My carpal tunnel

[Fred Voorhees]

Well, here it is. You can be sure that I am typing this mostly with my left hand. The operation went well, though it took about an hour instead of the fifteen minutes the surgeon said it would. Something to do with it being much "thicker" inside my wrist than anticipated - whatever that means. Had to get through the second half of it while awake due to my needing a CPAP machine and their not being able to use one due to anesthesia. Surprisingly little pain afterward, but it caught up to me last night! Pain meds are on hand and this morning I felt like they weren't needed. Can move the fingers, but little else with the hand - making tying shoes, brushing hair and teeth, buckling pants, and other stuff I won't even mention, um, hard to comprehend. Oh, well, now it's a month to mend.

[john whittaker]

Fred, so now you have medical proof that.....you're thick:D

Good luck with the recovery. Heal well.

[Bruce Page]

Fred, glad that things went well. Heal well!

[Joe Pelonio]

Funny how no one gets carpal tunnel in the hand they don't use.;)
I'm glad it went well, have a fast recovery.

[Fred Voorhees]

Funny how no one gets carpal tunnel in the hand they don't use.;)
I'm glad it went well, have a fast recovery.

Actually Joe, I do have it in my left hand and wrist also. I am probably going to tackle that hand next summer. I attribute the problem to nearly thirty years of typing in relation to my various jobs within the auto racing circles here in the Northeast. I did various columns and did event reporting for a number of papers, as well as published three monthly newsletters, did PR work for drivers and a race track and wrote for a handful of weekly track souvenir programs besides other tasks such as announcing and radio and television color commentating.

[Randy Long]

Hope you heal well. No cheating on the doctors orders.

[Lori Kleinberg]

Good luck with your recovery. My carpal tunnel surgery is scheduled for the 15th. I am not looking forward to not being able to woodwork for awhile. I had planned to start the xmas presents, but oh well.

[Joe Pelonio]

Actually Joe, I do have it in my left hand and wrist also. I am probably going to tackle that hand next summer. I attribute the problem to nearly thirty years of typing in relation to my various jobs within the auto racing circles here in the Northeast. I did various columns and did event reporting for a number of papers, as well as published three monthly newsletters, did PR work for drivers and a race track and wrote for a handful of weekly track souvenir programs besides other tasks such as announcing and radio and television color commentating.
Without knowing I thought it might have been from woodworking. I know people that have had it from things like operating heavy equipment but most have been just one hand, the one they use. Typing all day, especially before ergonomic keyboards definitely affects both. Hopefully it will go smoothly and be back in shape before you do the other one.

[Ben Grunow]

Just don't brush yout hair or teeth, wear shoes or any clothes, eat and drink with one hand or both feet and you'll be fine!

Get well soon. Good luck.

[Bruce Page]

Fred, just curious, how did things work out for Billy Pauch Jr.?

[Kevin Swan]

fred get well soon i read your stuff and need more . go agr

[Ron Jones near Indy]

Heal quickly! Do as the Doc says.

[Jim Becker]

Hey...I have two of those braces! One in beige for "around the house" and one in black for more formal occasions.... :D :D :D

'Glad the surgery went well, Fred!! And hopefully it will make your future "handy-work" less painful to complete.

[Robert Mickley]

Have a speedy reovery Fred. Follow the DR orfers and you wil be going in no time.

Jim, If I had two braces and one was black, it would be from grease not for formal :D

[Norman Hitt]

Hey...I have two of those braces! One in beige for "around the house" and one in black for more formal occasions.... :D :D :D

'Glad the surgery went well, Fred!! And hopefully it will make your future "handy-work" less painful to complete.

I've got two also, both black.;) Unfortunately, having two doesn't mean I have a clean one for Formal Occassions, 'cause one says "Left", and the other says "Right".:(

Best wishes Fred, for a speedy and successful recovery.

[Thomas Herview]

I had both my hands done several years ago. You will never be able to put that chisel in place and bump it with that hand again. Trust me. It took about a year for the tenderness to really go away. I hope all goes well.

[Fred Voorhees]

Fred, just curious, how did things work out for Billy Pauch Jr.?
Bruce, thanks for asking. Billy didn't make the cut, but honestly, and not to make excuses, but the website that was on continually changed the format for voting and I think fans finally got discouraged with it and stopped their voting to keep Billy "up there". However, he is doing just great on the local scene and has won a feature or two along the way this season. Heck, he's even whupped up on the old man a time or two. With a few more seasons of seat time under his butt, this kid is going to be something. He reminds me of his old man when he was Jr.'s age. They are both pictures below from a promotional autograph card I picked up a few weeks ago at the track.

I can't stress enough how exciting this sport is on the local level. Pictures and words, even video, just can't do it justice. I have been going to the local dirt track races for about 44 years now and there is a reason for that. It is the shear excitement of being there and witnessing the racing that hooks you for life!