My dear Noodlers!
I’ve neglected my poor blog of late but not for lack of trying.
In August I stumbled up the stairs at home and used my right hand to catch my very small fall. The following day I wrote some 5000 words on the Blood of Heirs draft, thinking the ache in the back of my wrist would fade after a little rest.
Now it is December and the pain is worse than ever. My dominant hand is pretty close to useless and if it isn’t heavily braced, cracks and crunches like a bag of Corn Flakes under a rolling truck tyre. Needless to say, I’ve seen a few doctors and had a good dollop of radiation blasted through it in search of the problem.
Two cortisone injections, one directly into the offending joint while in a CT scanner, have failed to ease the pain or inflammation. Various therapists have tried braces and exercises, with little to no effect. The pain medication that worked last month is useless now and the left arm working so hard to compensate (and write this post with a single thumb) has begun to suffer also.
I write to tell you this because I’m scared. I’m utterly terrified. I don’t want to live in pain, or on pain killers. I don’t want to give up my beloved writing because of an injury I can hardly recall happening. I certainly don’t want to be stuck in this brace.
My remaining option is surgery. The procedure will fuse the pained joint and stop the bones rubbing against one another. And while the idea of preventing the bones grinding away at each other, gluing or welding them together sounds just about as appealing as a bath full of angry scorpions on a hot day. I’m assured my use of the appendage will return and typing and writing will be easy and pain free, but…
The problem with any surgery or finite, irreversible procedure is exactly that is is irreversible. You can’t undo this sort of thing. There are no do overs.
Deep down, I trust my surgeon. He will do a stellar job and let’s face it – the future of Blood of Heirs rests on his handy work.
It’s the unknown ‘after’ that terrifies me – a leap of trust I have to take.
Hopefully I’ll emerge victorious on the other side!
Until then, ask all the questions, accept nothing as truth and keep your noodles in the game!
Chat soon xo
Alicia Wanstall-Burke 
Knock’em dead kid
It’s a decision only you can make, and I understand your perspective. We have great expertise in our country and I am sure the specialists know what they are doing but you are right to ask as many questions as you need in order to come to a decision; don’t worry if you ask the same question repeatedly. Better still, ask the same question of different people who have expertise and experience in the field.
I know what it is like to have excruciating pain and to lose the function of a hand – I had my arm ‘re-wired’ (a ‘nerve translocation’, simply rearranging nerves) and regained the strength and use in my dominant hand again (but not before putting up with all sorts of pain and remedies for quite a while until surgery became the best option).
The longer you are in pain, the greater the risk of developing a pain syndrome independent of your hand injury so I hope you can find relief soon.
Take special care and all the best with working it out.
Love Jodie
Thanks so much! I really agree that getting it sorted ASAP is going to be better than a ‘wait & see’ approach. Xo
All my love is with you sweetheart. I have a fused spine from the shoulders down. My movement is restricted but it makes a difference to the level of pain, as the bones cant shift. xxxx