The night before my carpal tunnel surgery in 2023, I blogged: I’m certain they’re operating on the wrong thing—it’s a combination of wanting it fixed and wanting to say I told you so when it isn’t.
The doctor who sent me to neurology dismissed my theories, clearly annoyed that I challenged his diagnosis. “Right, I picked up carpal tunnel at the same moment I flew over my handlebars and dislocated my shoulder.”
The neurologist was worse. “You have a mild case of carpal tunnel.”
“Mild?! I wouldn’t call this mild. It’s incredibly painful.”
“It’s mild.” This last bit delivered as he walked out the office door. He didn’t even look over his shoulder when he spoke. I already knew he was a jackass from a Tourette appointment ten years earlier. Small town. You get what you get.
The surgeon did what the neurologist told him to do. He also seemed uninterested in the coincidence of hand pain and numbness starting at the same time as trauma.
Doctors, most of them, they see what they expect to see.
Last week, the diagnostics repeated, I received a different diagnosis: nerve damage in my palm. “Learn to live with it, not likely to respond to surgery.”
Sigh. I told you so.
Note: To clarify, at this point, 2.5 years later, it is more numb than terribly painful, but using my hand, including bicycling, leaves it fairly painful for several hours afterwards.
The Other Stuff 
Sorry to hear this, Jeff.
I don’t know what to say – or rather I do not know what to say but it is so politically incorrect that I’ve had to write a Limerick to express myself.
~
a regional surgeon of no note
gave his patient’s opinion no vote
insisted on op
result was a flop
needs de-registration, castration or both
~
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Oh, I absolutely love this. It really irks me that I had surgery that I didn’t need. I also had a really snippy exchange with the physical therapist who told me the only way it would get better after surgery was months of therapy at $50 a visit. I refused to do the therapy because I didn’t believe the diagnosis. The whole thing was a horrible experience.
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Bowing to the lead Dr all down the line
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I am sorry to hear about your nerve damage. I can relate to the “doctor” thing. I have had some who spent more time looking at a computer screen than me. I hope it isn’t too painful.
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It started out super painful but settled into occasionally painful and always numb about 2 years ago. Just another part of my body not working well.
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I am glad to hear that it is at least no longer super painful.
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That sucks. I hate it when doctors do that, give no consideration to patients who lnow their bodies. I’m sorry you’re going through that. That limerick up top is great though. I hope healing is possible and finds you fast.
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Well, not fast that’s for sure. This started 2.5 years ago. DD’s limerick made my day. I’d like to send it to the doctor.
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That would be diabolical…. do it. 😆 No, don’t listen to me, it’ll get you in trouble. But we’re adults, the worst that can happen is you’d have to find a new doctor, which i would recommend anyway. Hmmm.. 🤔
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He’s actually in a partnership with the husband of the president of the board where I work. I won’t be antagonizing him for any reason. 😂
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Okay, good idea. I’d say send an anonymous bag of dildos to his place of business,but anonymity is a myth these days. Sometimes being a grown up bites.
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Sorry and sorry, Jeff.
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Very sorry for your (unnecessary) pain.
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Thanks Margaret. At this point it’s more numbness than pain, but it definitely has its moments.
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Yikes, Jeff. That sounds terrible. I hate to think of you having to deal with that.
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It’s pretty frustrating, but it’s also just a reminder that as we age, some things stop working optimally. I’ll take this one over many other age related issues that could pop up. The needless surgery is pretty annoying though.
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