The Four Weeks are Over

I had a ganglion cyst removed from my wrist four weeks ago. It was a simple surgery, which is probably never really simple. The surgery was removing the cyst, suturing the tendon that was leaking, and four weeks of wearing an arm brace. The arm brace was the hard part, since it is really a pain in the butt, but much better than a cast. At least I could remove it while showering. I tried a bath, but getting out of the tub was pretty much a lesson in futility using only one hand. Cautions about the glue they used mandated never submerging the wound in water. Flopping around the bathtub proved it was a strong possibility.

On my two week follow up, I asked the doctor if there was any chance of the cyst reappearing. He said if I follow his directions, it's less than one percent. That, and unless I had any problems, that was my last visit, and in two weeks, I could remove the wrist brace. 

So today was the day. I realized much of my movements were dictated by the brace, and found I was still trying to navigate the use of the arm as though the brace was still there. I did find some movements cause a sharp pain. I figure that's a little due to atrophy, and the need to slowly start using the hand again. Time will tell, but it's good to have the large, painful lump off my wrist. I reached the point I couldn't ignore it, and putting the surgery off was just procrastination.

The doctor that performed the surgery performed my two carpal tunnel releases. After those episodes, choosing a doctor for the surgery was a simple task. It's good to have a doctor you trust, and the fact he didn't seem the least bit concerned about Covid only made it better.