Linda's Blog—Travel and Art

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    Cubital Tunnel Syndrome, Part 2

    image of hands showing fingers affected by the ulnar nerve

    image from OrthoBullets 

    Follow-up to my blog of Oct 24, 2017, "What the Hell is Cubital Tunnel Syndrome"

    Some days it is better, some days not so much. Overall, there seems to be improvement, but it is not ‘all better’. In response to the question, “At the end of all this will I be able to go back to doing things the way I used to?” the short answer might be, “No”. I will need to adopt some accommodating behavior as a life style change, or have surgery. Since this involves my right hand and arm, it is pretty important. Surgery requires about 6 weeks of recovery time, and that recovery time is CRITICAL to 100% back-to-normal. I am seriously thinking about it, but not until after a one person show I  am having in January. I have also pushed back my expect-to-be-all-better deadline to Dec 31, because all my accommodations seem to be working, just very slowing. Many days my left arm feels perfectly fine (it had only begun to have the slightest of symptoms when I saw the doctor), and the numbness in my right arm is definitely less pronounced (although it fluctuates as my activity during the day changes).  

    Since I have no pain (well, sometimes after an activity), I don’t get reminded that I shouldn’t be carrying/pushing/pulling/twisting/typing-too-long/lifting until there is an increase in numbness, mostly felt in the tip of my little finger, and occasional pain that is short-lived.

    My plan of action:

    1) keep my arms in a straightened position for longer periods of time
    2) continue sleeping with arms straight at my sides
    3) get a collapsible dolly for moving my artwork
    4) use shoulder strapped bags for carrying smaller items
    5) get a SMALL drill for putting together paintings into frames, or don’t frame certain work

    And keep my blogs short...
    6) don’t use my phone so much, unless on speaker phone (I keep FORGETTING!)
    7) ask for assistance (just shoot me now)

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