"Everyone talks about keeping cool in a cast and I didn't believe it, but you can actually use one of those gel type (cause they are pliable and they don't sweat) icepacks on your cast and after several minutes it cools your arm down. It helps relieve itching as well. I didn't believe you could use ice after the cast was on, but it works." Debra

"To cool your arm inside the cast, you can use the vacuum cleaner to suck a breeze through it." Shannon

Ask your doctor or pharmacist about CastComfort if your cast itches.

(Attention: CastComfort® may not be used with suture (stitches) or open wounds. Do not use more than every 4-6 hours)

"You can use a hair dryer, set on the coolest setting, to blow air through your cast to help relieve itching."

"My doctor had me take Benadryl for the itching and it worked well." Gwyn

"I didn't have anyone to help me care for my long hair while I was one-handed, so I figured out just how long it could be and still be able to get the brush through it with one hand, and had it cut to that length, which was still past my shoulders."Ashley

"If you must wear make-up, figure out what one item makes the most difference and use only it." Shannon

"I have really long hair. I had hand surgery a couple years ago and my hubby helped me wash and brush my hair. He wasn't very good at it all, but the showers were fun! :) I just ended up having him put my hair into a pony-tail and it worked pretty good. For those who are brave enough, cutting the hair is probably the easiest way to go. Otherwise, just make sure you have someone who can help you out." Angela

"Before going for surgery and after - it might help to get your eyebrows and legs waxed. Hard to tweeze with your non-dominant hand, also reduces risk of bleeding to death from razor cuts!! Plus, it doesn't hurt to pamper yourself a bit! Pedicures, manicures and facials and massages are also something to think about! If nothing else at least you'll feel better about yourself. For family and friends who are thinking about what to do for their loved ones - gift certificates for these items are a nice idea." Jean

"The second item is an automatic soap dispenser. There are so many of them available, I'll include several different links here. Hydas, AmeraProducts, and Smarthome. I have these in every bathroom and the kitchen too." Debra

"One thing that I did find helpful was having a removable shower head, along with using a resin square table to sit on. Having the cast wrapped in a garbage bag is great, but it still gets heavy and having the seat in the shower helps. It is alot less expensive than having something installed and usable later." Yvonne

"Use a terry cloth robe rather than a towel after a shower or bath. You can slip it on and let the robe absorb the water. Makes drying your back much easier." Shannon

"An electric or battery powered toothbrush is also a good idea. I finally went with that one after stabbing myself a few times trying to use my left hand to brush my teeth!" Jean

"Buy some Baby Wipes. They're much more efficient for personal cleaning than toilet paper." Shannon

"Get a hose for in the shower, so you only get wet where you have to get wet." Kelly

"I practice doing personal hygeine things left handed. Stuff like showers, makeup, hair care, potty calls and getting dressed. I have time to practice before my surgery so I'm lucky in that respect. It's not as hard as I thought it would be. I have found that the shampoo, conditioner and body wash in pump bottles is wonderful. Also, I've found that if I put the body wash on one of those poofy nylon scrubby shower thingy's, that it's easier to wash my body and get all the hard to reach places and it lathers wonderfully! ( sorry, I can't remember the name of this thingy to save my soul, but I know everyone will know what I'm talkiing about.)" Brenda

"If your dominant hand is affected and you ordinarily use tampons, you may find it easier to switch to maxi pads for the first month or so." Shannon

"Get yourself a bag of those pre-strung floss pick things from the store. Easy as pie to floss one handed with one of those things." Brenda

Dynamic Living Bottom Buddy

"I found the easiest "support" to get into was a tank top with a built in shelf bra. Just pop a zip-up hooded sweatshirt over it, pair it with some yoga style pants, and you're presentable enough to go out in public. Don't forget the flip-flops!" Ashley

editors note: caution should be used when wearing sandals and especially "flip-flops", as there is an increased risk of stumbling and falling on outstretched hands.

