Going to have a whinge...

My Carpal Tunnel is back.

I lived at home until I was 29. My wrists went into shock at having to cook and iron for myself, not to mention cleaning the house we bought, which turned out to be filthy.

I've been through two rounds of referral appointments to the local 'hand clinic', two lots of physiotherapy and tests at the county hospital which concluded that I do have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and that it's worst in my left wrist.

The only time I've not had it at all in the last 5 years is when I was pregnant, both times, which apparently makes me very weird since most people get it during pregnancy. Lots of consultants and Drs have squinted sceptically at me as I told them this.

It's been worst when I bottle feed DD1 and now, bottle feeding the twins. At least five times a day I grasp their bottles and I guess this exacerbates the nerves in my wrist but all everyday tasks hurt at the moment. Even typing now is hurting. And it wakes me up at night.

After the tests which concluded CTS a not very sympathetic consultant told me I should have an operation on each wrist. A simple operation with six weeks recovery, six weeks of not lifting ANYTHING. Worse than recovery from my EMCS. Even with just one child I couldn't contemplate it. By the time I actually got referred this time round the symptoms were more bearable as DD1 was no longer solely bottle fed. Plus I was just about to go back to work and didn't want to mess them around. And more importantly we were planning on trying for another baby and I didn't want to put that off.

So really I only have myself to blame. Especially since I don't spend my evenings resting my hands. I tap away on my laptop.

I've written to the head Dr. at the hand clinic to see if he would consider letting me have steroid injections 'to get me through the next few months' as I am fairly confident when I wean  the twins it will settle down again. My mum had it and it has gone. I live in hope that I will be as lucky. I live in fear that I may do permanent nerve damage, as a person who really values her hands. And I know everyone values their hands but as a craft person it's a scary thought. We'll see what they say.