Hand Surgery Weeks 3-6

6 weeks ago I had hand surgery to fix 10 (😅)different things. If you want to read more about the surgery, or the first couple of weeks recovering, check out my previous posts!

Just wanted to post an update of how weeks 3-6 look. They weren't super eventful, but I still wanted to document them:

Week 3:

• Wearing custom hard thumb brace 24 hours a day, except for showering

  • Thumb pain with any movement not in brace

• Wrist and thumb still very stiff

• Wrist and thumb painful with any lifting/gripping (AKA still no holding my toothbrush or razor with my right hand)

• Thumb still numb

• Can type with both hands on my computer (just not stretching my thumb)

• While teaching, my forearm feels tight and sore with excessive movement

Week 4:

• Wearing custom hard thumb brace during day. Don't need to wear it when sleeping anymore!

  • Due to my crazy sleeping, I did find myself waking up in the middle of the night because of my wrist being in strange positions causing pain

  • Thumb pain with movement not in brace has improved but still is lacking significant mobility

• Wrist and thumb still stiff, but definitely processing

• Wrist and thumb painful with any lifting

  • I am able to brush my teeth with my right hand now 😆

• Thumb still numb

• Overused my wrist a bit when teaching do to lack of mobility

Week 5:

• Wearing custom hard thumb brace during day.

  • Thumb pain with movement not in brace has improved but still is lacking significant mobility

• Wrist and thumb still stiff, but processing week by week

• Wrist and thumb painful with lifting medium size loads (ie. laundry basket of clothes, groceries, etc.)

• Thumb still numb

Here are some pictures show my mobility in my right hand vs. left

• My left side is still very hypermobile (especially my thumb) so differences are quite significant

• Is it just me or do the first two look like little giraffes?🦒

Week 6:

• Wearing custom hard thumb brace during day.

  • I get to switch to my soft brace soon, woohoo!

• Wrist and thumb still stiff, but processing week by week

  • Can play piano again (no reaches with thumb though)

• Wrist and thumb still painful with lifting medium size loads

• Thumb still numb

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Well, that's it! Nothing crazy or abnormal (which I would say is a good thing when recovering from surgery!). Fingers crossed in the next two weeks mobility and stiffness will improve🤞🏼

Be Brave. Stay Kind. Much Love.

Sami