Just Checking in Post Surgery!

[Jason Edge]

Had my double surgery on left arm March 4 on wrist and elbow to address Cubital Tunnel Syndrome and so far so good. Basically the open me up at these two locations and move the Ulner nerve around to decompress it.   Unlike Carpel Tunnel, which affects thumb and index finger, this affects outer fingers on the pinky side. When It is bad like I had it you lose feeling and feels like your hand is always asleep in that side.  Anyway, it looked pretty wild 2 days ago when I got the soft cast off but now have to wear an arm brace for 4 weeks and do lots of stretching exercises. There has really been no paint, just soreness.   After the first couple of days I have been pretty active but the case made typing and even thumbing on the cell phone tough. I already have some feeling back on the affected fingers and can now type away much better than even before. They removed stitches today and will take several months for the nerve to fully heal itself. It may never be 100% but I will take 75% over 0% any time. 

During my down time I have been doing what I can with my right hand. Helping my wife sort the cadmium plated fasteners has been one of my activities. I even did what i said I wasn't going to do, sort in the new dining room on the big table. Just made it easier for me! 

Here is a picture of my sorting office. You will notice the presort buckets #8, #10, 1/4", 5/16", etc.  Here I am sorting larger washers.

I will often go after type of washers as a group. That is I will do flat washers, split lock washers, other lock washer types, bolts, nuts as separate large groups.  The really small stuff like the #6, #8, #10 screws and nuts may end up as separate groups done at the end as it is tedious! 

Each group will then get subdivided.  With bolts for Example:
I will usually 1st group by the bolt diameter, then further breakdown by the head type (eg. reg hex head, raised ridge head, reg flange head, serrated flange head, hex head with external lock washer, etc..)  After, that I will group by bolt length, then head stampings.

That's been my process since day 1 and seems to work for me.

[Dave Fehrle]

Hey Righty, I was wondering how your recovery was coming along! Sounds like you are doing well and getting something done also!

[CHRIS CARLSON]

Hey Jason , Glad to here the surgery went well !    The Neurologist at the Mayo clinic told me to take vitamin B-12 to help my damaged nerves recover, nerves like B-12 nerves take the longest to recover after surgery  or being damaged they grow the slowest they told me . How do you like being right handed??

[Jason Edge]

Chris, I hate being right handed. Ha Ha! I pretty much stopped drinking coffee 15 years ago and do these ZipFizz energy drinks at least twice a day with tons of B-12 and a lot of other vitamins.  Glad to hear that will help with the nerve repair! Got a long way to go but think it will be worth in in the long run!

[Dennis P. DiBari]

Jason,

     Take care of yourself and let your left hand heal.   Just give it some time.

Dennis DiBari