Tuesday, June 21, 2016
Week 9
The elbow is healing like a champ. It's a bit stiff, range of motion is still improving and my arm strength has not recovered. However, this isn't limiting me in any way.
The ulnar nerve palsy just f*cking sucks. I really don't notice any difference in my hand. It remains a challenge to try to type, cook or do anything else that requires some dexterity. The pins & needles feeling is also getting old. Taking the gabapentin doesn't seem to have any effect.
I tried to sleep without the elbow brace, but that just didn't work. Not sure if it's in my head or not, but I've just been tossing and turning. I got up and put the brace on. Now, I'm googling ulnar nerve shit and reading the horror stories. I wish I could turn my attitude around on this. I just seem to be in a permanent bummer mood. Like there's a little black cloud over my head, I just don't feel happy or joy.
Off to Cleveland in the morning to celebrate the Cav's win. I better feel a little freaking joy over that.
Sunday, June 19, 2016
Recap
I’ve spent countless hours googling elbow fracture recovery, finding very little out there, so I’m jotting my own thoughts down for posterity. In technical terms, I had olecranon fracture repair. When my pinky & ring finger didn’t wake up from the surgery, I had a 2nd surgery for ulnar nerve decompression. These are my thoughts & experiences on the whole matter.
4/19/16 - Out doing a warm up run before speedwork. Hit a puddle and went airborne. Not just any puddle, one full of muck and slime. I hit my teeth on the concrete and had the wind knocked out of me. I knew instantly I'd knocked out my teeth. Managed to get up and started walking back to my car.
5/19/16 - OT day/4 weeks post op elbow repair/3 weeks decompression surgery. Seems like I made some changes this week. Feeling better in general. ROM is slow in returning, hand is still numb. I am seeing that, if I work the hand, I can gain functionality even if I cannot feel it. Weird, but also interesting. Got some metrics today: Extension - 15*, Sharon says this is basically normal range, but she will get me to 0. Flexion is approx 35* off. I’ve been given a splint to wear at night to keep my elbow straight and relieve pressure on the nerve. 5/20/16 - Sleep with the brace is I’m-fucking-possible.
5/26/16 - OT day/5 weeks post op elbow repair/4 weeks decompression surgery. Sharon, my OT, isn’t happy with my progression with my flexion. We worked on it a bunch. She also made a video of my hand. I asked if she really felt there would be a significant difference by the time I finished therapy and she said absolutely. She also tested the progression of the ulnar nerve. It was reactive 1” below my elbow. So, I guess it’s on schedule for regenerating at 1” per month. Good thing I’m short, having short arms will be a blessing in this case. The reaction point is 13” from my fingers.
5/28/16 - Not sleeping well. Helped decorate graves for Memorial Day. Actually, I walked around the cemetery and took pictures while the cub scouts decorated graves. I was happy to see that I was able to operate my 35 mm camera on manual mode pretty easily. I felt irritable and anxious all day. We had tickets for the Crew soccer game. I stressed about what to take to the tailgate, about the crowds, staying out, etc. Broke down & took half a xanax. The Crew game was a non-event. Tailgate was fine. The crowd was down, but I wore my brace. No one banging into me. I took the brace off once in my seat. I enjoyed the night out, but found that cheering involves your elbows. Felt like I may have overdone it a bit, but overall a good evening
5/29/16 - Kate & Josh’s wedding. Again stressing & feeling anxious. Did not want to wear the brace. I left home with no brace, no wrap, nothing but a strip of volleyball girl tape over the scar. Had a freaking great time!! A couple of drinks, dinner with good friends and some dancing. Dancing is tricky when 1 elbow doesn’t bend well. Kind of throws off your balance, but you know what? I still danced. Felt almost normal. For real.
