Can anyone tell me about their experience with this?
I have a referal for a neurologist to get some nerve testing done, than most likely surgery for carpal tunnel in BOTH hands!
so just want to hear all about your experience with surgery and life afterwards
i have had surgery on my wrist (not carpal tunnel, but the others having ops that day were carpal tunnel)
if it's done by a hand surgeon, they'll basically knock you out (i had a twilight sedation), put a nerve block in your arm, and do the surgery. it's very quick - a bit uncomfortable afterwards, and you'll likely be in a plaster cast for a couple of weeks so it can heel unhindered. my surgery was more involved than the carpal tunnel and i had no more than panadeine for pain for a few days afterwards.
from what i understand with CT surgery, they simply open up the channel through which the nerve bundle travels. when i went back to the surgeon for follow up two weeks post-op, the girls i'd been waiting with pre-op were there and seemed to have recovered much more easily than i had
i need surgery again to clean up my wrist joint but, to be honest, i'm putting it off. i can manage the pain at the moment with a toddler that is still in need of being picked up - i think i would struggle post op - not with the plastered time - but the bit afterwards. where i feel ok, and go to pick her up and realise it's still not quite right. i'd rather not go through the op without confidence that i'm not going to screw it up with normal life afterwards kwim??
have you looked at massage to try and loosen the CT? i have been shown how to do it myself to give relief (i do have CT issues when my wrist flares). it hurts in the moment, but gives heaps of relief. i've so far put off returning to the surgeon for a couple of years... procrastinating...
oh, the actual op isn't too bad either - i woke during mine (that isn't normal!) and they said about knocking me back out - given i wasn't feeling anything due to the nerve block, i asked if i could watch. was rather interesting having them explain it to me at the time!
ETA - if you can, make sure you see a hand surgeon, not a general orthopedic surgeon - i have had wrist surgery by both - ortho had me in plaster for a month, and i have a three inch scar. hand surgeon was two weeks in plaster, and i have two tiny (less than 5mm) scars... MUCH easier recovery
oh my gosh BG!!!! Waking during the surgery!!! that is scary! i think if that happened to me they would be than be calling a cardiologist because i would have a heart attack! LOL
Hopefully the neurologists says i don't need surgery but this has been going on pretty much since i feel pregnant with DD2 and they say it should go 6wks after giving birth but she is almost one now and it is getting worse.
I was feeding a baby in special care the other day and my whole hand went totally numb than had the shakes afterwards so not a good thing!
I hate surgery and being knocked out, i don't come around too well afterwards! and the thought of not being able to do things afterwards is not good! how does a mum with 2 kids "not do anything" LOL so its good to hear that you said the other girls recovered well and easily!
and you have a good point in putting your further surgery off. Maybe i should do that? because im still going to have a bub that needs picking up! thats something i will have to ask about, because also i can't afford my hand going numb or anything when i am on prac! so thanks for that thought
waking up didn't worry me - i had to be put under a lesser sedation because of issues with my heart - it beats a lot more rapidly than most - especially when i'm sedated (it's weird) - as a result, i metabolised the sedative more quickly. i didn't have breathing tubes or anything so it really didn't freak me out. maybe it helps that i find it all REALLY interesting - i was more intrigued than stressed lol
i'm trying to think how to explain what i was taught to loosen off the CT - it's a bundle of muscles that contract and compress the nerves - but i can't explain properly how to get it to release. i had to be shown - definitely something to consider if you're going to put off surgery.
i would say another six months and i'll start investigating the surgery again - by the time i get into the hand surgeon on the public list, E will probably be 10 anyway... lol
Carpal Tunnel Surgery
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