Carpal Tunnel Surgery Coming Up. And a Rant (not related to the actual surgery)

Remy

Remy

Well-known Member
Location
California, USA
I've been dealing with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome symptoms for about 9-10 months. I'm having surgery the day before Thanksgiving. It's my dominant hand. Surgery will be in the office and I can drive myself there and home.

I've been awake since 3:30am with the pain in my hand. Throbbing and burns. I could have had the surgery at the end of October. The MD office called mid October but the scheduler at my job said she couldn't give me the last weekend in October off. No problem, I can be in pain for another month.

I asked the doctor how long I would need to be off from work and he said keeping the incision clean was very important. I use my hand A LOT at work. I'm scheduled to work 5 days after the surgery, so only 4 days off. I'm considering asking the surgeon to write me an excuse for more time off. To say I'm exposed to germs at work is an understatement. Plus with the location of the incision, right at the base of the hand and with all the hand washing and sanitizing I do, I'm reconsidering only 4 days off. With a written MD excuse, they can't do anything. I only work part time but haven't called in, in 3 years. Any experiences?
 

I never had carpal tunnel but I know three people who have and each was able to get on disability because of it (they each worked with their hands...two were typists, one in construction). One a former co-worker wound up taking disability retirement and was entitled to the pension for that category. I'm surprised that you'll be able to drive right after surgery! I also hope your doctor can get you more time off until you hand has sufficiently healed.
 
OneEyedDiva said:
I never had carpal tunnel but I know three people who have and each was able to get on disability because of it (they each worked with their hands...two were typists, one in construction). One a former co-worker wound up taking disability retirement and was entitled to the pension for that category. I'm surprised that you'll be able to drive right after surgery! I also hope your doctor can get you more time off until you hand has sufficiently healed.
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Thank you. I'm pretty sure he will write me a time off excuse, especially considering what I do for a living. I hope the surgery is successful. They have a surgery center in the complex but for people like me, who are not afraid of needles and are not scared over stuff like this, they do it in the office. And I'm so glad. I don't want that sedation garbage like I had with the cataract and I don't want to ask someone to drive me. I'm assuming the needles to numb will be the worst part but that's over fast enough.
 

Remy said:
Thank you. I'm pretty sure he will write me a time off excuse, especially considering what I do for a living. I hope the surgery is successful. They have a surgery center in the complex but for people like me, who are not afraid of needles and are not scared over stuff like this, they do it in the office. And I'm so glad. I don't want that sedation garbage like I had with the cataract and I don't want to ask someone to drive me. I'm assuming the needles to numb will be the worst part but that's over fast enough.
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Forgot to say it but I hope your surgery is successful too. I'm one who hates needles, especially when they want to poke around to find a spot to start the IV after I've told them exactly where they can find the best spot. Ugggh! 😡 I got stuck under my eye area when I had my cataract and glaucoma surgeries. I had to stay away during the eye surgeries. No pain at all. Actually, the needles make me more nervous than the procedures. Unlike you...any other surgeries, I want to be knocked out. 😋:sleep:
 
Remy said:
@OneEyedDiva Glaucoma surgery is much more involved I'm sure than the cataract. Needles around the eye, that would probably freak me out also.
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Remy thankfully, she did both at the same time so I didn't have to endure 4 surgeries....just two. I was much more freaked out during the prep (looking for the IV vein, needles under the eye :eek:😨) than the surgery itself. She okayed me to listen to my disinfected iPad on which I had relaxing music. It really did help. But I'm hoping I never need invasive eye surgeries again.
 
Remy said:
I use my hand A LOT at work. I'm scheduled to work 5 days after the surgery, so only 4 days off. I'm considering asking the surgeon to write me an excuse for more time off.
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Do you have a Human Resources department at the company you work for? In my experience with surgeries (not carpal tunnel type tho) they are usually very conservative about not allowing people to come back until they get a form from the doctor saying the person can come back.
I only know of one person at work that had carpal tunnel surgery, I don't remember whether she was out two or three months, but she had one done, then recovered for several weeks, then had the second done and recovered from that before she came back.
 
After many years of pain and numbness, I had both Carpal Tunnel and Ulnar Nerve entrapment surgery on both arms and hands.
They did both on the left first and about 3 months later, I had them do the right arm/hand.
It was the best thing that has happen to me in years. 100% better than before.
I no longer would wake up every 2 hours from a dead sleep to find both hands numb, and couldn't do much of anything.

My recovery on the first operation was about 4 weeks, but the next one only needed about 2 weeks before I was my old self.
Just my take on how it worked out for me. I feel for you.
Hope things work out for the best.
 
OneEyedDiva said:
Remy thankfully, she did both at the same time so I didn't have to endure 4 surgeries....just two. I was much more freaked out during the prep (looking for the IV vein, needles under the eye :eek:😨) than the surgery itself. She okayed me to listen to my disinfected iPad on which I had relaxing music. It really did help. But I'm hoping I never need invasive eye surgeries again.
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I too hope you never need eye surgery like that again either!
 
HoneyNut said:
Do you have a Human Resources department at the company you work for? In my experience with surgeries (not carpal tunnel type tho) they are usually very conservative about not allowing people to come back until they get a form from the doctor saying the person can come back.
I only know of one person at work that had carpal tunnel surgery, I don't remember whether she was out two or three months, but she had one done, then recovered for several weeks, then had the second done and recovered from that before she came back.
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Not really and my direct boss is new. I don't know her that well. But with an MD excuse, I can probably get more time off. I'm thinking 4 days isn't enough. I'm so sick of waking up with that throbbing and burning pain though out the night. I may have to just talk to my direct boss. The scheduler is so desperate right now, she'll have anyone work through anything.
 
Remy......i hope you can get extended time off.
Had carpal surgery on my wrist, i am right handed, some 26 years ago.....waking up with the pain and numbness was unbearable.
Wore a wrist brace for a very long time before able to get surgery.
I was told not to use that had for a minimum 2 weeks.....then slowly ease back into things.
I didn't get 100%..... but a good 80%.
I have a bad habit of bending my wrists in when i sleep, which doesn't help even after surgery.
I tend to still use the braces.
GOOD LUCK......if you're able to get the time off, you'll do fine, just don't overuse after.
 

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