Carpal tunnel reporting for duty

[Jim Kountz]

Well I got some bad news the other day. Seems I have advanced carpal tunnel in both wrists and cubital tunnel in my right arm. They want to do the surgery right away but I just cant do it right now. I have jobs and band gigs all summer that Im already committed to. I know that sounds stupid but I have never missed a show in 20 years and I am always on my jobsites everyday. Im positive the world would collapse if I was off for a few weeks!!
Seriously though, Im not supposed to do anything with my hands for a while that isnt neccessary and that includes woodworking. This really sucks because Im right in the middle of a lowboy project plus I have a driveway full of maple blanks that need roughed out and cored PLUS I just took on another addition for a customer and a deck for another.
Doc said 4-6 weeks for recovery during which time Im not to do ANYTHING with my hands!!:eek::eek:
Anyone else had this done and if so what was your recovery time??
Right now they have my sleeping with a splint and Im supposed to wear it as much as I can during the day. It drives me crazy I cant stand wearing things like that. I dont even like to wear rings, necklaces or bracelets. Just too confining for me.
Soooooooo Im kinda down right now and typing this has been fun with a splint on my right hand. Talk about hunt and peck............

[CW McClellan]

I'v had both wrist done one the old way and the other the new way
Feel 100 per cent better --always have used my hands for work
Have them do only one at the time as I did -you'll have one to do things with ( know what I mean Vern?)
Had friend had both done at same time (MISTAKE)
His wife got tired of hearing( I thru) from 45 yr. old
You can wrap one up also and bathe in shower with the other
About 3 wk you can do light lifting and work
Might ck about your insurance -some Co. won't pay for 2 operation in same day mine wouldn't :rolleyes:

[Belinda Barfield]

I'm sorry to hear this Jim. I only have mild CTS (thankfully) so can't offer any help. Sounds like surgery is in your future though, and I hope you recover quickly.

[Rod Sheridan]

Jim, one of my friends is a tradesman, and he had one wrist done in the spring, and the other in the autumn so he always had one working hand.

The difference for him after surgery really was dramatic...Regards, Rod.

[Dave Mura]

Sorry to hear that, good luck

[mike holden]

Jim,
Sorry to hear this.
Hope you can get healthy soon.

Seems that the group project is cursed - you are the third man down since it began!

Did we turn someone down for the project that has taken up voodoo?

Seriously, take care of yourself, and be a manager for a while - they dont do anything but tell people what they did wrong, right? (grinnnnn)

Mike

[Stephen Tashiro]

Several years ago, I got carpal tunnel symptoms in my left wrist - from computer work I think, not from other labor. I had the "hit in the funny bone" sensation along the bottom of my hand. No pain. An MRI showed nothing abnormal. Nerve conduction tests (i.e. getting shocked by the neurologist) showed a problem. I tried the wrist/hand brace, but it made my hand sweat and I could hardly stand to wear it. It made me notice that I slept with my wrists curled. I stopped doing that. The carpal tunnel problem is related to doing tasks with your fingers while your wrist is bent. Try to keep the top of you hand level with your arm and in line with your arm when you are doing such manipulations. The worst kind of thing to do is to be reaching around behind something with your wrist bent and trying to use your finders.

I decided to have surgery. It's done under a local anesthetic. For months afterward, the small depression on the bottom of my wrist was gone, my wrist was thicker and swelled outward there. But my hand felt ok immediately. Eventually the swelling went down.

[Ben Franz]

Jim-

I had moderately severe CTS in my right hand back in 1990/1991. It got to the point where I was afraid I'd lose my hammer when framing. Couldn't hold a paint brush above chest level for more than a minute or so. The doc gave me a splint that was USELESS and uncomfortable - I wasn't able to sleep with it, either. After a couple of rounds of neuro tests (the doc that did these was the funniest guy I ever met!) the insurance approved surgery. It was done outpatient and took about 20 minutes. As I recall, the acute recovery was around 2 weeks, then 4 or 5 weeks before I could do some light work. Pain was minimal throughout. The downtime is a PITA, especially during the summer but it was definitely worth doing - I'm 100% symptom free almost 20 years later. I think one key is the surgeon and his/her level of experience - I was lucky to be referred to a specialist that had thousands of cases under his belt.

