When I was induced with Claire, my first nurse was less than stellar. She never came to check on us, would be gone for hours, forgot things when she came in, and she put my IV in a terrible place. She put it right at the joint between my thumb and wrist. Needless to say, it was painful and inconveniently located since I couldn't move my thumb for the duration of my labor because it would be to painful. I didn't ask her to move it because I had heard IV's were painful and I thought I was just being a baby.
After we were home from the hospital, I would try and pick Claire up from her cradle and it was excruciating! My hand would freeze up and it took all my strength to finish picking her up. It was so painful. I started doing some stretches to see if it would help, because, once again, I had other friends who had their IV location hurt for a couple weeks, so I didn't think anything of it. After about two months of it hurting like crazy, it started to ease up a bit. At times it would bother me, but it didn't really interfere with my day to day tasks.
Christmas came and it started to just ache a little, more to the point of annoyance, but soon the pain came back with a vengeance. I couldn't move my thumb at all without cringing and moaning. Oh, it was so painful! So, the past couple weeks I've been wearing a sort of brace to keep my hand idle and it helps a little bit until I start using it like normal. I couldn't really steer the car, couldn't cook, couldn't carry Claire without pain. Everything made me realize how much I use that big fat finger.
Today I went to the doctor. Well, that wonderfully terribly nurse probably caused nerve damage in my wrist. Thanks nurse Lauren. I have to do some physical therapy next week and then I meet with the hand surgeon/specialist the following Monday. Hopefully I won't have to have surgery, but it will be nice to know what's going on.
Point of the story.....don't base your pain off of other's experiences, just go to the doctor. I've been guilty of committing this crime all my life.
6 comments:
oh no! you didn't tell me this :( I'm sorry honey! Hope the doctor can fix it quickly and without surgery...keep me posted!
I didn't know you were hurting so much! You never mention this kind of stuff. I'm so sorry, Stace. It sounds miserable. Is it that "mother's thumb/new mom's thumb" condition? De Quervain's tendonitis? I know several people who have had it--exact same symptoms as you. Really sounds so miserable. And it's been so long. Hope they can take care of it soon! Thinking of you!
Hey, they're letting me post!!!
Thats No good gosh! Hope you dont have to do anything major.
HOLY COW. That is crazy! Who would have thought that your biggest recovery from labor would be for your wrist?! I hope everything goes well for you! That must be so awful to have it be so difficult to pick up your beautiful little girl. I hope that nurse gets karma!
yuck!!! So sorry. Hope you can get it figured out and that surgery isn't necessary!!!
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