Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

[agricola]

and its a pass, no advisories. Not really surprising, just 1200 miles last year, must get out more when I can

[robbo]

Thanks darrsi :thumbup
I tried the link, got to the check out, but then had to order some other old tat to get to a minimum price order. So ordered from Amazon for less than the minimum, and will be here tomorrow. 

[darrsi]

Thanks darrsi :thumbup
I tried the link, got to the check out, but then had to order some other old tat to get to a minimum price order. So ordered from Amazon for less than the minimum, and will be here tomorrow. 

It is annoying, but they did that to keep the postage free, because people were ordering smaller whenever they saw something they fancied, myself included, and they realised to prevent several postage costs each time it's better for everyone involved if you order a several items that added up to £15 or anything above that price.
It does make perfect business sense, and i must confess i would see stuff i liked and just order it on the spot any times a week. Every now and then they'll have 'free postage' session for a short time where the minimum £15 spend is removed.
With me being off work injured for the last few months i've bought every tool i might ever need for the bike or home, and more, plus they have a brilliant selection of boots over there that really caught my attention, way more than i've ever seen over here before, but they sell them at stupid prices so really need to calm down from buying any more.  :lol


Another trick that a work colleague taught me was that if you have your eye on something a bit pricier but are not in a hurry for the item, like a pair of boots or clothing for example, then choose your correct size using the size guide (in the box near the standard sizes), then add it to your cart but don't buy it straight away, just leave the item in your cart for a few days, then more often than not you'll find that they'll suddenly drop in price anyway or you'll personally be offered a special discounted price for a short period of time.

[darrsi]

Need to be careful with those massage guns, meant for use only on soft tissue. Id a calf strain from running a couple of weeks ago, so use done on the muscle and around the ankle and heel. Couldnt bear to put my foot down for a couple of days after as Id badly bruised the heel bone.

On a slightly more positive note, I got the bike out toady and rode it to the bike shop for MOT, hopefully pick it up later with a pass. Hands till sore but its only a mile each way.

Yeah, i know what you mean about the massage gun, but i mainly got it for and used it on the palm of my hand to shake some life into moving frozen look of my fingers and not only did it work, but quite quickly to, although i did use it a lot in the evenings every day. But i also tried the end part of the ball shaped adaptor and it nearly rattled my fingers, although the same adaptor is much softer if you use it on the sides instead for any possible sensitive areas.
It's something you find out about after a few minutes of usage though, so it's certainly no big deal, and they're so cheap to buy they're worth every penny. 

[agricola]

Another set of cortisone injections day before yesterday, into the right hand thumb base and first two finger knuckles. They wouldn't do the left at the same time, and on reflection, I think that was a good decision. Thats two lots already this year. I raised the prospect of having the finger joints replaced, as the private consultant I saw in April suggested it may be a good move for me and he seemed quite positive about the prospects. But Tuesdays consultant came over with the opposite view, suggesting that they are not as successful as a longer term solution. So I guess I'm just going to have to manage my activities better

[darrsi]

Another set of cortisone injections day before yesterday, into the right hand thumb base and first two finger knuckles. They wouldn't do the left at the same time, and on reflection, I think that was a good decision. Thats two lots already this year.  I raised the prospect  of having the finger joints replaced, as the private consultant I saw in April suggested it may be a good move for me and he seemed quite positive about the prospects. But Tuesdays consultant came over with the opposite view, suggesting that they are not as successful as a longer term solution. So I guess I'm just going to have to manage my activities better

