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not sure what to do next
Apr. 2nd, 2008 01:11 pmAfter 5 days, I have recovered most of the feeling in my left hand. This is not an unmitigated good thing, because my left hand hurts rather a lot. The last time I saw my GP, I summed up the problems I've been having with my left shoulder and arm. I'm not sure if there is anything useful to be done about them. Still, if the doctor wants to see me every couple of months to keep an eye on my right hand and general health, it doesn't seem right to conceal the fact that my left arm has become quite a bit less useful over the past year, hurts about as much as the right hand, and PT, etc, has only made it a little better.
My doctor thought it was time to consult an orthopedic specialist who was good with both shoulders and hands. It's not clear if the left shoulder problem is causing left hand pain, or vice versa, or if they are two unrelated problems. She only knows one local orthopedist who specializes in both joints. Unfortunately, it's the surgeon who operated on my right hand, 9 years ago. I am too frightened of him to think clearly about this.
I had an MRI on the shoulder Friday. An MRI is not supposed to do any damage, it's just imaging. But part of the problem with my shoulder is that part of the range of motion is very painful. (It seems trivial. Lying on my back, shoulder on a foam block, arm rotated to keep the palm up. It was almost impossible.) My hand was too numb to use effectively until this morning. I still have surface numbness on the back of the hand, like wearing a thin glove. I can live with that...I still have a patch of it on the right hand, since the surgery. At least now I can use my left hand for buttons, shoelaces, screw top containers, teakettles, and so on. It's been difficult.
My doctor thought it was time to consult an orthopedic specialist who was good with both shoulders and hands. It's not clear if the left shoulder problem is causing left hand pain, or vice versa, or if they are two unrelated problems. She only knows one local orthopedist who specializes in both joints. Unfortunately, it's the surgeon who operated on my right hand, 9 years ago. I am too frightened of him to think clearly about this.
I had an MRI on the shoulder Friday. An MRI is not supposed to do any damage, it's just imaging. But part of the problem with my shoulder is that part of the range of motion is very painful. (It seems trivial. Lying on my back, shoulder on a foam block, arm rotated to keep the palm up. It was almost impossible.) My hand was too numb to use effectively until this morning. I still have surface numbness on the back of the hand, like wearing a thin glove. I can live with that...I still have a patch of it on the right hand, since the surgery. At least now I can use my left hand for buttons, shoelaces, screw top containers, teakettles, and so on. It's been difficult.
