Hand Surgery

My left hand has a history. Back in college, I noticed a bump starting to form on the back of my hand. It was solid as a rock but it didn't hurt so I didn't worry about it very much. After going down a google-search-hole one day I got myself panicked it was a tumor so I decided to get it checked out. I had just graduated from school and was still in Massachusetts starting my Masters degree. 

The doctor I met with did some scans and told me it was a Ganglion Cyst on top of a Carpal Boss (bone arthritis). He told me that if I wanted to get it out I would need to have my hand bones fused together. I definitely didn't want that since at the time it didn't really hurt so I chose to do a couple weeks of hand physical therapy to see if it would help strengthen my hand. 

 

Fast forward a couple years, I am living in Louisiana and my hand starts to really hurt. If I used it for long periods of time (like typing or crocheting) it would hurt for days. It bugged me enough that I sought out another Doctor. This time the Dr. told me it was just a cyst and it would be a quick surgery (no bone fusing) so I agreed and set a date. Two weeks before the surgery I get a call from the nurse that the Doctor quit!! I couldn't even believe it. I suppose if his heart was in it, I didn't want him in my hand. 

Now, a few years later (almost 7 years since I first noticed the bump - back living in MA), my hand has been really bothering me. I found a third doctor. This time the doctor took more scans and was positive that it was in fact a Carpal Boss and there was no cyst. Unfortunately this is a bigger deal for a surgery since the arthritic bone has to be shaved down. 

So once again - a date was set and that was last Monday (7/30). 

I didn't really realize how big of a surgery this was because I had my dad drop me off at the ER and as I was going through Pre-Op I was like... oh man I wish I wasn't alone (which meant a lot of pre-surgery selfies).

 

 

Right hand all prepped so that they can cut in my left hand. 

 

I had a pre-op nurse, met with the Anesthesiologist, met with the Anesthesiologist's nurse, met with the doctor and the doctors nurse. I had an entire team ready for my hand surgery. 

 

I had to take my glasses off to be wheeled into the OR. This is when I got really nervous because I like to see what is going on and the world being really blurry didn't help. Ryan had to work and I was really wishing he was there with me (or that I insisted my dad stay with me until the surgery). I fell asleep pretty quick with the Anesthesia and the next thing I remember is waking up as they were wheeling me back to my recovery room. They had a muffin and juice waiting for me to help me wake up and get some energy. Meanwhile my hand looked like this:

 

It wasn't a cast, but a wrist support wrapped with an ace bandage. My entire hand and fingers were very numb/pins and needles feeling. I felt pretty good considering and posted this picture on my Instastory... (in hind-site I don't think anyone should of been letting me use my phone... so unflattering).

 

They had me on Oxy for pain meds which started out great helping with the pain but then ended up making me feel pretty bad. I was in a constant state of Nausea Monday and Tuesday (lots of throwing-up) and from that point forward decided that I would rather deal with the hand pain then the nausea. And boy did my hand hurt.

 

This was on Wednesday of last week: 

So swollen and bruised

 

And this was Friday: 

Still pretty swollen and bruised. Even my right hand was bruised from the IV.

  

It is Sunday (the 5th) as I type this and it is definitely less swollen but still swollen enough where I can't make a fist with my hand or get on my wedding rings yet. My hand still hurts quite a bit and I am still not really able to do anything with my hand. I keep a band aid over the stitches and where an ace bandage for support if I am driving or out and about. I have a follow-up with the doctor on Thursday and I am hoping he will be able to give some sort of healing timeline since it has basically been a week and I still have a long way to go. 

I wanted to get this post out since I have been MIA and wanted to let you all know I am doing ok and slowly getting back to normal.  I know I promised honeymoon posts forever now but I didn't realize how messed up my hand was going to be after the surgery (this was a one-handed typed post) so I may need another week before I can blog normally again. 

I also want to give a huge shout-out to my rock star husband Ryan. Even though he wasn't able to be there for the actual surgery, he has been so helpful during the recovery. He has been working a lot and he has still been doing a lot of the home chores (laundry, cooking, dishes, etc) since I can't do a lot of that right now. He held my hair up during the nausea days, has learned to master a 90s ponytail, and has been a huge help putting bags over my left hand (since it can't get my hand wet when I shower). 

Thanks Honey! Hope to be back to normal Nikki soon!