Getting the point 17 times, ah Acupuncture!

You know I think I'm beginning to sound like a broken record in that I wanted to blog more frequently and actually had that as a personal goal for 2010 ... BUT I see that it's been over a month since I last penned a blog post on my primary blog. Well, chalk it up to the life-changing, trunk-slamming incident of December 9, 2009. That trunk-slamming surely changed a lot of "things" in my life.

Thinking back on the sequence of events, it was a full month that I waited before I sought follow-up care for my hand, wrist and forearm. That's normal protocol for me; no knee-jerk reaction, but a wait and see approach that hopes for the best. I was hoping that the pain would just go away.

I've now completed some 8 weeks of neuromuscular therapy which has been renewed; however, now "we" have added acupuncture to the weekly routine! You know, I don't have an officially penned "bucket list" like a goodly bunch of my cool friends have, but surely acupuncture would be on that BL. So, let's put a red checkmark next to acupuncture on that list.

Last Friday was my indoctrination into getting the point 17 times! I had no idea what to expect; and I was nervously chatting away with my doctor when BAM! the first needle went in ... what a surprise, in it went into my forehead somewhere between my eyes. I was laughing to myself, "be careful what you ask for!" A while back I was talking about getting scheduled for a lobotomy. OK, perhaps I'm being a tad bit dramatic, but golly gee, no one told me I'd get that very first acupuncture needle smack dab THERE!

Here's what I find super interesting! I was doing a cursory search on Amazon [a favorite place of mine] and look what the heck I found there! I did not know that anyone could buy acupuncture needles on Amazon! Acupuncture Needles by Seirin - Sterile #3 Gauge 30 mm Blue J-Type by AME. It says that the SEIRIN disposable acupuncture needles have a new technology which "allows for smooth painless insertion using less pressure."

Take it from the horse's mouth, not all insertions of acupuncture needles are PAINLESS. In particular, two additional insertion points [in addition to that lobotomy positioned first needle] were pretty owie! The left side of my right hand/wrist was high on the list, quickly followed up by the scapular area of my left shoulder.

But, like a good trooper, I've been scheduled for two acupuncture treatments this week and now KNOW what to expect. I think it will be interesting to see whether or not those same spots feel the same type of pressure ... er pain.

Have YOU too had acupuncture or planning on trying it? I personally come from a storytelling background of participatory journalism. That means, that I was voted most likely to try alternative approaches, especially in the treatment of pain. I want to be greener and more holistic in my approach. No more spinal nerve blocks for me; oh no!

Well, if you are thinking about acupuncture, here are a couple of books to acquaint you with that approach. If you're thinking about it, let me know! I'd surely love to chat with you and pick your brain. Have you ALREADY tried it? Hey, how was it? How many treatments did you have? Did you LOVE it?

Why doesn't the MRI show everything?

I just had a telephone conversation with my doctor to get the results from last week's MRI of my wrist, hand, and forearm. It seems the "only" unusual thing noted in that MRI was "ulna minus variance." I Googled that, as you knew I would! I found references to "ulnar minus variance" and "ulna minor variance" and even took a look at some of the Google images in that search.

I really love Google for information! You know I've talked about Google LOTS and how much I love that search engine; which is my favorite you know. Well, even my doctor confessed that she too Googled "ulna minus variance."

One thing leads to another in that searching for a little understanding about my "ulna minus variance," I happened upon a discussion at Medscape about right wrist pain. OK, I am impressionable, so my eyes popped when I read this there:

Kienböck disease is the eponym for avascular necrosis of the lunate ... Most patients are in their third to fourth decades and present with dorsal wrist pain with use. The association of Kienböck disease with ulnar minus variance is well documented, estimated to occur in up to 74% of patients with ulnar minus variance. It is thought that these patients are predisposed to abnormally increased stresses across the lunate resulting in microtrauma leading to necrosis.

OK, now I have a bit of a headache too! In addition to hand and wrist pain.

I've been undergoing massage therapy for the past couple of weeks, but we've stayed clear of my writing hand! What I did share with my doctor today is the fact that my MRIs have never truly indicated the scope or severity of the injury. I've had MRIs of my shoulder, knee, and foot. It was probably only my torn meniscus that appeared accurately in that MRI. The MRI of my left shoulder did not fully show the detached bicep nor the torn labrum -- which resulted in repair surgery lasting over 3.5 hours.

So, the next step is a consultation with a hand orthopedic specialist and possibly a neurologist to assess the pain. You see, the too much information that I could share with my readers has to do with my previous pain management for RSD -- reflex sympathetic disorder connected with my shoulder surgery. Let me tell you THAT was a bit of a nightmare. I've not talked about this online, but probably should have as going through RSD, pain sufferers really do need support groups ... support groups of their peers. It helps to talk with others who can fully understand the depth of the pain. If I have to have the RSD journey again, I will be reaching out to connect with others out there who UNDERSTAND.

It pains me to tell you this!

If you've ever experienced an injury to your writing hand, you might know how it feels to do the simplest things in the course of a day's work. For me, my normal job involves working on the computer and having the dexterity to do design too in addition to writing.

Do you know how painful it is to type after having a car trunk slam on your hand? The day it happened, I couldn't look at my hand and wrist because the overwhelming feeling of sickness was, well OVERWHELMING. That moment of impact and pain will stay with me I fear a very long time. After all, this is my livelihood! I am a writer, a designer, a photographer and everything else that I can think of that requires me to be able to use my hands.

The "accident" occurred on Wednesday, December 9, 2009 at about 3pm in the afternoon in the parking lot of our local Publix grocery store. I sought urgent care treatment that same day. I waited 5 weeks to seek further medical evaluation and treatment. That's me! In the past, when I've had "injuries" -- a SLAP tear, meniscus tear, ruptured disc, achilles tendon tear, and morton's neuroma -- I have never gone directly to a doctor. I do the "wait and see" approach.

This past Wednesday I was talking to my dentist as he numbed up my mouth to remove the large broken crown. He is into "neuromuscular aesthetic dentistry," so I asked him for his medical opinion. He told me he had a similar issue with his forearm and recommended someone to see in "neuromuscular and myofascial therapy." So, that's where I went when I left the dentist. Luckily, I was scheduled for an evaluation with a doctor who previously worked with pain management. Pain management for me is a LONG story for another time ... "been there and definitely done that" ... like square one!

It's two days later and the pain from the massage therapy is pretty intense. Yesterday I had to cut my work day short and lie down. Today I suspect it will not be another full day for me either. Sorry guys! At the moment I'm thinking that maybe I should have had a MRI before launching into that massage the other day. I'm going to be making a couple of phone calls to offer up that thought.

Bottomline? My health insurance has about a $1,500 deductible and I've not met it. Oh, and the dentist bill will exceed that amount, however I don't have dental coverage. Darn it. I think it was my mom who suggested calling my car insurance company, first of all, to ask them about problems with car trunk hydraulic struts ... you know, any recalls? I am considering myself very lucky right about now that my PIP coverage will cover my medical bills 80/20 up to $10,000. Thanks for small favors I say!

So ... it has pained me to tell you all this today ... but it was important for posterity should anyone else be in my shoes! Oh, size 9M. ;)


See that hand and wrist? Hubby took that picture not quite 5 days after the trunk slammed on my hand.

It gives you an idea, if you use your imagination, of how hard it might be to work on the computer and rest your hand on that mouse.

Along the outside of the wrist is where the latch unit of the trunk made contact!