Good luck whatever you decide to do.

[Chuck Stewart]

Jim,
I too have carpal tunnel,not as bad as yours sounds but something I need to get taken care of soon. I keep hearing on the radio adertisements for laser surgery to fix carpal tunnel. Guess they try to blast the buildup in the wrist without having to cut the wrist open. Heard they've had mixed results with some people having to come back for repeated treatments but the good thing is you do it as an outpatient and there is little to no therapy afterwards. Maybe do that as a first try, suprised your physician did not mention it.

[Andy Pogue]

Try these exercises until surg. Also good to do before a day (or hour) of work. the tennis elbow exercises are important too, we who are approching middle age (do many folks live to 100?) need to do them PRIOR to work.
Andy http://www.mtbj.net/exercises.htm

[Fred Voorhees]

Jim, I have had carpal tunnel surgery on both of my wrists - of course, one at a time. I was amazed at how simple the surgery really was! I truly mean that! The first operation was on my right hand. It took approximately thirty minutes and that, according to my doctor, was only because my being right handed, the muscle in the wrist was more developed. I went back to the recovery room where I met my wife and I told her I couldn't beleive that there was no pain whatsoever. Of course, there was the anesthesia to wear off. But even with that, no pain whatsoever just numbness in the hand for the rest of that day. I woke up the next morning and from there through the rest of my recovery, NO PAIN. I had five weeks off for that one. The second operation was on my left wrist and that took just about 15 minutes due to my being right handed and the left wrist was not as developed. Again, numb the rest of the day and from the next morning on.....no pain. I had six weeks off for that one because I felt that I went back to work just a bit to quick in the first instance and I didn't want to chance doing any harm. I would not hesitate to get the operations if at all possible. It is absolutely nothing to worry about. Small potatoes as far as operations go.

[Greg Cuetara]

I will start out by saying that I do not understand exactly the pain you are in or how you are doing physically. I am not looking for an answer there it is question you need to answer for yourself.

I heard something recently that makes some sense. It is called 10/10/10. What will happen in 10 minutes / 10 months / 10 years. In 10 minutes you will probably be in pain or out of work from the surgery. In 10 months you will be recovered and going full speed ahead with no pain. In 10 years you will be more successful due to the surgery.

It might seem like the world will end now if you take some time off but can you deal with the pain forever? If you are going to eventually get the surgery then why wait. You need to determine if the surgery will fix your problem but if it will do you think you will be better off afterwards?

I had major surgery about 8 years ago. I was out of work for 3 months. Kinda stunk at the time but I went from severe Pain every day to no pain at all. Now 8 years later and I am very happy I did what I did.

Good Luck with your decision. Just remember that your health comes first...before a gig or before making something in the workshop. Better to get better now and be able to play another day than to never be able to play again.

Greg

[Julie Rose]

I don't think it's correct to say there is "nothing to worry about."

I had carpal tunnel surgery last Aug. (2008) and developed RSD (Reflex Sympathetic Syndrome) also known as CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome) immediately after. When I went for my stitches to be removed, I almost fainted from the pain, my hand was so sensitive. I had blotchy skin coloring, a cold hand, a burning pain (nerve pain) and extreme skin sensitivity. I could not pick up things, was in severe pain and had a swollen hand for months. I had to go for physiotherapy and my hand took months to feel good enough to use even enough to be able to sign my name. I believe I will always have pain and a stiff hand. I am now able to do woodworking again, but only 15 min. with a jointer can cause my hand to feel more pain and stiffness for a few days.

