I do not support Heart Disease or Breast Cancer!

Not wearing red today. I've heard that today is wear red to support heart disease in women. Personally I think this is a bad thing, so I am not wearing red as an act against Heart Disease in Women. It is a bad thing and should not be supported, instead we should support the women against heart disease.

Just like all those pink ribbons supporting breast cancer. We should be protesting against such an awful disease not supporting it!

How about we set up a day to actually support the people who have diseases, and those working for the cure, instead of supporting the diseases?

Or even better, how about a day to support the proper use of English to express what it is we mean! What a concept! And then maybe instead of making a facebook update about it, or wearing a ribbon or shirt, you could actually go out and volunteer and really help someone, or donate to a cause. And while I'm a big, big fan of Boobie Wednesday (because I enjoy pictures of women's breast just as much as the next heterosexual man), does changing your avatar for a day or posting a facebook status really do anything?

We need a lot less people saying they support something, and a lot more of people actually doing the support of a cause, whatever cause it may be.

Post Op Day 20

And the brace/splint came off for the last time this morning. Things look very good - they did several strength tests - my grip is about half with the right hand that it is with the left, but the pinch tests are nearly identical.

I got a big ol' glob of green silly putty to do exercises with, and a weird sticky pad to wear over the scar at night to help soften it up (it feels a little 'thick' under the scar right now).

The most surprising thing was no more PT - only the two visits. See the dr. again in two weeks, and I figure that will be it.

unstitched

So today the stitches came out - three snips, three tugs and gone. The dr. says it looks good, and I'm making good progress. It will take time to build back all the strength in my hand, and I'm still restricted from fully using it for another week (while I have the brace on).

It is nice not having the pain or numbness I had, and I'm looking forward to getting back to some of my hobbies (i.e modeling and painting 'ugly little figures' as my wife calls them).

It is also really nice to be able to type and use the mouse on the computer without it hurting nearly constantly.

The question that remains is the left hand. It is not nearly as bad as the right - there is absolutely no urgency for it at all. The Dr. thinks I should have it done as well, but there is no hurry about it. I'm not so sure, simply because the symptoms are so slight as compared to what I had. It is, honestly, like what my right had been for what - 18 years?. Meaning that occasionally it bothers me at night, on long drives, or mowing the lawn (but then what are teenage boys for if no mowing the lawn). It doesn't normally bother me, and I will go days, if not weeks, between feeling any symptoms in it. The tests did come back with a moderate level, and one important thing is to get it dealt with before there is any nerve damage.

One thing I have to consider though is how much is my weight affecting it? Maybe this is yet another reason why I need to get off my fat ass and get back on a program and get rid of this excess. I did it once, I can do it again.

Physical Therapy

Well, not really any therapy yet. But the bandages are now gone (yeah!!!) - just a little piece of gauze and a thin compression sleeve on the stitches, and a new splint that I have to wear for the next two weeks.

The therapist said I had really good range of motion and the stitches looked great. The Dr has put in a drain - basically about a 1/8" wide thin piece of plastic that stuck out either end of the incision to allow any blood or other stuff to drain out - the therapist pulled that as well since it was no longer needed (and it didn't look like much had drained out anyway).

Almost no pain. Need to rub the incision several times a day to limit scarring, and have exercises to do to keep things sliding smoothly (I don't want scar tissue to end up doing the same thing the ligament did, or else I could have to do this all over again.

Personal Terrorist tomorrow

Or at least that is what Diane calls her Physical Therapist. I'll just be happy to get this huge bandage off my hand (will make typing and writing quite a bit easier).

Today the incision has been a bit sore, and I think it might be a good idea to take some advil or something before the appointment, depending on what they do. I know I will be getting some putty to manipulate to rebuild strength, but other than that...

Of course before then I have to see about getting the insurance straightened out since it has all changed. I don't even know which one covers what part of it any more. But I hope to find that out at work tomorrow.

It has been kind of weird being off for this long (today was our holiday for New Year's), especially with the kids back in school. If I get the left hand done, at least I know I need more than 1 day (though I don't need 6 definitely!) Of course it would have helped had I not had the flu at the same time (but at least I'm efficient!)

Post op day 4

No pain meds, still a little sore. Still get the sharp, burning feelings when I stretch or move it wrong, often with no idea that it is going to happen.

Stomach flu nearly gone - but still no heat. House is down to 61 right now, with the predicted low tonight of 19. Been keeping the oven on, and venting the dryer inside, plus the one electric radiator going (will move that to the bedroom tonight as it is the coldest room in the house). Doesn't make for comfortable sleeping, especially trying to keep my hand elevated (to I still need to do that?)

One thing I can't do is lift or pull anything - that is where there is absolutely no strength yet. Typing is fine, except for the huge pad of gauze still over my palm that gets in the way. I can touch 3 out of 4 of my fingers now without any discomfort, which I guess is good.

Unfortunately my first therapy was moved to Tuesday from tomorrow, which is one more day of this bandage, but is good in a way. I hope to be able to go into work in Tuesday morning and at least print out something to show the new insurance, since it changed to a different carrier yesterday.

