Wrist and Relaxation

I'm attempting to type this with one hand. For a man who likes to type fast and frequently, this is a practice equal to torture. OK, sorry, I know that's an exaggeration. Only torture is equal to torture, but, well, typing with one hand is annoying to say the least. It's almost as bad as walking with one foot, which is a practice I've come to be familiar with as well.

The typos are already piling up. The left hand was never meant to type apostrophes or set foot in the backspace zone. Every finger feels lost in a foreign land.

"What's the deal, Eli? Something happen to your hand? Or are you abusing yourself while blogging again?"

Good question(s). No, it's not the latter. I've stopped finding my writing that stimulating. (Or I at least find it dull enough to wait 'til after.) The answer is: I've acquired yet another injury. I'd like my award now, please.

Something happened to my right wrist. And no, it wasn't that. I'm a lefty. To be honest, I'm not exactly sure what caused my right wrist to be wracked with pain and requiring a stabilizing brace and two weeks of little to no use. Here are the guesses: a) I was on crutches for four months and 13 days, requiring an amount of weight-bearing on the wrists few humans are meant to endure. b) I'm just a man who can't help picking up injuries, like a horizontal surface can't help collecting dust. c) I did a few bench-presses at my physical therapist's a few weeks ago, and my wrist decided to censure me for trying some real exercise for the first time in ages.

Whatever happened, I'm now down to one good hand and one good foot. I'm sure there's a good reason for it and it isn't just the indifference of the universe to the human desire for comfort or happiness. I'm sure I'm learning some valuable lessons, pass the beer.

I'm learning a lot about the human body, that's for sure. (It's a patented new method I recommend for everyone: hurting yourself). You've all heard me bang on about my new understanding of 1st metatarsophalangeal joints, platelet-rich plasma, and that sneaky customer, fibrocartilage. NOW you get to share in something even cooler and at least seven letters longer than than any of those terms. Ladies and Gentlemen, meet the Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex. (or TFCC).

All hail.

I was lucky enough to get my foot doctor to perform a hand X-ray last Monday during a scheduled foot visit. It was a fortunate cross-pollination of joint expertise. 'Cause you never know these days if a foot specialist is going to tell you, "Sure, let's X-Ray your hand here," or, "I'll refer you to a hand specialist who, like me, doesn't participate in any insurance networks. You should be able to get an appointment next month."

Nothing fractured, and no evidence of anything being torn. The TFCC is, hopefully, just strained. A limited amount of blood flow to the area means that a strain can take a long time to heal. I was told it's an injury common to athletes who fall on open hands. Soccer players get it, and football players. Golfers also, though without falling. My physical therapist called it "Boxer's Wrist." Interestingly, I was told some time ago that the cartilage damage in my big toe is a trauma often experienced by professional soccer players. It's good to know I'm in such manly and proactive company. How I wish I could say my injuries were all acquired doing the things that they do. It would at least lend some testosterone to my prolonged state of gimpyness.

Short report on the toe, following Monday's MRI:

good: fibrocartilage grows over the holes.
not as good: a marrow edema (a collection of fluid in bone marrow) is evident on either side of the joint. It indicates some over-activity in this maddeningly sensitive area. I'll withhold speculation as to whether or not it had anything to do with a certain bike ride. I'm forced back into rest again until it dies down. Back to cabs, boots, and captivity. I'm also required to purchase something called a "bone stimulator." (Come on, guys, no jokes. Okay, a few jokes. Please.)

Unchecked, the edema could lead to a fracture. And while I'm on a nice roll with injuries, and so pleased to be able to share my knowledge with you all, I think I'll forgo this particular one, and suffer through whatever ignorance that might mean.

Thanks always, my friends, for reading.