I have never had any physical problems, I'm in my late 40s and have always been healthy and active. This Pain Syndrome does happen in a small minority and unfortunately for me, I am the one-in-however-many that got it.

Julie

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I got the surgery on my left hand (the worst one and I'm left handed).

The Dr. said "NO USE OF THE HAND FOR THREE MONTHS~!!!!!!"

Or something like that. I was choppin cord wood by week 4. The surgery was tender for a couple months.

Since getting the left hand done the right hand has stopped bothering me largely due , I suspect, to the fact that I'm no longer using it to relieve the left.

The were both so bad I couldn't sleep more than an hour or two before waking in agony.

[Mark Uhlenkamp]

I to had bilatiral carpal tunnel surgery and glad that I did not put it off. I retained 95% of my hand strength. I was told by my surgeon that had I put it off for the six months that I had wanted to, that I might have only had 75-50% of the strenght that I now enjoy. Don't wait to long you might reget it.

[Leigh Costello]

Do your best to schedule the hand surgeries about 6 wks apart. Do your dominant hand first as the non-dom hand is already used less. As for the cubital tunnel, that recovery is truly brutal. The surgery involves moving the ulnar nerve from one spot to another. This requires an incision from mid ulna to mid wrist. And due to the nature of the surgery, sutures are typically left "in" for 4 to 5 weeks. You can shower after 10 days or so, but use great caution. You need to avoid prolonged dampness to keep the germs at bay. I have had both hands and elbows done. Not a picnic, but at least I am able to work again. Hang in there, after surgery you will feel like a new man.

Very important, check with you insurance before doing multiple surgeries. I got whacked when I had to have 3 in one year. After much back and forth and a second mortgage, the cost was reduced but we still had to pay a major portion of the 2nd and 3rd surgeries.

The worst part is that once you start to feel better and get back to work you want to do too much. Don't. Pace yourself. Just my 2 cents and my own experience. Take care. You can't regrow damaged nerves.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

As for the cubital tunnel, that recovery is truly brutal.

WOW~!!
That wasn't my experience. My surgeon asked me to come back after some weeks. Then while there made me clench my hand in a fist and grip his hand a few different ways and pronounced that I'd not need Physical Therapy.

I didn't.

Maybe the surgery is different depending on the extend of your affliction?

Mine was called severe. It was. I was in absolute agony for way too much of every day.

[Leigh Costello]

Cliff,
Let me clarify "truly brutal" if I may. I meant that you feel great relatively quickly, but having to wait for a full recovery is the brutal part. I wanted to go great guns but hubby and doc said just be patient. I think waiting for the drugs to wear off is long enough-apparantly not long enough per the doc. Now that some time has passed I have a blast doing all I can when I want to. Other restrictions put me on the D.L. once in a while, so that is when I want to shout "Patience, my a**! Let me do that!" Anyway, I can turn, laser, carve, cross stitch, cook, but never do windows:D, or whatever, so it was worth every "patient" moment.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

So glad it worked out for ya~!!

I ignored my Doc who said "WAIT THREE MONTHS" and decided to let my tender nerve ends dictate how much I could do. Occasionally I got a doozy of a zinger - mostly at first - when I was splitting cordwood.

[Brian Kent]

Jim,

What do you play on your gigs? I'm trying to picture how to play drums or guitar or keyboard with carpal tunnel. Maybe it's time for you to begin your career as as a singer and to learn to yell at other people to get the work done on the job site. They need a good supervisor with your sense of humor!

Brian

ps. One word answers are fine. Or you can abbreviate: gtr=guitar, bgp=bagpipes, lt=lute, cbs=contrabassoon, duh=drummer.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Well I got some bad news the other day. Seems I have advanced carpal tunnel in both wrists and cubital tunnel in my right arm. They want to do the surgery right away

This is the first time I ever heard about a "right away" for this.

I'd make 'em 'splain to me why right away.
Put all the other consideration aside and listen to the reasons.
Ask what'll happen if you put it off.