Category: Personal

I am so behind with writing about what I’ve been reading this summer.

Here’s the reason –

This is something I’ve been thinking about writing about for a while now, but now seems the right time, because in June I spent three weeks in hospital for major surgery and currently I’m having chemotherapy as a precautionary measure. Today I started my second session out of four, beginning with an IV drip over 3 hours. One of the side effects is that I have bad pins and needles in the hand where the cannula went and also up my arm. I can’t touch cold things or metal – the fridge, our door handles etc, including my laptop. I’m using a heat pad to alleviate the pain and that means using the other hand on the laptop and that is difficult ! It will gradually go away, but until it does I’m sorry but I won’t be posting very much.

I’ve been absent from my blog for a week because I’ve been in hospital. Once I’m feeling better I’ll be back.

Wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas!

I’ve been having pain and pins and needles in my right hand – in my little and ring fingers and down the side of my hand and arm up to my elbow. I contacted my GP. The surgery is not offering routine appointments and offered me a telephone conversation. It wasn’t easy to describe in detail and three phone calls later from a trainee doctor, who kept going to consult his supervisor, he said my ulnar nerve is damaged.

I looked it up online and it is called Ulnar neuritis or Cubital Tunnel Syndrome and it is very common – I had heard of Carpel Tunnel Syndrome but not Cubital. The ulnar nerve runs around the inner side of the elbow in a groove just behind a bony prominence (medial epicondyle). The nerve, where it lies in the groove, is covered by a tough layer of tissue which forms a tunnel (cubital tunnel). It is important as it controls the small muscles in the hand which are particularly important for fine movements such as doing up buttons and it is also responsible for normal feeling in the little and ring fingers.

Most often Cubital Tunnel Syndrome occurs because of leaning on or sleeping with a bent elbow for long periods. In my case it’s caused by sitting at the computer in a carver chair leaning my arm on the hard chair arm with my wrist on the hard edge of my desk. It began a while ago and has gradually been getting worse, until I couldn’t bear to type any more.

So, as well as wearing the wrist strap and taking anti-inflammatory tablets I’m trying to adjust my position and also learning how to write on my husband’s iPad using voice control, so I’m hoping to be back blogging properly soon.

I have a problem with my right hand and arm at the moment and am finding it painful to type etc, so I’m not going to be around much on the blogs until it improves.

Be back soon, I hope!