11 months after my incident and injuries in mid October '23, and also after a lot of phone calls and making myself heard in all the right places, i was invited by the DVLA to have a medical examination last week which i jumped at to try and get my licence returned to me.
I'm by no means 100% right yet, because after a days work i can still ache in places i never even knew existed, but fortunately my workplace have got me back on part time still for another month yet where i only do 3 days a week and basically have a day off to recover from every working day that i do.
For the injuries i had it has not only been a necessity but is a great way of nursing the body back to health gradually. In fact i had to take Wednesday off due to not feeling too good, but passed a Covid test and offered to replace the day off by working 2 in a row instead. As i'm writing this i am suffering quite a bit as it did knock the shit out of me, even more so as i have a very busy job that involves lots of walking, lifting and is mentally challenging too especially as we are very busy right now. 
The "examination" was a bit bizarre if truth be told! I deliberately got up around 3hrs early before the appointment, just so i could eat properly, do some physio on my nerve damaged hand to loosen up the muscles as much as i could, and take the meds i'm on at the correct time for them to kick in around the same time i was being assessed. 
But all i did was sit down, have a pleasant chit chit about nothing really, while the doctor filled in a questionnaire by ticking boxes, then after what seemed like about 15mins we went to the reception waiting area, where she handed over the signed form then she just walked off!
Call me old fashioned but i was waiting for a "goodbye" so i could then at least say "thank you", but she was off and gone in silence.

The senior receptionist walked over to presumably a new member of staff and mentioned to not forget to get the payment from me (£100) for services rendered.
As i stood there with my payment card at the ready she looked over her shoulder reading the form then spotted that it said "no payment necessary".   

Anyway, moving on, i'm expecting my licence back in 'roughly' 6 to 8 weeks at a guess, but really don't know when exactly.

This little extra time will give me a chance to do more physio on the hand as although what i'm doing is certainly working i was not quite convinced because my little finger seems to have opted out of being a team player with my other fingers and has a mind of its own which did not give me the greatest of confidence when trying out the clutch lever every now and then to see how well my hand was improving?

So what i've done is taken a chance and purchased shorter brake and clutch levers in the hope they might help me in any way?

Fitted them 3 days ago and instantly tried them out, just in the driveway, and i am now kicking myself that 've never ever tried them before!!!

They are so much easier to use, with a good or bad hand, but as my hands have always been good i just used OEM ones.
The clutch and brake levers worked exactly the same as before, just with a lot less effort to do so.

And better still they are just held on with one bolt each so nothing needs adjusting or modifying, apart from when removing the clutch cable to change the lever, and the even have 6 levels on a dial so you can adjust each lever to whatever suits your needs per hand.
Only cost £27 a pair as well, so they were also a bargain 

Seems like i bought the last set that were on Ebay and in the UK, as i got them very quickly (in 2 days) but they are the same ones on here if you're interested. Or maybe Amazon too?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=...t&_sacat=0

[agricola]

Glad to hear you're on the ,mend and hopefully getting the licence back. I have to re-apply for mine again next month due to age, IIRC it cost me £200 last time for a private medical exam in order to keep all my entitlements

[darrsi]

Glad to hear you're on the ,mend and hopefully getting the licence back. I have to re-apply for mine again next month due to age, IIRC it cost me £200 last time for a private medical exam in order to keep all my entitlements

My GP examination was at my normal NHS doctors clinic, but they do have a habit of suddenly becoming private and charge for things that don't take any longer than a usual appointment.
Charged me £50 a few months ago to declare that I was unwell and a genuine candidate for an insurance policy I took out around 25 years ago when there were possible redundancies at work, and I just kept on paying it every month. The forms took about 3mins to glance over then sign for me to then photograph and forward them on online.
It doesn't pay a lot, but they did backdate 7 months worth of a pre-arranged monthly payment, so that was a handy little cash boost when it came through.
I only rang them to ask a minor question too, but after a 5min chat they said I qualified and would kindly send me a claim form.
My work paid for a 2nd opinion as well to be seen by a company private doctor to advise on how I should return to work, as well as my Vocational Rehab Physio that I saw monthly in London.
Both of their versions were taken into account, but my HR dept. understood my job more so made up their version instead as they thought theirs were a bit too harsh on me, and too soon, and so far it's been working well for me, albeit the fact I can still feel extremely tired the day after working, but apparently it's all normal and my recovery is actually much better and sooner than expected. Still a new scenario to me though, so I just do as I'm told to keep things as simple as possible for everyone.

