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I can't recall if I've mentioned this here or not: I am going in for surgery on my left elbow on Monday, 2 March, 2009. Yeah, this Monday. They'll be doing a submuscular cubital tunnel release, or ulnar translation. I will receive sedation and a nerve block for my left arm, so they don't have to put me under comletely; I am expected to be able to leave the hospital same-day.
The surgery, in layman's terms, is to cut open my elbow and relocate my ulnar nerve. That's the one that runs through the outside bit of the elbow, and then continues on to serve the two smallest fingers. It's the one you bang all the time, and, if you're me, also aggravate when you bend your elbow to sleep or lie on your side on that arm. Instead of running on the outside of my elbow, where it's under constant tension and gets banged about all the time, my new and improved arm will have the nerve running along the inside of my elbow, and, since I don't have much subcutaneous fat to protect it like a normal person would, will be stuck under a bit of muscle so it doesn't get banged about as much.
Since we have measured damage to the nerve (a year ago), this surgery will absolutely prevent further damage and will hopefully allow the nerve to begin slowly healing itself. With any luck, all the random pain in my left arm will go away over the course of about a year. My expectation is that some of the pain will go away, and will stop masking pain caused by other sorts of RSI I'm also experiencing in the region, allowing PT/OT/other conservative treatments to be effective in repairing those issues.
My left arm will be in a splint for two weeks beginning Monday. My parents have graciously offered to allow me to stay with them and to feed me and assist me while I'm there. This is wonderful, and has only two major drawbacks: I may have post-surgical appointments back here in MA, and I have very little social life in Westchester, NY, especially if I can't drive. Note that of course my ability to type will at best be restricted, and pain and pain meds will certainly affect my ability to think anyway.
I'm thinking, some, about how I'm going to deal with those first two weeks. I expect to be watching a lot of television. It's looking at present as though I'll be back in MA for the second week, and a couple of dear friends have already graciously offered their assistance in whatever way they can.
As time has revealed that I'm a much more social person than I think I am, I would appreciate any attempts people would make to make plans to keep me company. I'll have a much better idea come next week what my schedule will be like and what sorts of things I'll be capable of, but I'll also have less ability to communicate through a computer (my usual mode, of course). I'm looking into learning one-handed typing, and possibly picking up a FrogPad, but I'm not sure how that will go. I don't know if I'll be capable of concentrating enough for games, but hopefully I'll be capable of some of the lighter fare, and, for the slightly less serious-gamer friends of mine, the drugs might level the playing field?
Basically, anybody who's interested in anything which will help me keep my mind off the fact that I have one arm and am in incredible pain (as I expect both to be the case), it would be extremely welcome; please contact me. I may be slow to make plans, especially as a lot is in the air.
On Monday, I'll ask at what point I'm allowed to start what sorts of dancing again. That would help, too. After the splint comes off I'm told I'm in bandages for one-to-two-weeks depending on how quickly I heal, and at that point I'm allowed to use the hand/arm as much as I'm capable of; a phrasing which doesn't exactly instill confidence.
The surgery, in layman's terms, is to cut open my elbow and relocate my ulnar nerve. That's the one that runs through the outside bit of the elbow, and then continues on to serve the two smallest fingers. It's the one you bang all the time, and, if you're me, also aggravate when you bend your elbow to sleep or lie on your side on that arm. Instead of running on the outside of my elbow, where it's under constant tension and gets banged about all the time, my new and improved arm will have the nerve running along the inside of my elbow, and, since I don't have much subcutaneous fat to protect it like a normal person would, will be stuck under a bit of muscle so it doesn't get banged about as much.
Since we have measured damage to the nerve (a year ago), this surgery will absolutely prevent further damage and will hopefully allow the nerve to begin slowly healing itself. With any luck, all the random pain in my left arm will go away over the course of about a year. My expectation is that some of the pain will go away, and will stop masking pain caused by other sorts of RSI I'm also experiencing in the region, allowing PT/OT/other conservative treatments to be effective in repairing those issues.
My left arm will be in a splint for two weeks beginning Monday. My parents have graciously offered to allow me to stay with them and to feed me and assist me while I'm there. This is wonderful, and has only two major drawbacks: I may have post-surgical appointments back here in MA, and I have very little social life in Westchester, NY, especially if I can't drive. Note that of course my ability to type will at best be restricted, and pain and pain meds will certainly affect my ability to think anyway.
I'm thinking, some, about how I'm going to deal with those first two weeks. I expect to be watching a lot of television. It's looking at present as though I'll be back in MA for the second week, and a couple of dear friends have already graciously offered their assistance in whatever way they can.
As time has revealed that I'm a much more social person than I think I am, I would appreciate any attempts people would make to make plans to keep me company. I'll have a much better idea come next week what my schedule will be like and what sorts of things I'll be capable of, but I'll also have less ability to communicate through a computer (my usual mode, of course). I'm looking into learning one-handed typing, and possibly picking up a FrogPad, but I'm not sure how that will go. I don't know if I'll be capable of concentrating enough for games, but hopefully I'll be capable of some of the lighter fare, and, for the slightly less serious-gamer friends of mine, the drugs might level the playing field?
Basically, anybody who's interested in anything which will help me keep my mind off the fact that I have one arm and am in incredible pain (as I expect both to be the case), it would be extremely welcome; please contact me. I may be slow to make plans, especially as a lot is in the air.
On Monday, I'll ask at what point I'm allowed to start what sorts of dancing again. That would help, too. After the splint comes off I'm told I'm in bandages for one-to-two-weeks depending on how quickly I heal, and at that point I'm allowed to use the hand/arm as much as I'm capable of; a phrasing which doesn't exactly instill confidence.
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Good luck on your surgery. I hope you have a speedy recovery.
I would have visited you if I were still in New York
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I'll be in Cambridge from the 6th to the 15th, so if you want company feel free to ping me.
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I'm not quite sure what my schedule looks like over the next few weeks, but it's actually more free than I've been in a while or will be for a while, so I likely would be able to steal myself from NYC for a day or two. I don't know how easy it would be for me to get to your parents' place sans car from NYC (only ever been to there via car, and from Poughkeepsie, as you well know, seeing as you were driving said car...!), but if it's doable I could do that and, if not, I could visit you once you get back to MA.
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Any chance of you coming to Lunacon, if you are still at your parents by then? That's quite a bit of social life not far from your parent's place, if you think you're up for something so strenuous about 3 weeks after the surgery. Also if there's not going to be a sling, splint or cast I might also advise a big button or T-shirt that says Don't Touch the Arm, since fen are huggy folk.
If you're up for seeing people while you're still in Westchester I could come up on the train some weekday evening, provided your parents are not far from some form of commuter rail. Or possibly even take a day off, since I've got vacation days i must use before Marc 31 or lose.
I'm not remotely a serious gamer, but I have some Cheapass Games I've never played that I could bring an suspect being slightly stoned might make them funnier.
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You will have your cell phone with you, I presume? I'll give a call Tuesday or Wednesday while Milo naps. Don't worry, that limits the call to 20-60 minutes ;) *tight hugs* May your anesthesiologist rock, and may your neurologist be successful!