Broken wrist 2 places

I feel your pain, well felt it, literally. I was there last January. There is a different story for every injury because the injuries/patients are all different. I found it so painful that the opioid I had (don't remember which one) really didn't seem to cut it. It was consuming. I quit the opioid (scared of getting hooked) and switched the Extra Strength tylenol. Honestly it seemed to help just as much. The pain will eventually abate. For me it took about 3 days til I felt I could think straight. I was icing nearly all the time for about a week, then a few times a day after that. I think I was probably on the Tylenol for 3-4 weeks. Still painful after that. I still have discomfort, wouldn't call it pain.

Not sure if both your radius and ulna are fractured or if the radius was actually broken. My radius was snapped and ulna fractured in two places, all distal. Arm shaped like a Z. I was lucky that I was able to get surgery within 24 hours. So my pain already has a different story than yours. My pain when the break occured was the worst I've ever had (and I've given birth twice with no pain meds or blocks) and gave me a new definition of "10". Surgical pain was a welcome. I ended up with a plate and 7 screws. When the block wore off the surgeon warned there would be a "tsunami of pain". He wasn't kidding. I was on the opiod until the surgery and maybe 2 days post, that's when I switched to tylenol.

If you have fractures and don't need the surgery then I would think your healing will be similar to your foot (what is it with your left side? lol) but amped up, a lot. The wrist is a very complicated part of the body.

If you do have to have surgery there are some things to be aware of:

1. One day after the swelling was so great and confined in the plaster splint. The pain from that was intense and overshadowed the pain of surgery. Once that was removed it was instant relief and the Tylenol kept me functioning as much as I could. Function was still low (but some flip top toothpaste - I couldn't even unscrew regular tubes). Pain at that point was maybe 4 at rest but would spike to a 7-8 if flexed too far/quickly or if two much weight was lifted.
2. Get to therapy as quickly as possible - my ortho started me at 4 days post op (when the splint came off) and follow the home exercises exactly. As I saw improvement I did more (if 3 reps are good, then 5 must be better) and ended up doing damage, had to back off the regular schedule and regressed. Some exercises they gave me sometimes left me in tears with the realization I couldn't do simple things (like flip over cards one at a time from a full deck). But you do see progress and it does get better.
3. Keep your shoulder moving! Do large arm swings, stretch it out, up, front, back, up your back. Move it every way possible. Inactivity of mine led to frozen shoulder, so just as I was getting approval for unlimited activity for my wrist (about 12 weeks), my shoulder had locked down. I was finally released from shoulder therapy just 3 weeks ago. It could have been prevented if I had kept the shoulder moving.
4. This may not happen to everyone but I was not prepared for sweating in over drive. It was like a dripping faucet under each arm. Had to switch to prescription strength and it was still bad.
5. Swelling will take a very long time to go down, 6-12 months. I'm almost there.
6. You will need help. If you live alone try and get someone to stop in. I needed help with my hair (and all I do is a ponytail), taping a bag on to keep it dry during my shower, and having someone pour out the shampoo, conditioner, body wash, help with food prep (needed my food cut), dressing , etc. As strength and range of motion returns this gets better.
7. Everyone is different. Others I met in therapy with similar injuries made faster progress and some slower. Some had minimal pain (one tried to realign her bones herself!!) and some excrutiating.
8. My surgeons definition of "full recovery" is different than mine. He defines it as range of motion and strength to carry out daily functions, but that doesn't mean full strength or full range of motion is restored.

Good luck! I am sending you warm thoughts and virtual hugs. It does get better. Please stay in touch with your progress. If you end up with a plate and surgeon wants to later remove it (again, differs by patient) I can share on that, too.

I feel for you as there are times that I walk my parents dogs which I hate in the winter months... But have you tried soaking your wrist is Epson Salt? Some people swear by this helping with the swelling and aches. Could be worth a try.. Take Care

In January 2017, I slipped and fell on an icy street, and landed on my elbow. I shattered my elbow, 15 fractures (?), and I broke my ulna clean through across from the radial head (which also had several fractures). 2 weeks after that, my PT re-broke my ulna by dropping my arm and holding it there during therapy. 6 weeks later, I slipped on a cat toy and fell down my stairs, and landed on the same elbow. I shattered everything bad enough this time that they had to put several plates and screws in. 2 weeks into recovery from that, my radial head dislocated and smashed through everything left in my elbow. I had to have a radial head replacement, a collateral/lateral ligament reconstruction and a few more small plates and screws. I have gained more function of my elbow than my surgeon ever thought I would. In total, I was in a cast from shoulder to wrist for 6 months. I was left with CRPS, and recently had to have the biggest plate removed because it was trying to come through my skin. I'm working hard to get the CRPS into remission and get back to work. It was so bad that I lost my job 6 months in. I just cant wait to get back too it! 😃