Another Doctor's Appointment

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Yesterday, I had another appointment with my orthopeadic surgeon so he could evaluate my progress.

The last time I saw him I couldn't extend my fingers or thumb at all so the first thing he asked me was if I could "do any new tricks." When I showed him that I could extend my pinky and ring finger he was genuinely delighted since that means that my nerve repair surgery was a success, which was never a guarantee. He was definitely happy for me, but I'm sure he was also pleased on a personal level since that means he did good work.

Because I am still making progress, he said that there is no rush to do a tendon transfer and he is happy to continue seeing how things progress. We can basically wait until it seems like my functionality is no longer improving and then evaluate if we want to do the surgery.

During my appointment I also asked him if I can start weightlifting with my right arm, which I really want to do because I feel like it's important to keep all of my muslces healthy and balanced on both sides and to keep muscle-building hormones in my system. Up until now, I have just been lifting free weights with my left arm and doing squats with a special belt that holds the weights.

My doctor said it's fine for me to start incorporating my right arm into my weightlifitng and that I can't do any damage to the tissues at this point. He encouraged me to work with my physical therapist to design a weightlifitng program, which I will be discussing with my physical therapist today. I'm excited!

At the end of my appointment, my doctor shook my hand, and it was a pretty good handshake for me (since that is something I struggle with). I said as much and then he said, "Yeah is was! Well, that is a great way to end the appointment. Congratulations, Jeanne!"

My next appointment is in two months. Hopefully it will be equally as successful!

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