The rheumatologist has spoken!
Aug. 20th, 2005 02:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
qatarperegrineAnd after $300 of lab tests, lots of poking and prodding of my joints, and much peering over X-rays, we have an official diagnosis:
I use the computer too damn much.
Well, actually the official diagnosis is three forms of tendinitis: lateral and medial epicondylitis (tennis elbow and golfer's elbow) and deQuervain's tendinitis in my thumbs. But the official cure is to knock it off with the computer already. We'll see how well I implement *that* suggestion. I think the short-lived (I made it three days) course of cod liver oil had a better chance!
This is very exciting news, though. The awful tendinitis in my wrists that put me on worker's comp was much worse than this, and it has already healed at least 90%. That means that, if I do what I ought to (like not posting this right now) this really can get better, and without nasty druggage. But I will never be a person who can just be on my computer eight hours a day without problems. Trying to accommodate the thumb problem is unlikely to help, since it was caused by the accommodations I made for my wrists, so any changes I make are likely just to cause tendinitis somewhere else. Suck.
This evening we're having the TAs over for dinner and (if they like) board games, so I'd better go start tidying up!
I use the computer too damn much.
Well, actually the official diagnosis is three forms of tendinitis: lateral and medial epicondylitis (tennis elbow and golfer's elbow) and deQuervain's tendinitis in my thumbs. But the official cure is to knock it off with the computer already. We'll see how well I implement *that* suggestion. I think the short-lived (I made it three days) course of cod liver oil had a better chance!
This is very exciting news, though. The awful tendinitis in my wrists that put me on worker's comp was much worse than this, and it has already healed at least 90%. That means that, if I do what I ought to (like not posting this right now) this really can get better, and without nasty druggage. But I will never be a person who can just be on my computer eight hours a day without problems. Trying to accommodate the thumb problem is unlikely to help, since it was caused by the accommodations I made for my wrists, so any changes I make are likely just to cause tendinitis somewhere else. Suck.
This evening we're having the TAs over for dinner and (if they like) board games, so I'd better go start tidying up!
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no subject
Date: 2005-08-20 02:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-20 07:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-20 08:39 pm (UTC)I heard there would only be one!
sad...
TAs
Date: 2005-08-21 06:04 am (UTC)It would have been cool if you'd been here. :-(
no subject
Date: 2005-08-21 12:20 am (UTC)Actually, it's good to hear that your condition right now is probably controllable.
I don't remember -- did you ever get into Dragon or other voice-recognition software? I haven't myself, but some people with hand problems swear by it.
On the other hand, you could use this as a kind of natural guard against internet addiction...
Good luck! Keep posting (when you can) on the ups and down.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-21 06:13 am (UTC)There are also a lot of other changes I can make. For example, right now I'm typing with my new thumb brace on. It's not very easy to type with, but that's probably a good thing. I'm starting to ice the tendons twice a day, which helped a lot last time around. And NSAIDs, of course -- the topical ones seem to work well. And if all else fails I'll get cortisone shots again.
On the other hand, you could use this as a kind of natural guard against internet addiction...
No kidding! I could really use one of those -- if only it worked. :-)
Luddites' approach to tendonitis
Date: 2005-08-22 03:42 am (UTC)Re: Luddites' approach to tendonitis
Date: 2005-08-22 05:39 am (UTC)