So.. fairly certain I have Cubital Tunnel.

Imagine smacking your funny bone – you know that feeling? Now imagine that the feeling never goes away. Ever. HAPPY FUN TIMES.

Waiting on x-rays to make sure it’s not an issue with my neck, but my doctor is pretty sure it’s carpal/cubital – I have some tingling in my thumb/index/middle, but mostly it’s my pinkie. It’s possible I have carpal AND cubital (with more emphasis on the cubital).

For the last few weeks I’ve been complaining of having cold hands even when my body is perfectly warm. I didn’t think much of it, though, because I always get cold when other people are hot. I thought it was just winter or something.

Then in the last week or so, my fingers have started to tingle. Again, I just thought it was the cold weather making them tingly. No big deal.

They yesterday, they tingled all day, with a numb feeling too. It was driving me crazy. I couldn’t sit at my desk, or drive, or rest my arm on anything for more than a few seconds before the feeling came back again. So I made an appointment in the afternoon to see the doctor. I suspected carpal tunnel, but thought maybe it could be a circulation issue, and possibly related to my migraines.

He was really great – very friendly, laughed with me (instead of the condescending courtesy laugh that most doctors give). Actually felt my hands with his fingers, for changes in temperature etc. He did a bunch of strange tests, including flicking the nerve on my wrist, which did nothing for a while until he got it bang on, and I jumped about a foot and yelped. Bingo!

I am exacerbating the problem with long periods of computer work, but also the way I sleep with my hands curled up – I’m not sure why, but it’s stupid, and I hate that I do it – but I can’t stop it while I’m fast asleep. So I bought a wrist brace to wear while I’m sleeping and working (or gaming). Forcing it to stay straight while I sleep should help with some of the irritation.

The problem though is that while it’s great to type in, very comfy.. the brace part actually pushes against the back of the mouse, so it makes the mouse do things I don’t want to do. In a raid setting this would mean a lot of trouble using mouseover macros, because the cursor will go off in directions that I don’t mean it to.

I’m hoping that it will get better, that I’ll get used to it and it’s just that I’m not comfortable with it yet.. but at the moment I am feeling pretty down. WoW is my way of “getting away” from things that stress me or upset me.. but what happens when I’m upset about not being able to play?

:(

I needed a break from raiding anyway, I guess. But it does make me worry that I won’t be able to be a raider again. Last night I couldn’t raid with it, so I played an alt for a while, but I had to keep dropping my hand down to dangle at my side, to alleviate the buzzing. Basically, anything that has my arm bent at the elbow makes my fingers tingle – so, sitting with my arms on an arm rest, driving, using a mouse.. lots and lots of things. It’s crazy annoying.

On the bright side, he started me on migraine blockers, so at least I (hopefully) won’t have to worry about being out of action for days at a time with migraines. A buzzy finger is driving me up the wall, but I would take it over migraines any day. Not really keen on surgical options, but I guess I’ll have to wait and see if the brace (and some adjustments at work) improves it enough for me to cope.

Blah.



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