Carpal Tunnel Surgery

[Janet]

I have to be at the hospital in town at 7:00 in the morning...even though they are not suppose to do the surgery until 8:00 AM. Instead of waking up my son, I'm just going to drive myself and then have them call my brother to come get me and take me home. No sense anyone having to get up that early just to sit around and wait on me. It won't take that long and they said I should be ready to go home by 9:30 or so.

Hopefully the surgery will work and I won't have the numb hands. I know it will take some time to know if it was successful and if it is...I will have the other hand done. I'm not nervous at all, just anixously hoping it works.

[DianaB]

I'll be praying that all goes well!!! Hugs!!!

[lynne b]

Praying that the surgery goes well and that it helps your hand.

[Lindsey]

I hope everything goes well Janet!

[Janet]

All done...have some pain but know will heal soon. Very hard typing w/one hand...lol

[JJJ]

Glad to hear everything went well :)

[gja1000]

glad to hear all went well. pain is normal, it will pass.

[Blueyes]

I'm so glad you had it done, and I bet it works great!!

[paula1961]

I'm so glad that the surgery went well Janet. Hope the pain goes away real soon. How long will you be off work?

[DianaB]

I'm sure that a little pain is normal but will heal quickly!! Can't wait until you're back to using two hands!!!!

[gja1000]

I hope you are doing better today, but it usually takes 3 days to feel better. Check in when you can.

[Janet]

I'm doing great! Very little pain in the hand this morning. Can't wait to get this bulky bandage off later today so I can type a little better. Using two hand right now.... :)

[DianaB]

Sounds like you're doing pretty good!!!

[judy]

I am so glad it is over! It sounds like you are recuperating well!

[JJJ]

Don't work your hand too hard while it's healing.

[lynne b]

glad to hear your doing good with your hand, hope it takes care of the numbness for good.

[Janet]

Was doing great...Mom passed out and I was trying to get her to come to and I used the hand with 6 stitches in it. Didn't tear them out but do have some ice on.

This was the second time mom passed out today....I think these are the mini strokes the drs. Were describing. I take her to the dr tomorrow

[gja1000]

Oh Oh! NOT GOOD

[DianaB]

That doesn't sound good about your Mom :( and you need to take care of that hand :(

[Janet]

I know....but I didn't even think. I checked it today and it's just fine...no redness or anything. Mom isn't acting right...I really think the spells are mini strokes. She had an EKG done today. We are suppose to go tomorrow to her heart Dr. to find out the results. I tried to get my brothers to go...but no....so I'm canceling. They can tell us the results over the phone. I'm sick and tired of running to another town all the time just because I'm either off or in-between bus routes.

I realize that is not what I should be doing....but I'm tired and I need a break. I may take off and go to a hotel or motel over the weekend...not sure yet. I would like some alone time and it seems that is the only way I'm going to get it. I guess it also depends on if Mom starts feeling worse. Gayle.....I soooo wish I would have listened to you more about not bringing Mom to my home. It's a little late now without breaking her heart. I would never recommend this to anyone.

[gja1000]

Janet, it is very difficult - we want to take care of our parents, they took care of us, but it is very very different when you have your parents in your home. Also Janet, your home life was not good to start with and your husband was not supportive - which makes it even worse, I think. My husband was super supportive and he loves me and my mom so much - but even he was so tired of having her here all the time.

Even though my mom does not have any health problems, my daughter and I just HAD to reclaim our home and our lives. I know mom would much rather be with us, but we both have so many other irons in the fire. I'm so glad that she is in her own space, she has constant care, if she needs it, and she is safe. It is so much better for all of us. She is doing well, making some friends and participating in some of the activities. It is good for her.

I know that sounds heartless - but it is not. Life is very complicated these days, and even in the best of circumstances, it is difficult.

[lynne b]

Janet, it is very difficult - we want to take care of our parents, they took care of us, but it is very very different when you have your parents in your home. Also Janet, your home life was not good to start with and your husband was not supportive - which makes it even worse, I think. My husband was super supportive and he loves me and my mom so much - but even he was so tired of having her here all the time.

Even though my mom does not have any health problems, my daughter and I just HAD to reclaim our home and our lives. I know mom would much rather be with us, but we both have so many other irons in the fire. I'm so glad that she is in her own space, she has constant care, if she needs it, and she is safe. It is so much better for all of us. She is doing well, making some friends and participating in some of the activities. It is good for her.

