They Tried to Make Me Go to Rehab, I Said.....OK

[Leslie and Halas]

This is only partly doodle related, and, no, it doesn't mean I can't participate in yappy hour any more.

 

Three weeks ago, I went in for minor, outpatient surgery on my wrist. My ECU tendon in my right hand/wrist had been hurting for almost 2 years. As a matter of fact, it was exactly 2 years ago today that I hurt it.  An MRI didn't show any problems, but with the pain still lingering, the surgeon was just going to do a quick, simple tenosynovectomy. The surgery takes less time than typing the word, tenosynovectomy. It's followed by about 2 weeks in a cast, and then you can resume normal activity, albeit with a little pain.  But no therapy of any kind.  Soooo, when I wake up (I only had a local, but they gave me this twilight thing to relax me, and I was so relaxed that I immediately fell asleep), the doctor says that everything went well, but my tendon was torn. He fixed the tendon, and did the tenosynovectomy. The cast wasn't too large or cumbersome. It was just enough to immobilize my wrist in a neutral position.  I could move my fingers, too.

 

Fast forward to 12 days later when I get my cast off. I had figured that I might have to have some therapy since the tendon was torn, but I was anxious to get the cast off and get going on whatever I needed to do. So I was pretty disappointed when they immediately put me into a splint, and told me that I was only allowed to do exactly the things the therapist would tell me it was OK to do. Until I met with the therapist, I had to wear the splint, and not put any weight or force at all on the wrist. No lifting, no pushing, no twisting, basically no movement.  Several factors then conspired against me, and I just got to see the therapist yesterday, which was 8 days after I got my cast off. Things were still working against me, so all I was cleared to do yesterday was move my fingers. I had figured that was OK, since the splint does allow finger movement. I was able to go back today (3 weeks after surgery) and get some real exercises. For at least the next 3 weeks, I can slightly bend my wrist using several different exercises. I'm allowed to feel some stretch in the tendon, but if it starts to hurt, I need to stop. These aren't the kind of exercises where I should push myself.  Apparently, this repair is pretty fragile for awhile, so I just can't push it. This round is just to get some movement back.  After 3 weeks, I see the doctor again, and based on my results at that point, he'll decide if I can move to the next phase, whatever that is.  I don't have a time frame, but I'm getting the feeling that it could be 3 months before I can put any weight on it. I had been working out or running 6 days a week, so being reduced to slight wrist bends is driving me crazy.  I'll be able to do some non-arm exercises now, but I just have to really make sure I can keep my wrist totally relaxed and unstressed during any activity.

 

So giving up my normal workout is bad enough, but I found out something else yesterday (here comes the doodle related part). No flyball for me. :(  I can't really hold Halas with one hand, and I can't risk falling down or running into something while we're playing. It's not that uncommon for people to accidentally run into each other, get their legs taken out from under them by their dog, trip over a dog, or just trip.  Falling on my wrist at this point would be awful.  We were supposed to go to a tournament next weekend, but I had to back out.  At practice last night, we tried to see if Halas would run for someone else.  He will, but I have to be standing right there.  If I stood a few feet away, he ran straight to me.  If I stood close, he ran like he was supposed to, but when he came back, he ran straight to me, instead of the person with his treats.  I was flattered that he was so concerned about where I was, and that he ran to me when finished, whether I had treats or not.  But this wouldn't work at a tournament, because I can't really be in the racing area due to the injury risk.  I'm hoping when I see the doctor in 3 weeks, he'll tell me I can play flyball in October, because there's a huge tournament in October that I would hate to miss.

 

Through all of this, Halas has been very sweet. He hasn't pestered me to play, like he knows I can't really do too much.  When I walk him, he's good about not pulling, and he waits when I tell him.  I have to put on his collar, hold his leash, open and close the door, and scoop the poop, all with just my left hand (I'm right-handed, so this left-handed stuff is awkward and difficult), so it's important for him to wait when I tell him.  And it also looks like he doesn't really want to play flyball without me, so that's sweet, too.

 

This probably comes off as a lot of complaining on my part, but I'm actually feeling a lot better about it than I was a few days ago. When you expect to resume normal activity, and end up with months of therapy and limited use of your dominant hand, it takes some getting used to.  But I found out today that it could be much worse.  The therapist told me that the normal protocol after ECU repair surgery is 5 weeks in a cast with your wrist bent backwards at about a 30 degree angle.  That would have really sucked!  As it is, I'm looking forward to be able to use a corkscrew again around Thanksgiving or Christmas.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Boy can I so relate to all that you are going through.  Just finally got released from the wicked Orthopedic Dr myself from shoulder surgery in February and again in May.  After the one in May I had to spend 6 hours (yes that was 6 hours) a day with my arm strapped into a Motion chair moving my arm up and down and side to side,  to keep the shoulder from freezing up again!  None of this do they tell you up front so you can maybe plan your life around it.  It is just sort of like, Oh and by the way.   I, like you, was on a pretty good workout schedule before it happened, so I just switched to the treadmill and walked an hour a day so that I could at least do something.  I still can't do push ups, planks, weights or anything like that, but am slowing getting back into some of my cardio classes.  Just hang in there, do what they tell you, don't push it, and you will be good as new soon.

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

OMD Leslie, I am so sorry. You see to be taking it in stride and after it's all healed you will feel like a million bucks.

Hoping for a very quick recovery for you and Halas.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Well I hope you were able to eat that Birthday Cake with your left hand too.  Feel better real quick

[Camilla and Darwin]

I hope your therapy goes great and that your wrist heals quickly. Good boy Halas for being such a good pup.

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

having had wrist pains (and still do but to a much lesser extent) I can totally sympathize with you! In DHs words - we are broken! But time will heal!

[Donna K & Quincy]

Leslie, hope your therapy goes well and you get back to normal sooner than later. ps. Lots of wine bottles have screw caps now, just hold the bottle between your knees and twist the cap with you good hand. Does it sound like I have some experience with this? I had my left wrist in a cast or splint for almost 5 mos so I figured out a few new ways of doing things. Just be careful you don't want to cause any new damage.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

BTW....I loved your catchy title!!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Leslie, Wow...that is a lot of stuff you had to go through. I would see this as a glass half full situation and be glad someone excused me from exercising :) I am sorry you had to stop Flyball and hope you can resume sooner. Halas sounds like he is being great about your injury. I am going to think positive thoughts that you will be back on the party circuit..popping cork after cork...right around the Holidays. Good luck!

[F, Calla & Luca]

What an ordeal. And all this flyball, working out , running. Reading it I am exhausted. I always knew exercise was bad for you. Seriously, sounds very difficult and I hope your recovery is speedier than you expect.

[Jennifer and Jack]

Oh no, Sorry to read this.. Thank goodness you can use a cork screw in time for the holidays.... I would go insane too if I was used to working out six days a week, luckily for me I am not..:LOL