[darrsi]

Need to be careful with those massage guns, meant for use only on soft tissue. Id a calf strain from running a couple of weeks ago, so use done on the muscle and around the ankle and heel. Couldnt bear to put my foot down for a couple of days after as Id badly bruised the heel bone.

On a slightly more positive note, I got the bike out toady and rode it to the bike shop for MOT, hopefully pick it up later with a pass. Hands till sore but its only a mile each way.

Yeah, i know what you mean about the massage gun, but i mainly got it for and used it on the palm of my hand to shake some life into moving frozen look of my fingers and not only did it work, but quite quickly to, although i did use it a lot in the evenings every day. But i also tried the end part of the ball shaped adaptor and it nearly rattled my fingers, although the same adaptor is much softer if you use it on the sides instead for any possible sensitive areas.
It's something you find out about after a few minutes of usage though, so it's certainly no big deal, and they're so cheap to buy they're worth every penny. 

For quite a few months now i've been wearing gloves designed for people who suffer arthritis.
These specific ones i bought are about 4 times cheaper than on Ebay so thought i had nothing to lose and bought a couple of pairs to start off with, added to other stuff i ordered. 

They have been so good i wear them every day now as soon as i can. 
Not only do they remind me at work that i have an injured left hand, so that i don't just grab something and immediately drop it, but they are extremely comfortable, very lightweight but strong at the same time, and i learned by accident that when the weather's very warm if i soak the glove under a cold tap whilst wearing it and use a towel to take off the excess water it can keep the injured hand very cool for ages, especially if you're anywhere near a fan.

The girl who's been helping me at work had Carpal Tunnel op's on both wrists about 6 months ago, and as she's been complaining about a bit of uncomfortable pain i ordered her a pair of these gloves to try out as i'm certain they'll help ease the horrible feeling of pain.

Here's the funny part. On Friday these gloves turned up at work along with some for myself, and it was only when i got home that i realised i'd been wearing her ones all day that had felt great for the nerve pain in my hand, but bizarrely hers were Size Small, and mine were normally Size Large.
Both sizes fit fine, but i actually preferred the smaller size due to a bit more compression on my bad hand.

She doesn't know it yet, but i'm keeping them as they've been worn by me, so i've ordered her 2 more pairs to give her in brand new condition.

So anyone with nerve damage, Carpal Tunnel, Arthritis, or any form of hand problem should try these out as they are so comfortable yet a ridiculous price, you can't really go wrong.
Personally, to play it safe, i would go one size lower than you think you need, as they will stretch to the shape of your hand quite easily but very effectively to give you some comfort and pain relief throughout the day. What i did notice was that the small size had about 1cm shorter fingers than the large size, but as mentioned they both fitted okay for me anyway.
There are plenty of gloves similar to these, but i have tried and tested these for months now and they've been nothing but helpful to me, for the nerve damage pain in my lower fingers. 

https://www.temu.com/uk/1pc--compression...38684.html?

[agricola]

I've had the exactly the same ones for about 18 months now, and absolutely agree with you. They are the best ones that I've tried, so comfortable and dont make the hands sweat too

[darrsi]

I've had the exactly the same ones for about 18 months now, and absolutely agree with you. They are the best ones that I've tried, so comfortable and dont make the hands sweat too