I know that sounds heartless - but it is not. Life is very complicated these days, and even in the best of circumstances, it is difficult.

Gayle, I can not agree with you more on this, as much as i love my mom i am so glad that i did not bring her here to live in my home, you remember how many nights i stayed up crying and you were always there to console me. Mom is being taken care of so much better than i could have ever done, especially with her medical needs, i know she is lonely at times and she calls just about every night just to hear my voice i think and to reasure her on daily avtivites, but she also talks about how busy they are keeping her there, she went bowling the other day and had pizza, she loved it, she use to bowl on leagues years ago. With me working full time and busy with the dogs and life in general i now feel it was the right decision.

Janet, maybe the next time your mom goes into the hospital you can take that chance to take her back to the place she was at, i know she said she didn't like it there but she really wasn't there long enough to give it a chance. I know it would be heart breaking having to explain to her that it is just to much for you to handle, but she just needs someone/place that knows how to take care of her needs. We have talked about this endlessly and you always end up caveing to her wants, you need to stand up for yourself and think about what it is doing to you, it's not the fact that you don't love her because you have shown her that you do love her and you both have grown closer over the past year.

[JJJ]

Oh Janet, how awful. I hope you two ladies are fine now.

She does need to be supervise 24/7. Many hugs to you my friend.

[Janet]

I'm sure most of you saw on FB that I had to call an ambulance to take Mom to the hospital. On Friday...I was sitting on the couch and Mom in the recliner. I heard some kind of noise...not sure what it was but I immediately looked at Mom and she was slumped over to the left with her left arm kind of shaking. I asked her if she was alright and she slightly shook her head 'no'. She then struggled to say she thought she was going to pass out, that her head hurt. I told her I was going to call 911 and she shook her head 'no' again.

By the time I got off the phone with 911, Mom was out of it completely. While I waited on the ambulance and paramedics I called my brothers and moved everything out of the way so they would have plenty of room to work and get a gurney in. When the paramedics arrived they couldn't get a heartbeat, pulse or any reading on that thing they put on the finger...so he got on the radio and told the ambulance to expedite. She was still breathing...we could see her stomach going up and down, but that was it. I really thought she was taking her last breaths.

By the time they got her to the hospital her BP was 60 something over 40 something and her heart rate was 160 and higher. Her urine was cloudy. They tried to get an IV in but had lots of problems. Her veins move and they blow. They did get into an artery, but the only thing coming out was a white liquid....no blood.

Since her BP was so low they pushed fluids into her and it all went to her lungs so they had to put this mask thing on to help get rid of the fluid and ran all kinds of tests. The Dr. called me out to the hall and said she was really bad and didn't think she was going to make it. They got her stablized a bit more and then sometime around 1:00 AM they move her to PCU...I think that is what it's called. She was more alert and my brother drove me home. I was in bed at 2:00 AM, but had to listen to snoring until 3:00.

I went to visit her today and she had definitely had a heart attack (they told us that last night) and also within the last week or so the CAT scan showed she has had a couple more strokes. I thought this on Wed. and Thurs. because she was having some trouble lifting her arm already affected by the stroke in January.

Her BP is still very low, but she is speaking (although it's a bit more slurred than before) and laughing and seems to be feeling much better. This lady must have more lives than a cat....lol.

This is what's been happening in my world.

[Blueyes]

Janet, I love you. Please call Hospice..

[paula1961]

Oh Janet so sorry to hear this. I hope your Mom is feeling better. I'm praying for you and your Mom.

[JJJ]

Oh how scary Janet I'm so happy I didn't read a bad ending. Please put your foot down and have professionals around her 24/7.

[Janet]

Thank you ....my brothers are finally helping to make some phone calls and see what we can do with Mom. Either a nursing home or someone to stay with her.

I get my stitches out on April 1...I can't wait. I still can't do much yet. I can use it, but can't pick anything up with much weight yet because it will hurt some, but it's getting better everyday. There is still some numbness yet, but not nearly as much....yea!!!!!

[DianaB]

Some how I missed this. I'm so sorry about your Mom. Is she out of the hospital yet? What's going on? I'm sure that you were so scared!!

