What the internet randomly says I can expect after carpal tunnel release surgery-
- It is sensible to wait until your wound has healed to prevent your stitches from loosening and your wound opening. This usually takes 10-14 days. Most people are able to begin gentle driving approximately two weeks after their carpal tunnel surgery. I have a full driving schedule for physical therapy on my knee all this coming week and I live 20 miles out of town. My carpal surgeon was aware of this. What the heck is 'gentle driving'?
- Most patients experience a full recovery from numbness in a day or two following surgery. Nerve damage takes longer to resolve. 6 months to one year after surgery is typically when recovery is considered complete and nerve damage has improved as much as is expected. Someone keeps telling me that a coworker was fine in 4 days flat, soz... Kinda not believing that one.
- Paresthesias and scar tenderness are common in the subacute recovery phase following carpal tunnel release. A flare or aggravation of symptoms is common in the period of two to six weeks after surgery. Well, it hurts like hell 3rd day out, so yeah, kind of expecting that, but pretty sure my family will be expecting me to carry full work load the split second the stitches come out.
- Driving (a couple of days after surgery) Yeah, the other hand, I imagine, because this random answer came out of the blue.
- Writing (after a week, but expect 4-6 weeks before it feels easier.) I can barely pick up and maneuver a pen for one word atm, but srsly, 4-6 weeks??
- Pulling, gripping, and pinching (6-8 weeks out, but only lightly.) Totally believe this, barely even tugging on a sock felt like pain shocks from a cattle prod. I was very strongly commanded not to do ANY pulling or lifting until the stitches come out 2 weeks out from surgery. Guess they've seen a few rip open.
- Expect 10-12 weeks before your full strength returns, or up to a year in more severe cases. Define 'full strength'. Wow, nearly 3 months? Just how bad off were you?
- After surgery, you will be discharged home in a wrist splint and a bulky dressing. The dressing may be removed 3 to 4 days after surgery, but you should continue wearing the splint provided for approximately 6 weeks. K, where in the world are they getting this splint stuff, I never got a splint.
- Carpal tunnel syndrome cannot be cured, but surgery to alleviate symptoms can be successful. The success rate of surgery to relieve symptoms depends on the definition of “success” and the metrics applied. For example, with respect to alleviation of symptoms, up to 90% success is reported. Was cautioned that I'm in the category for only 50% recovery because I've had nerve damage for so long. I keep hearing about the coworker that was apparently fine in 4 days. Must be nice. Tomorrow is my fourth day and I can still barely move a mouse.
This one made more sense.
K, enough of that. If this all works out well, I might do left knee and left wrist on the same day down the road if I'm having unresolvable problems in future. It's been really convenient getting it done all at once on the right side, and left will probably be less difficult since it's not my dominant side.
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Next day.
Remember the old days when people would tell me what my public feed was allowed to have in it? Like beliefs and perceived intelligence level and so forth. I've plateaued again with a whole new even bigger mix of people and one subset is consistently baffled, so I've either got to leave that subset out of future shares or find a way to incorporate them without the culture shock of other people in the world being allowed to think differently. That's a lot of work.
Meanwhile, a player on game is determined to bend the laws of gamer physics around sheer will and I am patiently standing around while they figure something out and don't realize they left the game ages ago...
If I seem a little testy, I'm still in acute injury level of inflicted healing with med intolerance challenges and I am underwhelmed with the laughable cooperation understanding we barely have in my house. Too many agendas, too little personal space. I'm also coming to loathe rabbits in the house.
I'm clearly in a bad mood and there's not much I can currently do about it, so see ya.