5/30/16- Memorial Day - headed to the Dublin Memorial Day remembrance with my naked arm. Don’t care, I think I need this mentally. Everything went fine. A couple of beers w lunch and home. Crashed in bed. Still not sleeping at night. The splint hurts and I cannot get comfortable. Cookout at my brothers tonight. He’s recovering from bicep repair surgery. A nice chill kind of night to finish the weekend. Talked to my sister in law, who had fractured her wrist and needed surgery a yr ago. She said she dealt with lots of anger & frustration, too. Maybe I’m normal. As for recovery, extension is coming quicker than flexion. Working at it. Still doing lots of icing & heat. I don’t notice much difference with the nerve issues, but I’m getting better at typing with 2 fingers on my left hand. I’m going to ask Sharon (OT) her opinion on acupuncture.
5/31/16 - The brace has me up again. I took a gabapentin, gonna give it a try. Nothing else has helped me get comfortable. It’s not a terrible pain, hand basically has some tingling and feeling like sunburn. Just uncomfortable.
5/31/16 continued. Started the day with a trip to the dermatologist. Uneventful. Got to therapy 30 mins early & Sharon got me started. Advanced to resistance training today. Used therabands and weights up to 5 lbs Woot. As always, OT was extremely motivating. Sharon is the best. Between elbow rehab & hand rehab, she kept me 2 hrs & 15 mins. I’ve gained sensation in my ring finger. We tried to buddy tape the fingers, but not quite ready for it. I did talk to Sharon about not sleeping. She wants me to up my exercise. Do more cardio to tire myself out. I’ll try it out. I walked into therapy w/no brace, sling, or sleeve. Sharon asked if I’d seen the doc. I told her no, I was being non-compliant because it helped me feel normal. She said she got that. Gained 5* ROM since thursday. Not huge, but something.
6/2/16 - Bummer, no therapy today. Sharon cancelled. Was looking forward to it, as I felt I made some gains these past few days. I’ve been hitting the exercises hard and my elbow is constantly going snap, crackle, & pop. The scar tissue is breaking up. The hand remains the same. However, since ditching the brace and getting more functionality out of the elbow, I am starting to feel normal. I know there’s a long way to go, but I can see the light. I spoke to someone at work who had tore his bicep while working on his garage door. He said at 10 wks he started to feel normal. Both of us talked about how a single instance can turn things upside down. I felt I was in great shape and health. I didn’t count on a puddle to take it away from me.
6/3/16 - Worst day yet. Started the day off weepy and it stuck. Yes, there are times I feel like myself, but most of the time I don’t. Frustrated with the hand and scared to death that I’ll bash my teeth in again. I feel as if every nerve in my body is raw right now. Like the ends are exposed and everything and anything is irritating them. This cannot be over soon enough. Again, give me a pill and let me sleep for the next 2 months.
6/4/16 - A good day, heard from Harriet. Why didn’t I think of her when it came to a neurological problem? Duh. She quizzed me on how fast a nerve grows. I said an inch a month, she told me I had 10 months to go. She was also excited that I had some feeling in the hand and thought things could progress faster. Still slow, but not 1 yr slow. She also said there would be improvement once the nerves reached the point where the flexors are triggered - mid forearm. That will be in a few months. Felt better & less anxious than I have in awhile. Harriet is blunt. Asian Bronx doctor blunt. Feeling like maybe I won’t go to my grave with a gimp hand.
6/5/16 - A good day. Spent it at the Memorial Tournament. Had fun. Followed by a neighborhood party. First I felt good in awhile.
6/6/16 - D day, back to the surgeons. Elbow is good. As he says, the elbow is the least of my worries. All restrictions lifted. Said the nerve sheath around the ulnar nerve was frayed. No guarantees it will heal. Time will tell, try not to get frustrated. Fuck me, the anxiety is back. I’m going to stay in my room until this is over.
