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I just posted this as a way too long comment over on Mel’s site, but it is worth repeating here. Mel was just told she has Carpal Tunnel, but she doesn’t want to miss a lot of work having the surgery. I know I was offline for 2 weeks when I had my hand surgery back in December, but part of that was by choice, and part of that was because I actually had two procedures done at the same time – the one for Carpal Tunnel and the one for DeQuarvein’s Syndrome – something I would never recommend. (I found out later that the doctor also doesn’t normally recommend it, but we were dealing with a short holiday break so we did it that way. Big mistake.) The surgery on my thumb had it immobile for two weeks. I basically had a cast that covered my thumb and rendered my right hand pretty useless. That said, the carpal tunnel portion of the surgery wasn’t bad at all. By day 2, I was moving my fingers. Day 3, I was able to type somewhat, although not much without a thumb, so I just stayed offline.

Your hands are SO important to you – why would you want to mess with the health of your hands? I just talked about this on my latest podcast because it matters so much to me. Take good care of your hands!

If you have been told you have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, here is my advice (slightly edited from the original comment left on Mel’s site):

– ICE. You don’t need heat. Just ice. My hand surgeon and my hand therapist both said the ice is what does the trick; heat just feels good. (I realize different therapists have different views on this, but from personal experience only ice helps.)

– Sleep with the wrist splints on. You may feel stupid, but I don’t care. You want to take care of your hands, right?

– Drive a standard? Wear the splints then too. Probably a good idea no matter what you drive.

– Splints during the day also a good idea. You’ll get used to them. I knit with them on. You can do it.

– The carpal tunnel only surgery has a initial recovery time of less than a week. My Mom had it in February – without the thumb surgery – and she was on the computer two days after her surgery. My surgeon had told me that he frequently has people do the surgery on a Thursday, take Friday off and return to Monday.

– Once you have carpal tunnel syndrome, it NEVER goes away. The symptoms may get better, but it doesn’t go away. Ignore it and skip having the surgery and you can end up like me with some permanent nerve damage. I have a crappy tingle feeling in my right hand all the time, and a special spot that I can touch that sends fireworks through my hand. I would recommend nerve testing to determine the level of carpal tunnel that you have, and also trying the cortisone shots first. But if you are at the point where surgery is recommended – do it.

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Almost 3 months later, I have no numbness. No tingling. Nothing. My right hand feels so good, I am considering having the surgery on my left hand this summer. (It only goes numb 1-2 times a week, so we’re not at the severe point my right hand was at with constant pain. Yet.)

Sorry to go on and on, but the health of your hands is so important. You use them to work. To craft. To create. You depend on them. You would have a hard time being on the computer right now if you had problems with your hands. Do you really want that? Don’t screw with them just because you don’t want to be off work for a few days or you don’t want to pay for surgery. Take care of your hands.