Doctor Visit

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This past Monday, I had my third post-operative appointment with my doctor, and it went pretty well.

When the appointment started, my doctor said that in February we should begin discussing timing for a potential tendon transfer survery. Normally it would be early to discuss the surgery, but because I severed a nerve and have serious muscle damage to the extensor muscles in my arm (a few muscles were completely severed), the surgery was nearly a definite.

Then we got into the appointment and the doctor started looking at my arm and where I'm at with my functionality. That is when things got interesting. When he asked me to try to move my fingers back in a particular way, he thought I was able to do movements that showed that my nerve was recovering. Based on everything I've read, it would be quite miraclulous if that is true, but that is what he thought.

Also, when he felt my arm as I was doing particular movements, he thought that he could feel my extensor muscles moving a little meaning they might also be recovering. This would be another miracle considering the muscles were completely cut through and part of them aren't/weren't innervated because of the severed nerve, but that is what he thought.

Apart from that asessment, we also discussed how much I can/should be using my hand going forward and he said that from now on, I can use my hand as much as I want. Moving my hand should help me gain strength and improve my functionality over time. That was good. It is so nice to be able to use my hand again, even if I am limited.

At the end of my appointment, my doctor was smiling, maybe even beaming. He said that before the appointment he really thought I would need the surgery, but now he thinks we should see how my recovery progresses.

Again, I am still not 100% sure that I see the movement he is talking about, so I am being cautiously optimistic. I am still expecting to have the surgery, but we will see how things go!

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