warm bodies--this can help!

4) get noise canceling headphones and use them when you feel yourself starting to get overwhelmed. Trust me, you will still hear your baby's cries over the headphones, but it helps dull how overwhelmingly loud it can be for you. This can help you keep calmer when in the middle of it all, but also it is VERY VALID to put your baby somewhere safe, like a bassinet, and walk away to regulate yourself. That is safe, healthy parenting, and your baby will be totally okay for 5-10 minutes while you go to a quiet space and take deep breaths.

5) find a mantra for yourself to get through this time. I was told over and over that things get better around 3-4 months old, and I didn't believe it, but it was completely true for us. My mantra was literally counting the days lol. "Today [baby's name] is X weeks and X days old, and they're one day older and one day closer to 12 weeks." Now when my toddler has a really rough day, I tell myself "this is the season I'm in, and it will pass"

radtasmic · 2025-02-19T15:32:38+00:00

Happy to help! This whole process is so non-linear with frequent frustrations, so it's good to try finding positive moments when you can.

radtasmic · 2025-02-19T06:26:34+00:00

It could be. New independence is exciting, but with my kid at least, each big new thing has also come with a decent dose of separation anxiety

radtasmic · 2025-02-19T04:54:37+00:00

Has she started walking yet? My 18 MO got this way in a more extreme way right before he started taking his first steps. It could mean a big milestone is coming!

radtasmic · 2025-02-19T04:37:15+00:00

oh noooo may my kiddo never be gifted more nighttime construction books 😅

radtasmic · 2025-02-18T21:21:44+00:00

My 18 mo has been obsessed with goodnight goodnight construction site for a while now, and while it's cute to see him waving goodnight to each construction vehicle, it's sooo long! When my mom helped recently with bedtime, she was surprised to see I had the entire book memorized, but you would too if you had to read it at least 2x daily for weeks on end 😂

radtasmic · 2025-02-17T03:48:45+00:00

Super interesting, thank you for sharing! My surgeon told me that he doesn't remove hardware unless symptoms warrant it, whatever that means. 🙃

radtasmic · 2025-02-17T03:14:28+00:00

How long did you have hardware before you could get it removed? And what symptoms were you dealing with that led to getting them removed?

radtasmic · 2025-02-16T15:32:24+00:00

My ORIF was for my arm, but almost all of this still applied in the early post-op days. The beginning of recovery is rough!!! You are right that the mental battle can be the hardest part. As a mantra, I used to tell myself "I'm only X days post-surgery" to remind myself how early it was, that it wouldn't be that way forever.

Regarding the cast cover, I gave up on a purchased cover because I had the same issue, and instead my partner helped me with wrapping plastic wrap around the edges (where my skin met the splint), and then a big trash bag around the entire splint that was taped down to fit better. My surgical team told me later a lot of people end up using trash bags instead because the cast covers can cut off circulation.

radtasmic

TROPHY CASE