Replies

1. 
   Steinmetz | Nov 03, 2007 07:11pm | #1

   Google up 'The Woodworking Channel' Turn up the sound.

2. 
   BMilton | Nov 03, 2007 07:56pm | #2

   Byron,

        I had DeQuervain's Syndrome (carpal tunnel of the thumb) and had the release surgery. I both do woodworking and golf. It was about 4 months before I could do light amounts of either, and 6 months before all was well again. There was also physical therapay for about 2 months at the start to help the process.

        Bob

    

3. 
   forestgirl | Nov 03, 2007 08:14pm | #3

   Byron, I had carpal tunnel release done on both hands in the late 1980's.  In those days it was "open palm" surgery <grin> but I hear they do it much less invasively now.  I wasn't doing woodworking back then, but did use a circular saw occasionally around the horse stable I ran.  I think I picked it up just a few weeks after the surgery, much to my surgeon's surprise.

   What type of procedure did they do? ("open palm" or more arthroscopic?).  Are you being referred to a hand rehab specialist post-surgery????

   What takes time to develop, after the swelling goes down, is the squeezing strength in your hand and flexibility.  The flexibility issue may not be as hard to overcome with less invasive surgery.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

   
   

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   Edited 11/3/2007 1:15 pm by forestgirl

1. 
   CanadianGrizzly | Nov 04, 2007 05:38am | #4

   Thanks folks,

   Forestgirl I had the open palm done on both. While surgeon was working he kept commentinting on my thick hide on my hands. I live in the North so no physio but I'm looking forward to feeling my hands again while I work. 

1. 
   forestgirl | Nov 04, 2007 05:50am | #5

   I hope you're able to recover both feeling and function.  How long did you live with the symptoms before having surgery??

   I can try and get some info on exercises for you to do.  I don't remember very much of that part -- I do remember going through this thing of touching my thumb to each other finger on my hand -- open, touch; open, touch; open, touch.  Seems silly, but important.  Then there was some squeezing-a-ball sorta thing well after the wound healed.  Lemme see what I can find out for ya!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

2. 
   forestgirl | Nov 04, 2007 09:00am | #6

   Take a look at the page below for a general idea of what the post-surgery rehab is intended to do (the rehab section is near the bottom of the page).  It's sad (to me) that you don't have access to a rehab specialist.  I saw a hand therapist just a few days after my surgery, and two or three time after that, with home exercises given for my part of it.

   I'll see if I can find some specific info for you.  Since you did have "open" surgery, it'll be awhile before you can do very much.

   http://www.handuniversity.com/topics.asp?Topic_ID=16forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

4. 
   Jfrostjr | Nov 04, 2007 04:43pm | #7

   Three years ago I 'popped' a tendon in my forearm playing tennis. While discussing repairs with the surgeon, he pointed out that the ball-joint at the base of my thumb (the connection to the wrist) was almost totally eroded by arthritis. I said, "Go ahead and fix that too."

   I was six weeks in a hand cast and experienced unbelievable pain when the wrist locked up from lack of movement. (Now comes the 'good' news.) After 3 shots of cortisone into the wrist, about 4 months apart, I am back working in the shop and playing tennis and without any more shots. My hand strength, as FG says, is weak - my wife has to open a Scotch bottle every now and then - but I am functional. You will be too!

   Hang on in there. It WILL get better, but healing is a lot slower than we realize - or hope.

   Frosty

   "I sometimes think we consider the good fortune of the early bird and overlook the bad fortune of the early worm." FDR - 1922