Last night was a bit of a set back. I took Tramadol at 11 and it seemed not to work very well. About 2 a. m. I popped some ibuprofen and, a couple of hours later, strapped an ice bag to my hand and wrist. That did the trick. I woke up with barely any discomfort in my hand. Somehow I was still groggy so after breakfast I hit the couch for an hour-long nap, with the ice bag once again strapped to my hand and wrist.
Next up, I tried to do my neck and back exercise routine. I omitted a couple of poses (bird dog and a psoas stretch) because they would have put weight on my right hand. The stretching went well.
I headed to the basement for a two-hour session aboard Big Nellie. The gears are changed using something called Grip Shifters which require a twist of the wrist. My right hand could shift up without pain but shifting down was uncomfortable. The bike is set up on a resistance trainer so it’s entirely safe to reach over with my left had for downshifts.
After the ride I took a sink bath (not wanting to risk getting the bandage wet in the shower), took some extra strength Tylenol, and hit the couch for another session with the ice bag.
When I woke up my hand felt very good. It still won’t bear much weight and there is pain in the fleshy part of my palm on either side of the ligament that was cut, but the numbness is all but gone in my fingers. Of course, how good I feel may be a product of the medications so I still need to be careful. The doctor did say, however, that the mobility in my fingers should improve after a couple of days so I am right on track.
Tomorrow I get to take the bandage off. If the wound looks okay, I’ll switch to a band-aid. I am looking forward to taking a shower.
Onward!
A Few Spokes Shy of a Wheel 