6/20/16 - No news is good news? For the most part, I’ve been doing well. The elbow is in the functional range for my range of motion. I’ve not felt my ROM has restricted me from doing a thing. My elbow continues to be stiff and I’m always working to stretch it. I no longer feel like I need to put a heat wrap on it first thing in the morning just to get it to move. So, yep, the elbow could be better, but I’m not losing sleep over it. It’s coming along. I need more arm strength period, but I see the light at the end of the tunnel. The hand is another story. My pinky & ring finger are still clawed. My index and middle finger have a bit more strength - as in they don’t shake when I try to hold them still. At my last therapy visit, my OT tested my sensation. I have made improvements here. I’m feeling touch in my pinky, but it’s more like pressure. Every part of my hand improved with sensation. Oh, and I graduated from therapy. I don’t go back for a month. I told my therapist I felt I needed OT more mentally than physically.
4/19/16 - Out doing a warm up run before speedwork. Hit a puddle and went airborne. Not just any puddle, one full of muck and slime. I hit my teeth on the concrete and had the wind knocked out of me. I knew instantly I'd knocked out my teeth. Managed to get up and started walking back to my car.
5/19/16 - OT day/4 weeks post op elbow repair/3 weeks decompression surgery. Seems like I made some changes this week. Feeling better in general. ROM is slow in returning, hand is still numb. I am seeing that, if I work the hand, I can gain functionality even if I cannot feel it. Weird, but also interesting. Got some metrics today: Extension - 15*, Sharon says this is basically normal range, but she will get me to 0. Flexion is approx 35* off. I’ve been given a splint to wear at night to keep my elbow straight and relieve pressure on the nerve. 5/20/16 - Sleep with the brace is I’m-fucking-possible.
5/26/16 - OT day/5 weeks post op elbow repair/4 weeks decompression surgery. Sharon, my OT, isn’t happy with my progression with my flexion. We worked on it a bunch. She also made a video of my hand. I asked if she really felt there would be a significant difference by the time I finished therapy and she said absolutely. She also tested the progression of the ulnar nerve. It was reactive 1” below my elbow. So, I guess it’s on schedule for regenerating at 1” per month. Good thing I’m short, having short arms will be a blessing in this case. The reaction point is 13” from my fingers.
5/28/16 - Not sleeping well. Helped decorate graves for Memorial Day. Actually, I walked around the cemetery and took pictures while the cub scouts decorated graves. I was happy to see that I was able to operate my 35 mm camera on manual mode pretty easily. I felt irritable and anxious all day. We had tickets for the Crew soccer game. I stressed about what to take to the tailgate, about the crowds, staying out, etc. Broke down & took half a xanax. The Crew game was a non-event. Tailgate was fine. The crowd was down, but I wore my brace. No one banging into me. I took the brace off once in my seat. I enjoyed the night out, but found that cheering involves your elbows. Felt like I may have overdone it a bit, but overall a good evening
5/29/16 - Kate & Josh’s wedding. Again stressing & feeling anxious. Did not want to wear the brace. I left home with no brace, no wrap, nothing but a strip of volleyball girl tape over the scar. Had a freaking great time!! A couple of drinks, dinner with good friends and some dancing. Dancing is tricky when 1 elbow doesn’t bend well. Kind of throws off your balance, but you know what? I still danced. Felt almost normal. For real.
5/30/16- Memorial Day - headed to the Dublin Memorial Day remembrance with my naked arm. Don’t care, I think I need this mentally. Everything went fine. A couple of beers w lunch and home. Crashed in bed. Still not sleeping at night. The splint hurts and I cannot get comfortable. Cookout at my brothers tonight. He’s recovering from bicep repair surgery. A nice chill kind of night to finish the weekend. Talked to my sister in law, who had fractured her wrist and needed surgery a yr ago. She said she dealt with lots of anger & frustration, too. Maybe I’m normal. As for recovery, extension is coming quicker than flexion. Working at it. Still doing lots of icing & heat. I don’t notice much difference with the nerve issues, but I’m getting better at typing with 2 fingers on my left hand. I’m going to ask Sharon (OT) her opinion on acupuncture.