"I wore a nightgown for the first couple of days after surgery so that I had no pants to have to deal with." Marilyn

"When I had wrist surgery, I ordered bras that had front closures to them. This helped when trying to open/close the fasteners, especially when I was able to grab on to one end with my casted arm." Becky

"For those of us ladies that are too big breasted to wear either a shelf type shirt/bra or a sports bra comfortably, try this: Hook the back of your bra at a looser more comfortable setting than usual and pinch the hooks closed with a needle nose pliars to secure them. This way you can put the bra on and take it off over your head with the ease of a sports bra. Adjust yourself for comfort and wha-la! This works GREAT for me and I can do it one handed." Brenda

"For those who have children in school especially grammar and middle school, ask the school for their calendar ahead of time, so this way, you can mark it on your family calendar and everyone will know what is going on and what needs to be done while you are incapacitated. Doesn't hurt to let the teachers know in advance either. This way, when it's your turn for baking, class mom, etc, they will know ahead of time that you won't be available and can ask others to pitch in.." Jean

"Canned drinks are good because you can pop the top with one hand. Twist bottles would be hard. Pop top cans of soup are great for fixing. Frozen dinners made in advance is a good thing." Kelly

" If you have one, use a "breakfast-in-bed tray", or lap desk, as a desk or impromptu table for dinner, as long as the things on it aren't terribly hot or likely to spill." Shannon

"Meal prep was difficult, as you can't slice or chop things for a while. Stock up on easy, microwavable meals if you have to." Ashley

"One thing I've found helpful still (PRC one month ago) is the Dawn Spin Brush for dishes. It really helps when you're trying to do dishes with one hand, or better yet, get paper plates and bowls, plastic cutlery, and disposable cups!" Ashley

"I'm still having a hard time working a broom, so I've been using a Swiffer for the time being." Ashley

"Folding clothes is also a challenge, so you might want to use hangers for a while." Ashley

"Try SupportPlus. They have items from specially made eating utensils, to items to put on socks, or items to aid in personal hygiene. Also, found the Pen Again at Office Max and it sure helps with writing, especially since I am left handed and can't feel the pen in my fingers very well. Hope this helps." Kim

"I bought all of the items at either a Target, Shopko, or Walgreens near my house on one weekend. I ordered nothing online. It's nice to see these items on a shelf instead of a computer screen. I initially thought that I would have a number of different companies since I had so many new things. Most of them were from Progressive International, such as the one-handed food chopper. Also get a one handed can opener. I couldn't find a brand name though. You should be able to find it if you do a search for "One-Touch Automatic Can Opener " on the Target website. And I prefer Oxo Good Grips for all hand tools; peelers, openers, etc. Ironically I found more products in the store than online." Jen

"One thing that does help me with cleaning is one of the steam cleaners. It really does clean well without scrubbing and is easier on the hands. You just need someone to twist the cap off and replace it for refilling with water. Added bonus, no chemicals to smell. Works great on appliances, floors, bathroom fixtures and it kills germs too. It works great for wrinkled clothes. I just hang them on the shower rod with a plastic hanger, steam them a little with the hose, and no more wrinkles. I have a self cleaning over but the steam cleans better. I bought mine for about $100.00 from Lowe's. There are smaller ones for $20.00 to $40.00, but they do not hold much water and you have to carry them. The big one is on wheels and is easy to pull behind you." Carol

"My physio gave these to me and I never realized how cool they were. It's these gummy squares that you use to open jars and bottles. I have two and I use one to stabilize the soda bottle and the other one to open the cap. This is the first time since my op last friday that I have been able to do that. I feel like Rocky Balboa! Okay, I don't know if you can get them retail, but here's a link to the Dysem Non-Slip website. These are remarkable. If you already know about this, then I must have been living in the dark ages, but I can now see the light. Amen!" Debbi

