All those years ago I was having trouble with carpal tunnel and arthritis and had to wear a brace on my right hand - day and night. Now I am there again. My right hand/wrist/elbow/shoulder has been so terrible sore for about two months. I finally had an appointment with the hand doctor. My choices? Live with the pain, have cortisone shots, have surgery. My choice, of course, was #2. The doctor gave me the shot and by the next morning the pain from the carpal tunnel was pretty much gone. The arthritis, naturally, remains. All I can do for that is apply ointments for pain relief and take Tylenol.
Today I went to the hand clinic in Orange and the nice lady custom made a night brace that covers hand and wrist. The one I had previously only covered my hand. It is a fascinating process to watch her take a flat piece of plastic and by cutting, shaping, heating in 157degree water, and fitting it to my hand, create the beige brace you see at the bottom. The black brace is for daytime wear and is a commercial product. I've been wearing one that only covers my hand, now in the daytime I need to wear this one that covers hand and wrist. I hope this, along with the cortisone shots will solve my problem, I really dread having surgery.
Meanwhile, it seems I will have to learn some new sewing habits. Since I am relearning, I will just learn a new way at the same time. She even showed me how I should be pinching thumb and first finger together, something I thought I knew how to do all my life! I need to pinch in the middle of my thumb and not just to the right side of it. Who knew??
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