I'm going to respond here, annsni, because there are probably others who will be in line for it at some time so why not give what I can now by way of help?
First, I was a deaf interpreter through a good part of the nineties, and, also, after my ex left in 1991, we found it necessary to do a lot of food raising ourselves, so I was hoeing and shoveling and that sort of thing constantly. I stopped teaching in 1998 and sort of fell into free lance science editing, which required a lot of computer work (I would get the manuscripts as Word files and work on them that way). Then Barry and I got married in 2000 and when my youngest daughter graduated from the high school that was a block away, we put that house up for sale -- after painting the rooms, caulking and fixing up and all that sort of thing. Then we moved up here to Oregon where we needed to shovel tons (quite literally) of topsoil and bark for our gardens. So by two years ago I was starting to wake up with shooting pains going from my fingers to my elbow about three or four in the morning. I would be in tears from the pain before I even woke up! After awhile it no longer waited until the middle of the night, but would attack during the day, leaving me almost paralyzed with pain until it decided to retreat -- and then I would start working again. I wore a wrist brace almost 24/7. I wanted to tell you what kind of pain I was in so you would understand how desperate I was for the surgery and the mistake I made afterwards, as well.
The surgery was fast and I don't think I was on vicodin more than a couple of days afterward, although the tylenol and ibuprofen were very good friends for some time after that! (By the way, taking them both together is, as my doctor told me, as good as a narcotic without the dangers or side effects -- just don't drive or operate anything more than a vacuum cleaner if you can stay awake...LOL).
I was bandaged almost up to my elbow. I knew I wanted motion back asap, so I practiced touching my thumb to each of my fingers as soon as I could, within a few days. It hurt a lot, but I was determined. For the first week Barry helped me shower while my hand was in a big plastic bag to avoid getting it wet. But I was able to blow dry my own hair with my left hand and sort of brush it out after the first few days. I was in no mood to try for fashion model at that time, so that is all I needed. I just wanted to feel clean.
My hand was weak and it hurt. I got more skilled with my left hand, but I couldn't do dishes and there was NO lifting of any kind with my right -- doctor's orders. No, I could not grip for several days, AT ALL. After that, I could hold my hair dryer rather gingerly and pick up a few things that were not too much of a challenge. Folding clothes out of the dryer was hard and it hurt for awhile. You know we have horses -- Gina (Gina L. here on BB -- although she is too busy to be here right now. We moved her and the three girls out from Ohio where they were in VERY bad living conditions and they are now in our 'guest house' and Gina helps out enormously with our retarded 22 year old son. She and all three girls are in school and all holding down "A" averages. We're really proud of them) and Barry did it almost all at first, despite the fact that I totally wanted to be out there again. Because we have old rescue horses I don't have to worry about lounging them (it's a French term and I think it has the 'o' in it...), but it is quite necessary to take care of hooves and that takes both hands. So yes, I was restless.
At the two week mark I was back at the doctor's to get stitches out. Now, I had hoped it was just the kind of surgery where a couple of holes are poked in and the work done. Sometimes they can do that. Easy in, easy out.
Not so. As the nurse unwrapped my bandage, I was shocked to see a 1.5 inch cut going up the bottom of the palm of my hand. I have to admit I was in tears almost immediately. Not crying/sobbing, but tears in my eyes. I remember thinking "my poor hand" -- isn't it funny how we do that? It's not 'poor me', but 'my poor hand'. I think we know from the start that we are only using these bodies and they are not really who we are!
There were eight stitches that needed to come out. It hurt, yes, a lot. Stinging hurt. But it was only a very short time and although I was shook, I did survive it!
Then rebandaged for another month, as I recall. I could change the bandages myself now, though. After the stitches were out I had to wait about three days before I could get it wet and I was not to soak it for a couple more weeks.
At a Bible series Barry and I had given here in Grants Pass in the spring, there had been a man who had just had carpal tunnel surgery and when I asked him about it he replied "Oh, nothing to it!" and showed me the tiniest of scars and told me it was just a few weeks old. THAT is what I was expecting.
And that is why I made my big mistake -- I tried working too soon. Now you probably will, too, and, like me, you will regret it. It does not really damage your hand, but it takes ever so much longer to heal. It's been six months now, and I am finally comfortable shaking hands again. But my hand will always be much weaker than it was.
Was it worth it? YES! The shooting pains are gone and only minor discomfort remains. I can live with that.
Do as little as you can for as long as possible. Use every help available to you and know that there will not be a lynch mob outside your house if it is dirty, if your housework is behind, if you are ordering pizza in or depending on macaroni and cheese and whatever your children can do....
I had my surgery in mid-July. It was about two months before I was comfortable doing a lot of stuff again. It was last month when I could carry a bucket of wet horse food to Cami's stall with my right hand. I will never be able to force open stuck jars again with that hand. My handwriting is fine, though, and, as you can see, typing is not a problem. Actually, I could type with both hands almost as soon as the stitches came out.
If there is any way to put those horses on hold for at least a month, do so. Other than that, your pain will be telling you what you can and can't do once the stitches have come out. But at the least, figure 3 weeks of being out of the picture pretty much. Wish I could be there to help!
raying: they don't stampeed on you!!!!!
