Blogging continues to be sparse because I just have too many things happening right now. School starts in a month, and there are lots of things that need to be tied up by then or it's going to get really hard. I am doing no dissertation work. I'm just taking care of the kids and trying to pack up the house for our move. But our house is not done because the rain is incessant. So even though we've gotten an extension on our rent house for a few weeks, we still face the possibility of homelessness. And homelessness is going to be much more difficult to manage once the fall semester starts. The good news is, my husband's new job is working out well. The hours are still long and irregular, and he's driving an hour one way to get there, but he's around much more than he was before. Which is good for me and good for the kids and very good for our marriage. And he's happier, so it's good for him, too. And now Baby Belle is crying so blog post is over.
Belle is in my lap now so blog post continues. I've been depressed lately and I've attributed it to a lot of things--I'm certainly stressed out and still dealing with postpartum hormones. But another thing is contributing to the problem. My hands and wrists hurt all the time. It never stops hurting. This has been going on for a long time, and it got worse when I was pregnant. I read about pregnant women having carpal tunnel syndrome and that it should get better after the baby is born, but it hasn't gotten better. I have decided that this is a serious problem and I need medical attention. But I don't know when or where to get it. I have no primary physician right now, and I am trying to move to a new city and at the same time change insurance providers. I keep putting it off because the pain is manageable, but now I'm starting to wonder if I might be making the problem worse by waiting. I haven't decided what to do. Anyone had experience with hand pain?
Doctoral student and mother of two blogs about academia, motherhood, and the many intersections of the two.
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11 comments:
I would encourage you to get your arms looked at as soon as possible. If it's carpal it won't get better after the baby is born because according to the orthopedic doc I see for mine, picking up and putting down baby aggravates it. Mine kept getting worse as ChaosGirl gained weight - imagine that. Packing and moving probably isn't helping your situation either.
I tried the support braces and went through a million different ones before I found some I could tolerate and I'm still not sure they help. I ended up with cortisone injections in both wrists and that made a world of difference. I had one relapse when we moved last summer and had to get another set of shots when the numbness got too bad.
If you have a good chiropractor or someone that does gua sha (muscle scraping) you might want to try that too. Hurts like the dickens while they do it but it did help me somewhat.
Good luck!
Get to a doctor sooner rather than later. If it is carpal tunnel, it won't get better, as sleepcat pointed out, it will only get worse. C had the surgery fairly young, at 23, and while it helped a lot, he continues to have problems. He often wears braces while typing and almost every night. The braces do help. You have to take care of yourself, Sarah, so get to a doctor.
My sister is suffering from carpal tunnel right now. She wears the braces while typing and at night. They have helped tremndously but with all the activities that children bring to ones life she will probably end up with the surgery sooner rather than later...Get to a doctor soon as you can so you can get relief.
I had carpal tunnel while working on my dissertation, eight years ago. You can get braces at a pharmacy -- they aren't as good as the ones that a doctor will prescribe, but they do help. And I also found acupuncture really helpful.
Part of the issue for many people with carpal tunnel is sleeping position: if you curl your arms into your chest while sleeping, that may aggravate the problem. Sleeping with the braces on (for months, I confess) made me learn new sleeping positions, and it's now been years since I've had a problem, although I'm still on the computer just as much.
It feels paralyzing, so it's important to take a few small steps to alleviate the pain and discomfort, even if you can't go to a doctor right away. (but you should, as soon as you can!)
I also have hand and wrist problems, have been to doctors, and have to wear a support brace when at the computer. It does help for me and you can find them at medical supply stores, or cheaper versions sometimes in the pharmacy sections of stores. When the insurance gets sorted out I would definitely get it checked out. Pregnancy has definitely aggravated the problem for me and as I type this my right hand is sore and swollen. When I wasn't pregnant, on days when i knew i'd be at the computer a lot, I would take an anti-inflammatory, which often helped. Good luck with everything! Don't hesitate to call.
- g
My hand and wrist pain turned out to be an issue with my shoulder, which had been slightly dislocated in two auto accidents 20 years earlier. Did my best to keep my shoulders back and down (not up at my ears). Did shoulder exercises. The pain went away.
So, while you shop for braces for your wrist(s), evaluate how you are holding your shoulders. Especially with the new one. You are now carrying around an extra bundle of (wiggly) weight.
Get a good back rub or chair massage! We have a massage place that specializes in back rubs only. They work my shoulders and arms -- and work miracles.
You should be able to get a referral from your regular physician, and as long as your still within your current network there shouldn't be any problem in terms of insurance coverage. Regardless, your health is important! You can't take care of kiddos if you aren't healthy yourself. Then, call me and let me know what I can do to help.
P.S. You *know* we'll never let you be homeless :)
Hi,
I'm always around here but never comment, this one I can't leave without a comment.
I'm occupational therapist and I've treated lots of carpal tunnel syndrome and I've one of my own right now, don't delay, buy a splint at the pharmacy and look for an OT or a handtherpist (can be PT).
Good Luck!
Keiko
Oh Sarah, I'm so sorry you're in pain! I'm only now catching up with my blog reading because I spent a whole month in Brazil and just got back. We're facing homelessness too in just two weeks. We sold our house and closing is on Sept. 7, but we haven't yet bought another one. I can totally understand your concerns. Good thing I'm not working yet.
Hubby starts work in a week and will have to commute for an hour as well until we move -- similar situations or what? :)
I hope things fall into place for your lovely family soon. (as well as for ours).
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