ARM PUMP OR CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME?
PART 2: Surgery complete, typing with one hand
With the Saturday Demo Day at KTM World / Highland Park successfully completed, I threw my gear in the truck for a 5am Sunday morning departure for the last race I would do for a while. I managed to get first in class, third overall at the Hare Scrambles before my surgery on Monday, and had a great back and forth race with a very good racer and ISDE vet, Jeff Hill. That race was really fun, but as usual, my right hand went numb in the first 20 minutes, and the left hand followed suit a while later. At the end of the race, Jeff rode over to shake my hand, but I couldn't grab his hand. My hand was numb and not working. At that moment I really wondered how I could possibly race like that, but you somehow learn how to manage it. I was looking forward to surgery the next morning.
On Monday, I went to the hospital and checked in at the outpatient surgery center. No overnight stay for CTS surgery, and the whole day went pretty smoothly. Fifteen minutes in the waiting room, fifteen minutes doing the final paperwork, then went directly back to the pre-surgery area. I placed my clothes in the provided bag and put on the highly fashionable open back hospital gown. I tried to put on the little socks they gave me, but my size 13 5E feet would simply not go in those little socks. The nurse came in and went over post operative instructions, started my IV, checked my blood pressure and took my temperature. Twenty minutes later, the surgeon, Dr Kirkpatrick, came in and talked to me for a bit about the surgery, then a few minutes later the anesthesiologist came in and talked to me. We decided I would not do general anesthesia, just a sedative and some shots to numb the local area. More paperwork signed, and about 5 minutes later, the nurse came in and gave me a shot of what she called "happy juice".
Good stuff, whatever it was. Five more minutes, and they put me in a wheelchair and took me into the operating room. Got out of the wheelchair and onto the special operating table with arm extensions, and the nice folks began hooking me up to the EKG machine, fresh IV bag, and other equipment I did not recognize. That's the end of my report from the operating room. They must have given me the sedative doze in my IV while I was not looking, since I was now in the recovery room and surgery was over. About an hour later, I was on my way home with my right hand and wrist securely bandaged up, but no cast. Total time at the hospital, 4.5 hours. Not bad!
A few hours after surgery, antibiotic goop still on my hand and arm.
Typing with only my left hand is slow, but my right hand does not hurt very much, and so far I have not needed any of the codeine prescription. My right shoulder hurts worse from the tree I got personal with in yesterday's race. So far, the entire hospital/surgery experience was better and faster than expected, and the post surgery pain is minimal. If you race, you have likely finished a race with a body part or two hurting worse than my hand hurts now. Of course I'm purposely not using my freshly operated upon hand, and as long as I don't use it (except when I instinctively used it to slap that big freakin' spider off my face after I walked through it's face level web), there is not much pain post surgery.
As the healing process progresses, I'll do some more writing for those readers interested in the possibility of having carpal tunnel surgery. I have been very pleased with my highly recommended doctor, the short stay at the hospital, and so far, it's been pretty hassle free. However, I have not yet had to argue about payment with my insurance company. That could be another story all by itself.
Paul Wright
