Saturday, July 18, 2015

3 Months Post-Op: Time to Get Back to It!

Well, I just had my 3-month follow up appointment with my doctor.  As expected, I have been cleared to resume normal activities.  His exact words were "you are free to resume normal activity as tolerated."

Those last two words are huge.  When I had the surgery on my right elbow, I believe I rushed back into things too quickly. I started putting way too much stress on my elbow which resulted in soreness.  So much so, that I scheduled an appointment with my doctor because I was worried I damaged something.  Thankfully I did not.

So I really want to take it slow this time.  Today I did two pull-ups and experienced no pain.  Tomorrow I will try two push-ups and hit the ice for a light game of pickup hockey.  While that sounds quite dangerous, my doctor informed me that as long as I wear elbow pads I have nothing to fear.  A hockey stick does not have much weight and I certainly don't have a hard shot that might screw up my elbow.

That's my plan!  Increase exercise slowly.  My doctor did not feel I needed to have physical therapy.  I have full range of motion and very little soreness. I imagine this may not be the case for all people having this surgery.

Really no pain at all anymore.  I still get a slight tightening pain when my arm experiences resistance.  The incision area still has numbness but I never expect that to recover fully since my other arm is still slightly numb in some spots.  Doctor said this is normal.

I will try to remember to keep updating this blog at least monthly for the next year.  Hoping someone, some day will find it useful as they recover from the same surgery.

4 comments:

  1. Just had this surgery. Going by your timeline bs my recovery. Thanks for info

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  2. Good luck Dina! I wish you a speedy recovery!

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  3. Fellow hockey player who has had the surgery, what elbow pads are you using? Are they irritating your nerve?

    Randy

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    1. Believe it or not, I use the Tron brand elbow pads. I bought them as a cheap option for my son but was surprised to see how protective and comfortable they were. So I bought a pair for myself. I've worn that brand since my surgery and have never felt any irritation caused by them.

      https://hockeytron.com/collections/hockey-elbow-pads-senior/products/tron-x-velocity-senior-hockey-elbow-pads

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Questions? I am not a doctor but this is my second time having ulnar nerve transposition surgery. I am happy to answer any questions you may have based on my experiences.