fractured radius, continued pain, stiffness in hand

I read a number of posts about hand injuries that continue to causes issues month after treatment and i wonder if I'll have to live with similar issues.

Three and a hand months ago, (Jan 30), I fell and fractured my left radius near my wrist. Falling forward, I caught myself with an open left hand on the threshold riser of an entry door bending it back.  The fractures were aligned and did not require surgery or pins, etc. I was in a cast til mid March. The cast allowed my fingers to be somewhat free.  Despite using ice and elevating my hand, swelling remained. 

While in cast and following removal, Xrays showed the bone healing well. Making a fist was not possible and pain continues. PT was an option but doc told me I could avoid cost, etc, by doing simple self physical therapy. (use good hand to help tighten the fist). Still the pain continues.  I'm right handed, but need my left hand to do most things.

I've always had some slight shaking in left hand (familial tremor).  With the pain and stiffness, I can't carry a drink, etc without it shaking to the point of spilling.  At a meeting, I tried to put some cocktail meatballs on a little plate and they ended up scattered on the buffet table. 

Late April, I did go to a hand PT.  Heat and Ben Gay type ointment, plus different manipulation and exercises seemed to give me relief and more flexibility.  Shortly afterwards, I may have done too much, using tools, moving boards, etc repairing my deck. Perhaps the most difficult thing to do is use my hand to get up from kneeling etc.It hurts if I try to use my palm to get up.  Yesterday, putting some tomato plants in my garden and other seeds was very difficult to get up. If I use my palm on the ground to help myself up, it hurts not on the radius side which was fractured but the ulna side. It hurts less to use my knuckles to push up

I've continued to use heat and do manipulation (bending twisting, and squeezing some silly putty type stuff, but it seems like the progress is very very slow.  

One of the worst things is waking up and having ring, middle finger and thumb sort of like asleep (pins and needle feeling) to the point where they hurt. Pain and pins/needles goes away with gentle massaging. 

I am to the point where I can type, using both hands which was impossible when the cast was first off.  Fingers still are a little stiff, but typing this, I'm not making too many mistakes. 

Including completion deck railing rebuild, I've got way too many things to do that I need two strong hands to perform in the coming months.

How long will it be till I'm 100% (or even close)?  I'm a fairly big guy and somewhat inflexible (bending, kneeling). Although, I'm 73 yrs old, I've always had good upper body and arm strength. 

If I continue to do "stuff", even though it causes pain, will it hasten recovery or make it last longer?   I'm not the kind of guy to sit out and take it easy for fear of not getting back in the game. 

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