Here I go again. Just as I was gaining back some lost fitness and looking forward to possibly having a somewhat normal race season, I have hit a bit of a speed bump. It may knock me back a step or two but I'm definitely not down. If cancer hasn't kicked my ass this really is just a temporary setback.
On April 30th I had carpal tunnel surgery and tendon release on both hands. I've been dealing with it since last fall. Actually I've probably had it for years but it finally got bad enough that I couldn't ignore it any longer. The numbness in my fingertips was getting annoying. Worse was a finger and both thumbs that would lock up. Add in the loss of grip strength and some pain and it was time to get it corrected. I really knew it was time when I did a mountain bike ride last week. With gears!! And I couldn't shift the front derailleur due to pain and the loss of strength. A road ride a few days later really helped make my decision easier as every rough spot got my attention.
I had surgery at Wisconsin Hand to Shoulder Center of Wisconsin/Woodlands Surgery. I was pretty nervous going in. With all the medical visits I've had in the last year I get a little bit on edge. I think that's a reasonable reaction. In hindsight I had no reason to be anxious. I had a great experience from check-in to post-op instructions. My physician, Dr. Blake Hildahl and his team were great. In my mind it helps that Dr. Hildahl is an active person. During surgery we talked about riding, running, triathlons and the Birkie. He knows my activity level and wants me to be able to return to "normal" activity as soon as possible.
And what you read above is correct. We talked during surgery. I chose to have the operation done under local anesthesia. It was less hassle for me and the surgical team. No special instructions the day before. No special diet. No pre-op physical. Ten minutes after surgery was finished I was in the car headed home. It was a rather odd sensation knowing that my hands were being cut and operated on. I could feel some tugging but that was about it. Dr. Hildahl explained what he was doing during the operation and I even got to see how my tendons work!! The entire team was exemplary. I was never worried or uncomfortable. I was as relaxed as you can be while being awake and being operated on. I could smell fresh coffee brewing when they wheeled me back to recovery. I remarked how it smelled so good. I had a slight headache from lack of caffeine and was craving something. "Would you like a cup? Or a Coke?" Next think I knew I was trying to drink a cold Coke through a straw. Trying being the key word. At this point I knew I was going to be a little bit hand-icapped for a few days.
Recovery is going very well two days out. My hands are still a bit stiff and sore. At this point about ninety percent of the numbness and tingling is gone. I feel I have a little bit more grip strength just due to my thumbs not clicking and trying to lock up. The finger is still sore and stiff but I'm hoping with time and movement it will loosen up. Time will tell how successful the procedures are but I am very optimistic. I had reservations going in to all this but as of now I'm happy with the decision that I made. And I recommend Hand to Shoulder Center of Wisconsin/Woodland Surgery Center and Dr. Hildahl very highly.
Now it's time for another recovery. I'm hopeful I can get back to running in a day or two. Trail running may be off the table for a bit due to my clumsiness and aptness to do a Superman quite often. Getting back on the bike may take a bit more time. It will be a case of how much pain can I tolerate. Again I'm guessing that laps on the local single track may be a few weeks away. But we'll see...... I get a couple weeks off work to recover and "rest." If I can't do anything else I'll be doing plenty of walking and hiking.
That's where I am now. I'm hoping to salvage some sort of racing season but that is still up in the air. I have another PSA test and visit with my oncologist in mid-June. No worries until then!
As always, thanks for following this crazy journey. Hopefully they'll get back to training and racing blogs soon. Comments and questions are welcome. If you are interested in making a donation I'd appreciate it if you check out my fundraising page. Anything is appreciated. It's a great charity and super group. And obviously very dear to me. https://my.crowdchange.co/tkdn3f
Until next post.....FUCK CANCER!!
Svenofthenorth