I wear just the one glove at home just for the compression, but at work i wear them underneath a par of fingerless weightlifting gloves as when i first went back to work a couple of months ago there was every chance i was gonna knock my hand on something heavy duty so just wore them too as added protection, and as you say they're so lightweight and comfortable they don't get in the way or feel too warm at all.
I also noticed not so long ago that due to refraining from lifting anything for so long with my left hand it has actually lost a bit of weight, most noticeably in my fingers where all the pain is. So i'm currently still using the electric massage gun on the hand for a while, then i switch over to a springed strength exercising gadget to try and build the muscles back up in my fingers. Although just being back at work and lifting equipment will eventually sort that out as well.
I have been advised in writing by the private doctor to not lift anything with that hand for 6 months but i have a lifting job so that's kind of awkward and unavoidable, but as long as i'm sensible and not causing myself pain or further injury then i know what's right and wrong. 
If you slightly overheat in very warm weather though it's really worth trying the trick of soaking the gloves in cold water whilst wearing them and just get a towel to take away the excess water, and they will really cool you down as the cold water will be contacting your wrists, which is a known area to cool down with water if you're overheating. 

[fazerscotty]

So I have a date for the second op - less than two weeks time! Only having the Carpal Tunnel this time. Just got to organise the workshop prior to that date, to get the physio (Fazer) on the bench ready for new braided brake lines etc.

Working like a ****** to make sure there's money in the bank to get through the recovery period...............

[agricola]

Good luck with the Op

[robbo]

Good luck with your op fazerscotty, that year seemed to whizz by. At least you’ve got your physio programme sorted, which is very important as you well know???

[fazerscotty]

Physio programme? Oh yes, I remember......
So had the op today, the surgeon had a fantastic sense of humour, which relaxed me a bit. I'd worked out that I had never had an injury or medical treatment to the right hand side of my body and also I had never had anything done under a local as well.
The surgeon, he left the best bit until last. Popped into the recovery room to give me instructions on how to manage the post op recovery and stated in front of my wife "your not to pick up anything heavy or fragile as you may drop it, so no washing dishes and hoovering, that's a no no as well because of the vibrations from the electric motor. But working on the bike - that's okay as it will encourage the dexterity".
I haven't stopped laughing (unless she's looking at me) ROFL

[robbo]

Good advice. If you're doing something you don't really want to be doing, then you'll be tense, which could lengthen the healing process. However, carrying out a procedure that you enjoy, is naturally relaxing, putting your mind in a good place and speeding along the healing process. Trust me, I didn't used to be a doctor.

[agricola]

Physio programme? Oh yes, I remember......
So had the op today, the surgeon had a fantastic sense of humour, which relaxed me a bit. I'd worked out that I had never had an injury or medical treatment to the right hand side of my body and also I had never had anything done under a local as well.
The surgeon, he left the best bit until last. Popped into the recovery room to give me instructions on how to manage the post op recovery and stated in front of my wife "your not to pick up anything heavy or fragile as you may drop it, so no washing dishes and hoovering, that's a no no as well because of the vibrations from the electric motor. But working on the bike - that's okay as it will encourage the dexterity".
I haven't stopped laughing (unless she's looking at me) ROFL

I like that

[darrsi]

Physio programme? Oh yes, I remember......
So had the op today, the surgeon had a fantastic sense of humour, which relaxed me a bit. I'd worked out that I had never had an injury or medical treatment to the right hand side of my body and also I had never had anything done under a local as well.
The surgeon, he left the best bit until last. Popped into the recovery room to give me instructions on how to manage the post op recovery and stated in front of my wife "your not to pick up anything heavy or fragile as you may drop it, so no washing dishes and hoovering, that's a no no as well because of the vibrations from the electric motor. But working on the bike - that's okay as it will encourage the dexterity".
I haven't stopped laughing (unless she's looking at me) ROFL

That's good to hear it all went okay, but also shows the impact of how a simple bit of mild banter can put you in a better place, as you've left the hospital with a smile on your face, plus you've got a free pass for certain jobs that could genuinely harm or delay your recovery unintentionally. Sometimes it's just better to be told the obvious stuff in case you're not quite thinking clearly on the day, for whatever reason.
Fair play to that surgeon, he sounds like a decent bloke.