Under the Knife

I mentioned several weeks ago that it was my turn for surgery. Just didn’t seem fair to have Zane getting all the attention. Lame. So I stomped my feet and held my breath, and got my way. Finally! 

After 2 years of problems/diagnoses/treatments with my right elbow, we are at the surgical point. Did my very best to ignore and postpone, but when you can’t brush your teeth or scratch your head….yea well, it’s time. The problem was the trifecta of nerve compression and double high-grade tendon tears…in Eva-language. There are all sorts of obstacles to success, but I’m confident Dr. Bottke will take care of this tantrum-thrower. Here’s the short version: carpal tunnel was the least compression, but the easiest surgery, so we got that out of the way 3 weeks ago. Mostly, it was just aggravating because I couldn’t use my right hand/arm at all. My wrist had no real pain before that surgery, but then I had the pain/immobilization after surgery. Bleh. We changed the dressing a week later, and then got the stitches out another week after. 

The day after getting those stitches out, we did the MRI of the elbow to see what was going on in there with the nerve compression. Holy Wow-Pow, Batman. I still feel terrible for the sweet techs that were tasked with getting those images. The first super awkward positioning took quite a while to set up and then didn’t work because they frown upon grunting and gritting through your teeth throughout the MRI. Position #2 seemed like a winner, but after the first Mercy Me song (head phones with music, for the win), the gal came back in and said it wasn’t going to work because the images weren’t great. Position #3 was the winner…if winner means the one I was strapped into a torture device for 7+ more good ol’ Mercy Me songs. In all the previous MRI/CT exams I’ve experienced, never before have I actually squeezed the emergency button…I came really close this time. I may be known as one who loves to spin a lively tale, but it wouldn’t take a iota of embellishment to describe how horrible this was. There was involuntary weeping, lamaze breathing (which was not ever even used during CHILD BIRTH…sheesh), and yes, even moaning. I’m not proud. I’m just honest.

A quick turn-around on the results showed a high-grade tear of both the common extensor tendon and the lateral collateral ligament…and a return visit to Dr. Bottke initiated my current status…gown-wearing, IV-sportin’, slipper socks-hatin’ caffeine-withdrawn old lady. The plan is to have a hard splint for about 4 days, then replace that with a removable splint so I can get the elbow moving asap. PT would likely start around 4 weeks. 

SO there you have it…a non-Zane, non-fun update for your reading pleasure! :) Now if you see me babying that right arm, you can rest assured I’m not dressing up for Halloween. :) But that wouldn’t be a terrible thing!