Coping After An Carpal Tunnel Operation

[SweetKingfisher1]

How would I deal after my Carpal Tunnel Operation?

That was a question I had asked my-self and thought it was going to be hell for me, but I was going to be a nightmare for dear Ian living with me. I am a strong independent person and for those who know me, I might be short (or petite) but nothing is too big or too small for me.

I had my operation last Monday at Farnbrough Hospital, Kent (not my local hospital). Ian and my niece helped with being my taxi and company.

The operation is a simple operation of cutting into your lower part of your hand and cutting into the roof of the Carpal Tunnel (I am sure thats what the Doctor told me). The op only took about 20mins.

Ian had to go to work on the Tuesday, leaving me home alone (apart from our 2 cats) leaving around 11:30, but he had put together a sandwich for my lunch and something to go into the microwave for my supper. This Ian has been doing every working day for me.

My life changed on that Monday, because I could not use my left hand or to get that hand wet. So still for me to have my independent and not to put too much on Ian shoulders, how to wash and dress my self, but with having easy clothes to wear was a good idea and worked. Well I have leant and learning how to be using just one hand. It does take me a lot longer to do the washing up and to do the drying up. How to open a screw bottle top can be hard, but I can open it once Ian has left the top loose. It is not easy living with one of your limbs out of action and when you know it is only for a short period, you cope, but for those who have lost a limb. I hold my hand up to you them.

Ian help me on Thursday to change my dressing, as this is what the Hospital had told us, but I was only given 2 new dressing, which are not idea for a hand operation as the dressings do not stick for long. A visit to my own Doctors on Friday for another change of dressing, still another rubbish dressing put on. Saturday a visit to our local chemist and this time a guy took time to help with dressing my hand. This dressing will last until next Monday and at last the stitches come out.

One more week of working and keeping that hand dry, then I hope to be able to start to use both hands and slowly getting back to driving the car and hopefully be able to get up to the boat and out on the Broads. Ian is really missing the boat.

Fingers crossed my next couple of weeks go well and I can get back to normal.

I would like to thank everyone who has been giving Ian wishes for me. Thank You.

Regards

Marina  

[Wonderwall]

Wishing you a speedy recovery. 

[SwanR]

Hope you're feeling on the mend Marina. :)

[Timbo]

I can sympathise with you. I still keep forgetting my left hand doesn't work correctly...the number of pint glasses I drop, oh and dropping knives and chisels you soon learn to do the hop and skip to avoid impaling your foot. Jars and bottles one handed I have one of these do-dads, a Belliclamp.

Mine was £12 but stopped me using and taking lumps out of the door jamb! 

This little gadget was a godsend

and meant clothing choice wasn't restricted ...truth be told I still use it for fastening fiddly buttons and yes I did get the 'fly hook' stuck in my fly and have to go get someone to unhook the big pink dangly thing from the front of my trousers! 

although I've started to get some mobility back I still use my gadgets!

Get well soon Marina!

 

[SweetKingfisher1]

Thanks all, but one thing I have leant this pass week is, where there is a will there's a way of doing everyday things . 

Ok, even like entering this message is taking me time with one hand, but it can be done, by giving your self time. As for gadgets out there, I do agree to getting those which make life a lot easier .

Regards

Marina

[grendel]

Marina, I left hand type 90% of the time, at home my laptop sits on my left side, and at work I am usually doing CAD so the mouse in the right to input the coordinates, and the left to type the commands, its a skill certainly, but darned useful.

[SweetKingfisher1]

Ok, today have had the stitches taken out . 

I want to get my hand up and going, so Saturday we can pop up and take the boat out .

Fingers crossed I can start driving again with out problems.

Regards

Marina 

[Polly]

Ooh hope it is going well. 

[Bound2Please]

1 hour ago, SweetKingfisher1 said:

Ok, today have had the stitches taken out . 

I want to get my hand up and going, so Saturday we can pop up and take the boat out .

Fingers crossed I can start driving again with out problems.

Regards

Marina 

It surprised me a few years back now how quickly the Wench got back to normal after her ops for it.  She has had both done, and was asking questions and even chatting with the surgeon on her second wrist being done.

Charlie

[SweetKingfisher1]

Well thanks all. We did get up last Saturday and got the boat out and back before the heavens open. As for the driving not too bad.

As for the second op, not sure if I will go through with it , if I do it won't be till next year, as I can't get the time off work with pay.

We will be back up on the boat for our 2 weeks hols, 3 weeks Saturday. Where the hell has this year and summer gone? 

Anyone else up for the first 2 weeks of September? We will be heading from Brundall on Saturday 2nd Sep and going over Breydon Water on the afternoon tide (early/mid afternoon) then may head up to Thurne for the night. Still won't be sure how far up The Bure we get until the day. So north river for our first week and back down to south river around our second Monday.

Regards

Marina 

[deebee29]

Pleased to hear all went well with the op.

We might see you around, we are down from the 9th for 2 weeks, and planning to head south for our first week (probably Monday)

[SweetKingfisher1]

9 minutes ago, deebee29 said:

Pleased to hear all went well with the op.

We might see you around, we are down from the 9th for 2 weeks, and planning to head south for our first week (probably Monday)

Hi David, well I haven't check tides yet, but we normally head for O/B first. So we may meet or pass on the move.

Regards

Marina 

[ranworthbreeze]

55 minutes ago, SweetKingfisher1 said:

Well thanks all. We did get up last Saturday and got the boat out and back before the heavens open. As for the driving not too bad.

As for the second op, not sure if I will go through with it , if I do it won't be till next year, as I can't get the time off work with pay.

We will be back up on the boat for our 2 weeks hols, 3 weeks Saturday. Where the hell has this year and summer gone? 

Anyone else up for the first 2 weeks of September? We will be heading from Brundall on Saturday 2nd Sep and going over Breydon Water on the afternoon tide (early/mid afternoon) then may head up to Thurne for the night. Still won't be sure how far up The Bure we get until the day. So north river for our first week and back down to south river around our second Monday.

Regards

Marina 

Hi Marina,

I am glad to hear all is going well after the operation. 

Summer what summer, more like a monsoon at the moment, we have had rain at some point every day for well over two weeks now.

We hoping for a better September and will be on the boat from the 9th September.

Regards

Alan 

[grendel]

we have had a sink hole open up in the road outside the office (well its probably a collapsed drain, but we are telling the guy whose car is parked next to it that its a sink hole.)