My Carpal Tunnel Surgery

I am Right handed, but I learned at an early age to use my left hand. I used to be a machinist on manual Turret Lathes. After that I worked for my father as a Carpenter. Again having to use both hands. A couple years ago I started losing feeling in the fingers on my left hand. I would shake my hand and the feeling would come back. This went on for a while and finally it got to the point that it was always feeling numb. I had to hold nails and screws with my left hand and I could not feel whatever I picked up or I would sometimes drop it without realizing it in my left hand. Once after Thanksgiving, I was putting our Turkey dinner into the Refrigerator and dropped it on the floor because I did not have any feeling in my left hand. Also at night it would wake me up and when I was trying use my keyboard, I would lose feeling in my fingers. The only finger that it did not bother was my little finger.

At that point I decided to go see the family Doctor and see what was going on. He looked at it and told me it was Carpel Tunnel and prescribed a hand brace to wear at night for a month to see if it did any good. I put the hand brace on every night for a month and it gave me no relief.

So then back to the Doctor . He then sent me to see a specialist who did a Nerve conduction study. Two electrodes are taped onto your skin. A small shock is passed down the Medial Nerve to see how much electrical impulses are reduced in the Carpal Tunnel. That was not a pleasant experience. They use that test to diagnose Carpal Tunnel and make sure it is not something else. It is not really painful but was uncomfortable and it makes your finger’s twitch. After doing that test he told me I did have Carpel Tunnel and that it was Medium to Severe.

I then had to go back to my Doctor and get a reference to see a Surgeon. After making and Appointment for a month after that I went in and she told me that she thought that I could get relief from Surgery. She made me an appointment to go into the Hospital for a “Short Stay”. A Short stay is a One Day trip where they call you the night before and tell you what time to be there. The night before the surgery I got a call and was told to be there at 10:00 A.M. that I was not to eat or drink anything after Midnight.

Arriving at the hospital at 9:30 A.M. they started to get ready to operate. The Doctor came in and marked my hand where she was going to cut. Then I waited, about 12:30 they decide to put me into the operating room and start. When I woke up in the operating room they asked me to slide over onto the bed so they could wheel me back to recovery. I looked down at my hand and it was all bandaged up.

When I got into recovery it was 2:30 in the afternoon. They asked me if I was hungry. I told her a nice steak and a glass of wine would be nice. That was not served there. I got some toast and a glass of Ginger Ale. I had to wait in the recovery room about an hour. After that wait I was wheeled out to the front door and discharged. I was told to not remove the bandage for five days and to take the pain pills as needed. I had to get a brace, to protect the hand, before I could remove the bandage in five days. It has been interesting trying to do everything with one hand. Wash dishes, cook, put socks on, tie shoes all the normal things that you do in a day to day living. I am trying not to use my left hand.

Day Four: Hand is itching badly.

Day Five: The great unveiling. I can’t wait to get to take a real shower. I Pull the wrap off my hand and look at the Doctors fine work. Stitches in the hand they look so nice...

I had talked to other people who had, had the surgery and they all told me the Pain was really bad. That it might last as long as 6 weeks before I could use my hand. It did not bother me much. I took the pain medicine as prescribed and have had no real pain.

In eight more days I will see the doctor again. I have already regained a lot of feeling in my left hand. I am not sure yet if, it is a complete success. But time will tell. I was told originally that it will take time for my hand to return to normal.

It’s been three weeks since I had Surgery on my hand The Stitches have been removed. Where they were is mostly healed. The really good news is that my feeling has continued to come back in my fingers although the Doctor has told me it might be 6 to 9 months till they are as good as new.

Up Date 1 month After: My fingers continue to regain their lost feeling. Scar is almost gone. See Photo.

1 Year later. All the feeling has returned to my left hand. It feels as good as ever. If after you have tried other options for Carpal Tunnel then I would suggest the surgical option to anyone who suffers from this condition.

2 Years Later. It is now time to get my right hand done. My left does not ever bother me any more.