I'm ok

The zapping sucked. BIG. But the good news is that whatever the neuro-doc saw, my surgeon didn't think it required any surgery. :) YIPPEE

Zapped again ....

I knew my arm and elbow wouldn't be 100% better after the surgery in October 2006. I knew it wouldn't be back to completely normal. It was actually amazingly good after just 60 days actually!

However, shortly after I started playing cello again in September, I started getting numbness in the top of my right hand. It would happen whilst doing just about anything, including not doing a single thing. It would start up my right thumb area, sometimes include the index and middle fingers, and radiate up my arm. It felt different than the compression in the elbow of the ulna nerve. It hurt too.

So, I showed up at the orthopedic surgeon's last week and told him what I've been experiencing as of late. I didn't want to be there. I was done with the Year of the Elbow. But I did the only thing I could do, other than ignore it. Dr. S*** sent me to the nerve doctor, again....

Being zapped again by the very kind Dr. W*** was worse than the first time. I knew it would hurt again. I knew what to anticipate.

Yet again, Dr. W*** was as wonderful as he could possibly be, treating me as a person and taking the time to talk me through the painful zapping process. He explained exactly what he was doing, and what he was looking for. I told him I was going to blog this, so this is my giant THANK YOU! to Dr. W***! (Wait for the applause!)

Diagnosis (to be confirmed by Dr. S***) is that I have yet another compressed nerve - a branch of the radial nerve - the posterior interosseus nerve.

Fig. 1. —Drawing shows course of radial nerve (thick arrows) deep in relation to brachioradialis muscle (arrowheads) at elbow where radial nerve divides into posterior interosseous nerve (thin arrows) and superficial radial nerve. S = supinator.


To be continued.....(sigh)

Alive and well

Joe is back today, after being off of work for nearly 2 weeks. He's starting a new job at the same place as a manager. He will do well. :) The surgery went well, and his recuperation went smoothly. It helped having so many women telling him to STOP LIFTING: his mother, his grandmother, his daughter and his wife.

Maddy had the week off too, and the two of them spent 4 days up at the cottage. I had to work the 2nd & 3rd but went up in the evenings to say "howdy". They were ready to come home on the 4th. Maddy LOVED being able to stay up late for the fireworks one night, a concert in the park another, and a bonfire over the weekend. It's been a challenge getting her back on schedule but it's working out ok. Oy- is she ever cranky when she doesn't get good sleep!

What happens when you no longer have a funny bone?

So I found out what happens when you hit your funny bone when you've lost it (or at least when you've had it surgically moved). It still hurts. Owie! It's now bruised and sore. Now you know!

What a difference 60 days makes

60 days ago was my surgery. I had a ton of pain in the elbow itself - weakness - tingling all through the arm - generally owie.

Now, after 4 weeks of therapy, stretching, strenghtening & pain meds, I am able to type properly, eat with my right arm again, wash my hair with my right arm again, and generally use my arm without too much pain. I'm not 100% healed yet. You have to remember this battle has been since February 25, 2006 when I broke my elbow in the first place.

Things I'm looking forward to being able to do by the summer 2007:

• Practice yoga
• Start playing "Quincy" (my cello)
• Get strong enough to be able to use the computer mouse in my right hand

I'm thrilled to say the least! Thanks for supporting me in this journey.....

:) Karen

What I'm doing on my time off

• emailed family, friends about surgery & how I'm doing
• nap every afternoon
• eat if hungry (tummy still not 100% from anesthesia)
• watch movies
  
1. Chronicles of Narnia
2. X-men - Final Stand
3. V for Vendetta
4. Constant Gardener
5. Akeelah & the Bee
6. The Notorious Betty Page
7. Elizebeth I (love Helen Mirren)
8. Mrs. Henderson Presents (love Dame Judi!)
9. Art School Confidential
10. Brokeback Mountain
    
• making sure neighbor's dog is being cared for (story to come)
• Fighting fever today
• start sorting Maddy's wardrobe for fall/winter
  

by the #s

4 - # hours slept night before surgery
2 - # hours knocked out
1/8 - # inches thick scar tissue removed
8 - # hours in hosp. total
4 - # times threw up cuz side effect from anesthesia (bleh)
1 - # arms/hand useful now
3 - # times D'Argo kitty wanted to sleep on "owie" arm during night
3 - # times renegotiated with D'Argo kitty where he was allowed to sleep

all's well. typing well w/ 1 hand. now... on the road to healing.

5:30 am

5:30am. WAY too early to be anywhere, but at least I don't have to dress up! Everything going to plan, I'll be home mid-day tomorrow. Maddy is staying the night tonight at Nana Terri's house since it's going to be so FRELLING early!

DONE:

• Find out where I need to be when next Thursday.
• Print out list of movies I would like to get from the video store for after the surgery.
• Vacuum
• Sweep downstairs
• Did all reporting
• Train co-worker on project
• Had performance review

NEED TO DO:

• Finish memo
• Do last work project
• Clean room Mom will be sleeping in
• Clean bathroom
• Watch / tape LOST
• Try not to stress about everything. I'm stressing about everything and the acne on my face shows it.
• Take care of me! (thanks Heather :) )

Wish me luck and send healing thoughts my way, please. Thanks everyone who has sent me nice messages. :) It does help.