One of the most annoying parts is the bandage itching on my arm - mainly where there is hair there. It will be nice to be able to give my arm and wrist a good rub down to help that once this is gone.

One question in my mind - when do I do the other hand? Not as severe, but still there. I want to work it a bit better around my schedule (such as Diane's birthday trip at the end of the month, and then the Cincinnati BeerFest that I've already got tickets for).

Meds and pain

It has been interesting, getting the stomach flu while recovering from surgery. A good 24 hours without eating or taking my pain meds, and I think I have figured something out.

Apparently there are two different types of pain to deal with after the surgery. The first, which is what I could deal with but was not going away like I thought it should, was a dull, sore ache when moving or trying to use my hand at all. The meds did not affect that at all.

The second is the actual pain from the incision. That is much more of a sharp, intense, burning (like being cut with a burning knife). The meds made that go away completely - it wasn't until I wasn't taking them (in an attempt to keep my stomach where it belonged) that I began to notice it.

So the meds are working as they should. I wonder if the stitches are stuck to the bandage, because at times it feels like they are pulling (and not always predictable - often the odd movement sets that off).

But I now seem to be able to keep some food down, and everything is getting back to where it should be. I will be very glad on Tuesday to get the bulky bandage off.

post operatum

I was going to call this post mortem, but then figured that wasn't a good idea after surgery.

Everything went well. The Dr was running about an hour late getting there from his morning surgeries, but mine was first once he got there and it took a total of 20 minutes from when I left pre-op to recovery - not enough time for Diane to get lunch.

I have noticed no tingling at all, but my two middle fingers are still a bit numb. The rest of the anesthetic has worn off, and I am probably being a bit too conservative with my pain pills so far even though I have enough to make it through Sunday so I should be good; I have just never been one for wanting to take pain pills.

However I figure take two and head to bed in a bit.

The waiting is the hardest part

So it is 11:08 pm, 10 hours and 52 minutes before I report to the hospital for a relatively minor operation. I thought it would be funny to tweet earlier:

I just can't take this anymore. Tomorrow it will all be over with. Remember, across is just a plea for help, up and down is serious!

I have to laugh - because apparently lots of people asked my wife about it, but none at all asked me. Ok, so her friends care that I'm about to slit open my wrists, but my friends either get my sense of humor or don't care.

No, I'm not slitting my wrists. It is only the right one, and I'm having a doctor do it. Tomorrow at 10:00 am I check in for "Open Carpal Tunnel Release" surgery - where the doctor slices open my hand and wrist (ok, so only and inch or two) and snips the transverse carpal ligament in order to relieve the pressure on the median nerve and thus eliminate the tingling, numbness, weakness and pain in my right hand. The surgery should only take about half an hour, but I'll have a huge friggin bandage on my hand afterward and won't be able to use it for at least a few days (if for no other reason than there is a huge bandage on it). For reference check out this blog entry I came across : http://laslink.net/jody/2010/01/17/roys-carpal-tunnel-surgery/

My only experience with surgery so far (knock wood) has been a small lump of scar tissue removed from my finger when I was in high school, and my gall bladder removal about 8 years ago, so I'm not really sure how I'll respond afterward, though it does seem to take an awful lot to knock me down (consider that I'm taking 3 days off of work for this, which is the longest amount of consecutive (if not complete) sick time I've taken since the gall bladder surgery)) plus a three day weekend after it (I get January 3rd off since the 1st is a Saturday)).

I'm more worried about making it through the morning since I seem to always feel so dehydrated at night, and I'm not supposed to have anything after midnight - so that is 10+ hours. I remember with my gall bladder once I was on the pain medicine the biggest issues was I was so thirsty until after the surgery (I was even grateful for the barium sludge I had to drink for the tests simply because it was something to swallow).

I want to say that I'm not worried, just already feeling thirsty and wanting to get this over with. I always find it hard to sleep when I have something big and new the next day.

It will be nice to not have the pain, tingling and numbness anymore, and I figure that soon I'll have the left done as well (though it isn't nearly so bad as the right).

We'll see how long it takes to get back to it.

Business model

Sometimes, especially when it inconviences me, I wonder about some business models.

Take, for example, Panera Bread Company. They offer free wi-fi, so people will come there to use it. I wonder how many people are there however, sipping a latte' for hours. This is assuming, of course, that they have the common courtesy to even buy anything.

I have to wonder however, how much money they are loosing because thse people are taking up all the parking spaces, keeping other paying customers that would just like to get a quick soup and sandwich to go on a cold snowy day from being able to even get in the door.

Maybe it isn't the free wifi. Maybe they are simply so overwhelmingly successful that they don't need my business the last six times I have tried to get lunch from them. But the chinese place seems grateful for my business instead.

Hot and Sour soup and sesame' chicken may not be quite the same as French Onion soup in a bread bowl, but I'm able to actually get in and purchase the later, while after circling the lot with several other cars, I abandoned any hope for the former.