CTS? Yes!

The biggest problem with going to see the doctor is you often come home with more problems than you went in with.  I saw my neurologist today and he performed the EMG test.  Let me tell you -- NOT fun.  The zapping and the probing -- owwww!  Bad enough he was doing it to my hands and arms but then he asked me if I had any neck pain.  Sure, I said.  Zapped and probed some more.

Then he pronounced his diagnosis -- moderate carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands.  Pinched nerve in my neck and possible herniated disc in both my neck and lower back.  Got the script pad out and went to town:

1. Wrist splints to be worn at night and as much as possible during the day
2. Multiple xrays for my neck and lumbar region
3. One month of physical therapy -- sounds like torture from what I can make out
4. Follow-up appointment on February 13.

Don't worry Kate I'll be able to make our weaving workshop that day!

The doctor is hoping the therapy and splints do the trick on my hands.  Otherwise he might have to go to shots or other meds.  Let's not!

In the meantime, I'm not knitting but looking around the house for other things to do.  Still have some cleaning to do but I'm leaving the heavy lifting for my roommate.

For now, I'm going to give those splints a try.  I have a feeling they'll be intrusive all night but I have to get used to them.  My body has these crazy shooting pains from where the probes were stuck under the skin.  Hope that doesn't last much longer.  My Dad was right -- it's hell getting older!

For something fun, test your reflexes here.