5/31/16 - The brace has me up again. I took a gabapentin, gonna give it a try. Nothing else has helped me get comfortable. It’s not a terrible pain, hand basically has some tingling and feeling like sunburn. Just uncomfortable.
5/31/16 continued. Started the day with a trip to the dermatologist. Uneventful. Got to therapy 30 mins early & Sharon got me started. Advanced to resistance training today. Used therabands and weights up to 5 lbs Woot. As always, OT was extremely motivating. Sharon is the best. Between elbow rehab & hand rehab, she kept me 2 hrs & 15 mins. I’ve gained sensation in my ring finger. We tried to buddy tape the fingers, but not quite ready for it. I did talk to Sharon about not sleeping. She wants me to up my exercise. Do more cardio to tire myself out. I’ll try it out. I walked into therapy w/no brace, sling, or sleeve. Sharon asked if I’d seen the doc. I told her no, I was being non-compliant because it helped me feel normal. She said she got that. Gained 5* ROM since thursday. Not huge, but something.
6/2/16 - Bummer, no therapy today. Sharon cancelled. Was looking forward to it, as I felt I made some gains these past few days. I’ve been hitting the exercises hard and my elbow is constantly going snap, crackle, & pop. The scar tissue is breaking up. The hand remains the same. However, since ditching the brace and getting more functionality out of the elbow, I am starting to feel normal. I know there’s a long way to go, but I can see the light. I spoke to someone at work who had tore his bicep while working on his garage door. He said at 10 wks he started to feel normal. Both of us talked about how a single instance can turn things upside down. I felt I was in great shape and health. I didn’t count on a puddle to take it away from me.
6/3/16 - Worst day yet. Started the day off weepy and it stuck. Yes, there are times I feel like myself, but most of the time I don’t. Frustrated with the hand and scared to death that I’ll bash my teeth in again. I feel as if every nerve in my body is raw right now. Like the ends are exposed and everything and anything is irritating them. This cannot be over soon enough. Again, give me a pill and let me sleep for the next 2 months.
6/4/16 - A good day, heard from Harriet. Why didn’t I think of her when it came to a neurological problem? Duh. She quizzed me on how fast a nerve grows. I said an inch a month, she told me I had 10 months to go. She was also excited that I had some feeling in the hand and thought things could progress faster. Still slow, but not 1 yr slow. She also said there would be improvement once the nerves reached the point where the flexors are triggered - mid forearm. That will be in a few months. Felt better & less anxious than I have in awhile. Harriet is blunt. Asian Bronx doctor blunt. Feeling like maybe I won’t go to my grave with a gimp hand.
6/5/16 - A good day. Spent it at the Memorial Tournament. Had fun. Followed by a neighborhood party. First I felt good in awhile.
6/6/16 - D day, back to the surgeons. Elbow is good. As he says, the elbow is the least of my worries. All restrictions lifted. Said the nerve sheath around the ulnar nerve was frayed. No guarantees it will heal. Time will tell, try not to get frustrated. Fuck me, the anxiety is back. I’m going to stay in my room until this is over.
6/20/16 - No news is good news? For the most part, I’ve been doing well. The elbow is in the functional range for my range of motion. I’ve not felt my ROM has restricted me from doing a thing. My elbow continues to be stiff and I’m always working to stretch it. I no longer feel like I need to put a heat wrap on it first thing in the morning just to get it to move. So, yep, the elbow could be better, but I’m not losing sleep over it. It’s coming along. I need more arm strength period, but I see the light at the end of the tunnel. The hand is another story. My pinky & ring finger are still clawed. My index and middle finger have a bit more strength - as in they don’t shake when I try to hold them still. At my last therapy visit, my OT tested my sensation. I have made improvements here. I’m feeling touch in my pinky, but it’s more like pressure. Every part of my hand improved with sensation. Oh, and I graduated from therapy. I don’t go back for a month. I told my therapist I felt I needed OT more mentally than physically.
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