Wrist Surgery
Back in early October I hurt my wrist (probably playing hockey), and after two trips to the family doctor, one to an orthopedist, three x-rays, one MRI, and then a trip to a wrist specialist, it's been determined that I have damage to the TFCC (cartilage between ulna and hand) in my left wrist.
The symptoms are primarily a nagging, constant pain that I could possibly live with, but also include signficantly reduced strength and increased susceptibility to significant pain, when twisting or lifting. Plus, I can't type for as many hours in the day as I used to.
Possible treatments include waiting for it to heal (it's been over 4 months), cortizone (not permanent), arthroscopy, and osteotomy.
Osteotomy would involve removing a section from the ulna, shortening it (my ulna is a couple mm too long, which may have predisposed me to the injury, and shortening it might relieve the pain and also help prevent further injury). It would also be a significant surgery that would lay me up for months.
The clear winner here is arthroscopy. They want to try to repair it, but that's usually not an option for this type of injury: first, because it's been so long and the tissue probably can't be repaired, and second, because it's in the center of the cartilage, so it is hard to get to for repair. So, they'll likely remove the damaged portion. From what I understand, I'll take 1-2 weeks off from using it for typing, and another 2-3 months for full recovery, and return to hockey.
Surgery's scheduled for March 12. I go out to a Slashdot meeting in MI on March 18 anyway, so that gives me a little more time to not type.
The symptoms are primarily a nagging, constant pain that I could possibly live with, but also include signficantly reduced strength and increased susceptibility to significant pain, when twisting or lifting. Plus, I can't type for as many hours in the day as I used to.
Possible treatments include waiting for it to heal (it's been over 4 months), cortizone (not permanent), arthroscopy, and osteotomy.
Osteotomy would involve removing a section from the ulna, shortening it (my ulna is a couple mm too long, which may have predisposed me to the injury, and shortening it might relieve the pain and also help prevent further injury). It would also be a significant surgery that would lay me up for months.
The clear winner here is arthroscopy. They want to try to repair it, but that's usually not an option for this type of injury: first, because it's been so long and the tissue probably can't be repaired, and second, because it's in the center of the cartilage, so it is hard to get to for repair. So, they'll likely remove the damaged portion. From what I understand, I'll take 1-2 weeks off from using it for typing, and another 2-3 months for full recovery, and return to hockey.
Surgery's scheduled for March 12. I go out to a Slashdot meeting in MI on March 18 anyway, so that gives me a little more time to not type.
"It is the common fate of the indolent to see their rights become a prey to the active. The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance; which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime and the punishment of his guilt."
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