Tame My Mind

Neither of my wrists are 100% after the work-related extreme tendonitis I had in 1992. They got better with 6 months of physical therapy, adjusting my workstation, and learning different ways to open doors, pick up items, and hold things. On a normal day, there is no pain or visible swelling. My wrists get a good workout on the keyboard each workday. Sometimes I do too much keyboarding and one or both wrists ache and/or fingertips tingle or go numb. Varying tasks at work between typing, mousing, researching, attending meetings, etc. helps reduce repetitive stress on my wrists.

When I began crocheting again in fall of 2002, I was wary of reinjuring my wrists and have been very careful to not push myself - after all, what's the rush? Crocheting is supposed to be fun, not a race to the finish!

However, all the crocheting I did in November through February as I worked on the lap blanket for my boss' mother, Paula's full-size blanket, and the two blankets for our living room, led to a slight flare-up of tendonitis in my right wrist in February. So, I stopped mid-project working on the plum-colored lap blanket for our living room to rest up.

Ah, then gardening weather crept into the Bay Area, and I did two heavy-duty planting weekends in early March which led to a stronger flare-up of tendonitis in my right wrist.

No keyboarding, no gardening, no crocheting during our two-week vacation in Kona, Hawaii from the end of March through the first week of April should have helped. But on return from vacation, the pain when moving (and not moving!) my right wrist became worse - maybe it was carrying my camera nearly every day for two weeks? maybe it was the way I hold a book when I read? maybe it was carrying luggage? maybe all those things contributed...

Treatment for about two weeks consisted of regular doses of Ibuprophen (to reduce pain and swelling), rubbing an Icy Hot-type gel around my wrist 2-3 times a day, wearing a 3-inch "sport brace" on my wrist as much as possible, wearing my nighttime wrist brace (aka splint) during the day as much as I can (sometimes it gets in the way while moving around and causes discomfort more than it helps - and I definitely cannot type with it on), and ice packs in the evening and when I remember and can take a break at work.

When doing any type of gardening activity (such as pulling weeds and watering), I've been wearing the 3-inch sport brace and a beige-colored splint from Longs to keep my wrist from twisting and to limit the tasks I can do with it.

The treatment has worked well! This past week, since there was very little remaining discomfort in my right wrist, I reduced treatment to wearing the 3-inch sport brace only when I'm actively moving around. There's been no discomfort in the past two days. (I'm still wearing both the sports brace and the splint for any gardening/watering activity.)

Hmmm, so I'm now tempted to try a row or two (or three or four...) on the plum-colored blanket I stopped working on in February. I can always stop again if the time isn't right. I've missed crocheting in the evening after dinner while sitting in the living room with Bill and the TV's on and it's not time yet to go to sleep.