Fracture

17 Feb 2025 1313

Yep, just one week into the new year of 2025 I fractured my right last finger during football, during the seemingly innocuous act of catching a ball.

Having been told for years the stereotype of "you'll know if it is a fracture by the intense pain", I thought it was just a bad sprain, because the pain was aching rather than sharp. There was no swelling, no bruising, so I just went for dinner as usual, and then back home, and that was when the swelling really started.

So it was a midnight trip to A&E, an x-ray showed there was indeed one, but I was told it was "hairline" (nope) and sent home with painkillers and a splint at 4am. Got myself an appointment in the morning with a hand specialist (recommended) and got a same day appointment, only to be told that afternoon that the finger is misaligned because the fracture was large enough to affect the ligament alignment and I need surgery.

Surgery wasn't too bad really, other than having to be at hospital at 0530. The surgery itself was quick, and after having some food and making sure that I was producing urine fine, I was discharged with painkillers, hospitalisation leave and post-op X-rays. So yes, I am now 0.01% titanium.

The two weeks of leave (with CNY inside) were just a fog of painkillers. Stitches out after two weeks, dressing fully out after another (to give the slightly raw wound more time to dry and scab) and now this week the scab and some dead skin is finally coming off. Oddly enough, it's more painful now than those two weeks with stitches - therapy requires a lot of bending of the injured finger to regain the motion and this is not easy. That said, I am now allowed to type with the injured finger - not that the right last finger sees much action.

Not quite the start of 2025 I was expecting.