I am waiting a couple weeks for my next EMG appointment down in NYC. The last few days were really tough to get through, between pain and nerve tingling. I was able to get some medicine to help make me a little more comfortable- gabapentin for the day, and tramadol to help me sleep at night. I'm admittedly nervous about both of these, as the primary uses of both are for different conditions than mine.
I took the tramadol last night, and I slept well! (A welcome change from the night before, which was rather restless due to some grumpy nerves). I still felt extremely sedated for most of the morning, which I didn't mind. I think I will continue using this one.
It was, unfortunately, not a good plan to start the gabapentin while at work- oops... I had some pretty unpleasant side effects. About an hour after I took the pill, I got chills, broke into a sweat, and my hands were trembling. I was so lightheaded and crappy feeling I took an early lunch break just to put my head down for an hour. Doesn't look like this one will be working out. Although, I had a decent day pain-management wise. What's worse- being in pain that interferes with your life, or having your pain reliever make you feel like you got run over by a truck?
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
How it All Began
About three years ago, I started to notice my right hand would get sore when I used my laptop. It has a track pad, so I thougth it might have to do with the angle of my hand, or maybe that I was just using it too much. But I slowly realized that the pain was very specific to a certain part of my hand, and way too constant to be normal wear and tear. To be exact, it felt like it hurt around and under the bone at the bottom corner of my palm, straight down from the pinky. (It's called the pisiform bone, as I would later find out).
Now, I'm a wicked procrastinator at heart, so naturally I just put up with it for as long as possible. For the first year or so, it was mostly an annoyance. But in time, I found myself logging off sooner than I wanted to, just so the pain would subside. I even started to use my left hand to operate the track pad once in a while. Using a regular mouse was better, but even that got bad eventually.
So, in early Spring of 2009, I sucked it up and went to see my GP. (General Practitioner). I described my symptoms, and he told me it sounded like I had carpal tunnel syndrome. He instructed me to get a wrist brace designed for carpal tunnel and wear it whenever I was using my hand a lot, like at work. He asked me to try this for a month. If it got better, then I had nothing to worry about. If it stayed the same, he wanted to refer me to a hand specialist.
I honestly did not think I had carpal tunnel. I did a little research on it before going to the doctor, and the symptoms didn't seem to fit. But I'm not an expert, so I figured I would give this solution a chance.
The brace turned out to be quite a challenge. The first one I got in the supermarket didn't give me enough support, but I went to a small privately owned pharmacy by my job and they actually helped fit me for a brace that was better quality. I was waitressing at the time, and it was pretty tough to get used to working with the brace on. I wanted to get better though, so I went along with it.
The brace I ended up with had a wide, flat metal splint that sat under your wrist and hand. (The idea is to immobilize the wrist joint). It pulled on almost like a glove and had three Velco straps. It felt pretty bulky at first. Carrying plates and drinks was no fun, and it took me weeks before my handwriting was legible to anyone other than myself. (I'm right handed).
At first it was nice to get sympathy from people, but that gets old pretty quick. I got lots of jokes about being a bowling enthusiast, or possibly being injured in a boxing accident...
Needless to say, a month passed and nothing felt better. In fact, (I almost thought it was all in my head), it seemed to get worse by the day. So I went back to my doctor for a referral to a local orthopedic practice. The medical group only has one hand specialist, so I waited... Two weeks later, I hoped and hoped I would get the answers I was looking for.
Now, I'm a wicked procrastinator at heart, so naturally I just put up with it for as long as possible. For the first year or so, it was mostly an annoyance. But in time, I found myself logging off sooner than I wanted to, just so the pain would subside. I even started to use my left hand to operate the track pad once in a while. Using a regular mouse was better, but even that got bad eventually.
So, in early Spring of 2009, I sucked it up and went to see my GP. (General Practitioner). I described my symptoms, and he told me it sounded like I had carpal tunnel syndrome. He instructed me to get a wrist brace designed for carpal tunnel and wear it whenever I was using my hand a lot, like at work. He asked me to try this for a month. If it got better, then I had nothing to worry about. If it stayed the same, he wanted to refer me to a hand specialist.
I honestly did not think I had carpal tunnel. I did a little research on it before going to the doctor, and the symptoms didn't seem to fit. But I'm not an expert, so I figured I would give this solution a chance.
The brace turned out to be quite a challenge. The first one I got in the supermarket didn't give me enough support, but I went to a small privately owned pharmacy by my job and they actually helped fit me for a brace that was better quality. I was waitressing at the time, and it was pretty tough to get used to working with the brace on. I wanted to get better though, so I went along with it.
The brace I ended up with had a wide, flat metal splint that sat under your wrist and hand. (The idea is to immobilize the wrist joint). It pulled on almost like a glove and had three Velco straps. It felt pretty bulky at first. Carrying plates and drinks was no fun, and it took me weeks before my handwriting was legible to anyone other than myself. (I'm right handed).
At first it was nice to get sympathy from people, but that gets old pretty quick. I got lots of jokes about being a bowling enthusiast, or possibly being injured in a boxing accident...
Needless to say, a month passed and nothing felt better. In fact, (I almost thought it was all in my head), it seemed to get worse by the day. So I went back to my doctor for a referral to a local orthopedic practice. The medical group only has one hand specialist, so I waited... Two weeks later, I hoped and hoped I would get the answers I was looking for.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
An Introduction
Hello, world!
This blog is my way of recording my experiences with nerve entrapment, chart my progress, and also reach out in case I can help someone else.
I have felt like I was on a roller coaster for the past 2 years, and I had to learn some tough lessons. I'd love to turn this blog into a resource where I can share information, advice and tips.
I am well on my way to healing, but it is a process that takes time. I have problems with entrapment of my ulnar nerve at certain joints. (More on what this is in a later post). Most people get entrapped nerves from an injury or repetetive stress, but my issues have "just happened."
As of today, I have had 4 procedures done on 2 occasions.
9/2009: Right Guyon's canal release (open)
Right Cubital tunnel release (endoscopic)
8/2009: Left Carpal tunnel release
Left Cubital tunnel release (both endoscopic)
At this point, I am consulting about several other procedures on both arms, facing the possibility that I may also need operations on my ankles. Over my upcoming posts, I will try to write a little bit about the background of my condition, describe my symptoms and surgeries, and outline my plans for the future.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, and in no way to I intend for any statements made in this blog to be taken as medical advice- always get the input of a medical professional! (I have an awesome surgeon I can recommend!)
This blog is my way of recording my experiences with nerve entrapment, chart my progress, and also reach out in case I can help someone else.
I have felt like I was on a roller coaster for the past 2 years, and I had to learn some tough lessons. I'd love to turn this blog into a resource where I can share information, advice and tips.
I am well on my way to healing, but it is a process that takes time. I have problems with entrapment of my ulnar nerve at certain joints. (More on what this is in a later post). Most people get entrapped nerves from an injury or repetetive stress, but my issues have "just happened."
As of today, I have had 4 procedures done on 2 occasions.
9/2009: Right Guyon's canal release (open)
Right Cubital tunnel release (endoscopic)
8/2009: Left Carpal tunnel release
Left Cubital tunnel release (both endoscopic)
At this point, I am consulting about several other procedures on both arms, facing the possibility that I may also need operations on my ankles. Over my upcoming posts, I will try to write a little bit about the background of my condition, describe my symptoms and surgeries, and outline my plans for the future.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, and in no way to I intend for any statements made in this blog to be taken as medical advice- always get the input of a medical professional! (I have an awesome surgeon I can recommend!)
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