broken wrists

[dracomiroff]

Hi all,
My sister and I are walking the Camino del Norte, our first camino, starting in early May (it's so soon!!). Two weeks ago she broke both her wrists. The left will definitely be in a cast (either hard or removable) for at least the first three weeks of our journey, if not more; we're hoping the right will be better by the time we leave, but it might require a removable cast for a little while and it will certainly be weaker than normal even after it's free. I'll be able to help her with the backpack and other general problems, but we'd love to know if anyone has had similar experiences on the Camino and what advice you can offer. Are there particular albergues to find or avoid, or parts of the trail to look out for, or camino-specific wrist issues we should keep in mind? I'm sure it will be a wonderful journey for both of us even without fully-functioning wrists, but any thoughts would be much appreciated.
thank you!
--Hannah

 

[tyrrek]

Hats off to you for your determination! I've not walked the Camino del Norte so don't know specifics, but yes, the backpack will be one of the major issues. Another might be eating/drinking. You may want to ask for a coffee in a large cup (en una taza grande), for example to make it easier to drink. If your sister waves her casts at the bar person they'll understand and I'm sure will help if they can. Buen Camino!

 

[Kiwi-family]

My daughter (8 years) broke her arm on the Camino and had to walk for two weeks with a heavy plaster cast. The main issue was showering as we could not get the cast wet - but if you have a fibreglass one, you won't have that problem. Getting her pack on was also tricky initially (until we worked out how to arrange the backpack straps and sling straps), but once we got that sorted she could even do it unaided if she didn't want to wait for help!

 

[KiwiNomad06]

I suppose it depends how badly her wrists are broken, but personally I wouldn't be even contemplating it, having had a broken wrist at home, far from the Camino. I found it quite painful walking around with it for the first four weeks, and the heaviness of the cast was really tiring while walking. Also chances are she will probably need to keep the cast dry which will be well nigh impossible if you get typical May rains.
Margaret

 

[flyswatty]

I broke my right wrist (also my dominant side) a number of years ago and got the cast off right before I went travelling in Spain and Portugal. I was not walking the Camino but was travelling with a backpack. It wasn't fun. My wrist/arm were horribly weak and I had to have help from a friend to take off and put on my pack and had issues picking other heavier things up. I had my cast (from top of my knuckles of fingers and thumb to below my elbow) on for 2.5 months before the trip. The amount of atrophy in the arm when i got my cast off was shocking. I was glad to have the help.

I'm not sure if I would travel with one arm weak and the other in a cast even with help. I found it challenging myself and that trip didn't have the daily physical challenges of the Camino and I only had one arm to be mindful of. I suppose it's a personal preference. Travelling without the exertion of the camino might be totally fine. In a cast, she might be subject to a lot more swelling in the cast with the exercise and heat of the day. That can be uncomfortable. I wonder about walking sticks and how she will manage them? I would also worry if she lost footing on a slope through the steeper parts and had to break a fall with her arms/hands. It might be good to be open to having a back up plan if you make the decision to leave the Camino because of the added challenge of this and also to be okay with that as a possible decision. Spain is a beautiful country and there is tons to see away from the Camino. There are many possibilities. Good luck!

 

[Anniesantiago]

You might consider budgeting in pack transport for your sister. It will average 6 euros per day to Satria and maybe 3-4 euros per day from Sarria to Santiago. It would make walking for her much safer in my opinion.

 

[flyswatty]

You might consider budgeting in pack transport for your sister. It will average 6 euros per day to Satria and maybe 3-4 euros per day from Sarria to Santiago. It would make walking for her much safer in my opinion.

Agreed. Last year when I walked and had three days of struggling with severe leg cramping, I used the luggage transport service to help out with this. It's a handy service if you need it.

 

[Magnara]

My husband had a shoulder reconsctruction unexpectedly 5 weeks before we left for our camino. His doctor said go for it, so we did. I cut his meat and tied his bootlaces all across Spain, but he was ok carrying a pack. He could only use one trekking pole. I think it was a special time for us, with that caring and support as part of the experience. You two might find the same. Don't forget, you can go and see how you are coping - you can always decide not to continue if it proves too hard, you're not committed to going the whole way.

 

[flyswatty]

Hi all,
My sister and I are walking the Camino del Norte, our first camino, starting in early May (it's so soon!!). Two weeks ago she broke both her wrists. The left will definitely be in a cast (either hard or removable) for at least the first three weeks of our journey, if not more; we're hoping the right will be better by the time we leave, but it might require a removable cast for a little while and it will certainly be weaker than normal even after it's free. I'll be able to help her with the backpack and other general problems, but we'd love to know if anyone has had similar experiences on the Camino and what advice you can offer. Are there particular albergues to find or avoid, or parts of the trail to look out for, or camino-specific wrist issues we should keep in mind? I'm sure it will be a wonderful journey for both of us even without fully-functioning wrists, but any thoughts would be much appreciated.
thank you!
--Hannah

I am curious...How did everything turn out for you and your sister? I hope that it went well. Cheers, Sonya