[Lindsey]

Oh my gosh, I missed this too :eek: I'm sending hugs for you Janet! How is she doing?

[Janet]

Mom is doing fine right now. She wants to go home so we are going to let her ......come what may. She won't listen to reason and doesn't want help so most likely unless it's an emergency... she won't get any.

We've all grown tired of trying to help her when she doesn't want help and gets angry when we try to get it for her. She is going home during the day and at night she sleeps here for dialysis. When she can start hooking herself up without help then the machine will be moved back to her house.

I know it sounds cruel, but she won't listen to us and says she can live on her own without help. At night....I will be turning my phones off....I need to be able to stay awake driving the bus...so if she needs help during the night...she'll have to call one of my brothers or 911.


I sure wish I would have taken a picture of my hand with all 6 stitches in it. I had thought about it plenty of times but just didn't get one taken. Now the skin is peeling around the incision and is healing up nicely. I don't think there will be that much of a scar. My pointer finger and thumb are still on the numb side, but it comes and goes. Hopefully it will go and stay that way...lol.

[DianaB]

I'm glad to hear that your hand is getting better and healing nicely.

Your Mom is just one stubborn lady!!!! I would probably do the same thing that you're doing since she's so insistant about going home. You just have to place any problems that some up on her own shoulders because she's so stubborn.

[Janet]

You're so right Diana. We've all had enough of trying todo the best by her, but it's never good enough because according to her.....she doesn't need help and can do it all by herself. So that's exactly what she can do.

I was just looking at my hand and there isn't going to be much of a scar at all....amazing.

[gja1000]

Janet, you have done exactly the right thing, you can't MAKE her be reasonable. So, what will be, will be. I would do exactly what you are doing, also I'd turn the phone off because as you say, you need to be awake to drive the bus. You have taken care of her, and helped her as much as possible, now, the rest is up to her.

[Janet]

It's strange, but when my older brother said to just let her go home and when she's here....let her do for herself....I didn't know if I could. BUT....I can...and I have been and it's not nearly as hard as I thought it would be.

[DianaB]

I think that you're Mom is getting exactly what she wants.......unfortunately in the future it's not going to be for her benefit.....but she'll have no one to blame but herself.

[Janet]

That's true. I made it get dressed again. She still hasn't been to her house the last couple of days. I thought she wanted to go home soooo bad. I really don't think she wants to go back to being alone.

I did have a long awaited talk with her though and explained that there are things I need to make clear...such as if the phone is for her...I will give it to her, but my phone calls are for me and if I want to share them I will...don't ask "who was that" and "what did they want." And she is to wash everyday and clean her dentures.....and clean up whatever mess she makes.

I'm still ready for her to go to her house or a nursing home. I really think she knows she can't do it all on her own like she says she can. Ricky and I were sitting in the living room and Mom was in the kitchen eating lunch. We heard a big crash and Mom had fallen on the floor. She got up to get a piece of bread and down she went. She's okay, but I bet she'll be a little sore in the morning.

[JJJ]

Oh my, I hope the fall wasn't that bad. I know at that age bones are so fragile. Glad you two were there.

[Janet]

I really thought that I wouldn't still have much pain 3 weeks after having the carpal tunnel surgery. I go to see the dr tomorrow for a checkup to see how it's doing so I'm hoping everything is going okay. I think I'm going to ask him about a brace of some sort and it if might help until it's done healing.

[gja1000]

I've heard that can be some pain for a while after carpal tunnel surgery. Hope everything is OK and that the doc can do something to help you.

[Janet]

I'm really not worried....just ready for it to be back to normal...call me impatient...lolol

[DianaB]

I didn't realize that you'd still be having pain now either. I hope it goes away soon.

I think that you're Mom just wanted to make a fuss about going home but really realized that she really isn't up to living alone right now. Maybe you should back off of a lot of decisions and let her make her own.......voila'....no fight!!!!

[Janet]

I did get a brace for my wrist and it's really helping. I don't have to go back to the Dr. unless I have a problem or questions.

[DianaB]

Sounds like you're doing pretty good. I'm surprised that they didn't advise you to get a brace before now.

[Janet]

I know....I'm surprised too. Bought one at Wal Mart, so far....so good.