Now on with the next step to being able to play Quincy (my cello) again....

ToDos

The list of things to do before next Thursday- surgery day- continues to grow.

DONE:

• Paperwork to be able to have time off from work and not have to take vacation time for recuperation.
• Did laundry for packing for this weekend's wedding in Milwaukee.
• Figured out how to use the borrowed keyboard midi to aid in transposing music for the 2 gigs just after Thanksgiving.
• Haircut appointment made for Wednesday.
• Made arrangements for my Mom to come up Thursday-Friday to help out post-surgery.

NEED TO DO:

• Pack Maddy for two nights this weekend at G'ma Terri's house.
• Pack Karen and Joe for two nights in Milwaukee for Jess's wedding affair.
• Get list of work duties done before next Wednesday: do all reporting, let co-worker know where everything, train co-worker on necessary steps to close out a project, prepare for work review.
• Clean house (ok- at least vacuum, clean room Mom will be sleeping in, sweep floors, and clean bathroom).
• Find out where I need to be when next Thursday.
• Try not to stress about everything. I'm stressing about everything and the acne on my face shows it.
• Print out list of movies I would like to get from the video store for after the surgery.

(to be added to)....

ME TIME

Are you a woman? A wife? A mother? We all think about this, but we very rarely take the time to do something about this. What am I talking about? ME TIME! Check this out:

The Families and Work Institute (FWI) found that working mothers spend both more time at the job and more time with their kids than their counterparts did 25 years ago.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/09/15/me.time.health/index.html

I'm not saying no to time at work or no to time with kids - I enjoy my job and I love my kid. I've noticed, however, that it takes so much effort to actually spend time for myself, and when I'm gone, I feel that monster creeping up to strangle me - GUILT!

When I went to Girl Scout Summer Camp many many years ago, everyday after lunch, we had "ME TIME". We could nap, write home, swim, read, play outside games, whatever we wished. I didn't feel guilty then.

This year has been rough for me physically. After breaking my elbow in February, I didn't take any time off. In hindsight, I was NUTS. Joe and his mom drove me around town. I henpecked the keyboard at work. I wore a head-set so I could be on the phone and work on the computer if needed. It worked out ok. But I was also on vicodin and was in a lot of pain. I don't remember much of the month of March.

I'm learning to try to bring some of ME TIME in my time now, before the surgery as well as after. Tonight I've invited women from all aspects of my life for a Girl's Night Out, and at least 9 of us are having dinner together at a wonderful restaurant in town. I'm learning not to feel so guilty about doing things I enjoy. I'm also going to take off as much time as I need after the surgery for recovery! I'm not going to do it like in February, struggling to stay awake whilst on yummy drugs, aching in pain and hoping to find time for sleep.

Yeah for ME TIME!

just breath....

Surgery has been scheduled. October 5th. 48 days. The waiting begins.

The decision

The date hasn't been set yet, but we are going through with the surgery to transpose the ulna nerve being compressed by the scar tissue. It's probably going to be early October so hopefully I've healed a bit healed by the holidays. I feel pretty, well, ok. As well as I can be, I suppose.

I'm glad I can do something about the discomfort, the pain, the lack of full recovery from the original injury. I'm freaked out about the prospect of surgery. I only have been "under" twice that I remember: once in the dentist's chair getting stubborn teeth out and once only a few years ago when I had my tonsils taken out. I'm frustrated that I feel like I'm going back to square one as I recuperate from the surgery (no lifting for 6-8 weeks). Therapy won't be fun, but I've been there before in April, so I kind of know what to expect.

I'm ok. I know it's temporary and I know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Diagnosis

In regards to my elbow...I have nerve compression/entrapment of the ulna nerve at the elbow. It's probably scar tissue from the fracture in February.

Option 1: Wait and see if it gets better.
Option 2: Surgically decompress the nerve and possibly move the nerve to another place. (link is really a good link to UCLA's Neurosurgery Center).

Neither sounds fun. I've been pretty good about limiting the activities. I use the mouse at my computer with my left hand again. I conduct the band with my left hand (that was weird). I rinse dishes, weed, drive, hold the phone to my ear, etc. with my left hand. I still do all the fun nerve glides. I'm not overdoing it, but I'm definitely not exercising it. But rest alone MIGHT help.

But surgery might work. It would release it from the scar tissue, and the re-routing of the nerve to inside the forearm would decrease the tension. It would mean possible time off. It would mean trying to figure out a good time for surgery. It would mean going back to square one. But it also MIGHT help.

So there you have it. I asked my ortho-surgeon what he would do. He said he didn't know. Great. Joe and I meet with him on the 14th to discuss details, options, etc.

Bottomline, I just want to be feel healthy again. I want to play cello again. I want to be able to not wince when Maddy wants me to hold her. I want to be able to not have to gauge my activities, hoping that I have enough strength to make it through the day.