"I also slept on the sofa the first night. The back of my sofa has very comfy cushions and was at the perfect height so that my wrist was easily kept elevated above my heart." Marilyn

"Sharing a bed with another person may be uncomfortable for both of you. Try to make alternate arrangements." Shannon

"A recliner makes an excellent comfy spot, or place to sleep, after surgery. You can prop your arm up on a bunch of pillows stacked on one of the arms and you can adjust the chair different ways to try to get comfy." Shannon

Make Me Heal Arm & Hand Wedge Elevator

"Here's a thing I always have with me Ship the Web. A telescoping back scratcher. They can be found just about everywhere." Debra

"I have bilateral fusions, but this item was needed after the dominant hand was operated on this January. I couldn't live itch free without my backscratcher. I need it mainly for back and shoulderblade areas, but it gets used a lot." Sally

"Get some of those microbead pillows to elevate your wrist. They work really well as they mold to your wrist and it takes the pressure off. I found that regular pillows were more cumbersome." Jean

"It is also a good idea to bring a pillow in the car for after the surgery. It helps to minimize the shock from the bumps in the road." Jean

"My sore hand felt instantly better when I slipped these on for the first time. These products were designed by an orthopedic and hand surgeon." Jen

"Minus 30 here this morning. My left hand gets really cold and I haven't found a good solution--yet. I try to limit time out in the cold as much as I can. Come in, warm up, go out, get cold, and repeat." Tabitha

"When it's really cold, I wear a neoprene wrist wrap. It's not the kind that has the metal cock-up support in it, it's JUST neoprene. It keeps your wrist so warm and doesn't limit your range of motion. I found mine at Walgreens, and it's made by ACE. Here's a link." Ashley

"I am using boiled woolen mittens. I am outdoors a lot here in upstate NY and they work very well." Warren

"I use Nikken magnetic and heat producing wrist wraps. They don't hinder movement and regenerate body heat back to the site. They also have the best magnets that I have ever tried and I've tried allot. I also use a product from a company called Body Comfort. They are little heat pads that regenerate when you push the stainless steel button inside the liquid. They go up to 130 degrees and once they cool down you can regenerate them again by boiling them in hot water. I have them in several sizes. Since I have a very small wrist I bought the baby bottle warmer which I can snap around my entire forearm and wrist. Anyway these are some things I use to get by. I live in the Adirondack Mountains where the temps drop to -40 below 0" Debbi

"I signed my name to some checks beforehand, so that my daughter could fill them in for me." Jean

"There are some new ice packs out there that come with a cover and a velcro fastener. I've found these to be really good. I even wear them at work when my wrist is really bothering me, and I can't stand the brace any more. Sure beats wrapping Ace Bandages around the ice pack. It's something I can fasten on my own, so I don't have to bother co-workers to do it for me. Wrapping the Ace by yourself can be tricky." Jean

"Fill out all insurance papers ahead of time. If you have sick pay or disability insurance, it helps to have all these filled out in advanced, in case your dominate hand is the hand you can't use. Thought of this today as I was filling mine out. The only thing I left blank is the dates and I'm sure we all can find someone to fill that in." Kelly

Do not hesitate to call your doctor with even the most trivial of questions or concerns if you feel like you need to ask him or his office. Don't be surprised if you communicate with him through a nurse instead of speaking to him directly. It doesn't mean you're not important. If he trusts his staff, so should you.

Your surgical scar will need to be protected from sun exposure for up to a year with sunscreens, long sleeves, or athletic sweat bands.

Dynamic Living A lot of gadgets for a one-handed world, including a one-handed bracelet fastener.

"Gold Violin is another great site for independent living gadgets." Ron

If you will be staying in the hospital after your surgery:

Sex Differences Seen With Anesthesia

Sleep Disturbances Heighten Pain

Make sure to visit the Pre-op and Post-op pages. While some of this information is repeated there as well, it won't hurt to read it twice.