It’s all in the wrist

The easiest part for me was BEING pregnant.  It was difficult to GET pregnant.  It was difficult to get UNpregnant.  And now the difficutly in the AFTER pregnant is… pain!

Pain in the abdomen from the c-section.  Pain in the nipple from breastfeeding.  And now I have pain in my wrist.

I have what’s called “the new mommy wrist”.  All my doctor says, is that many new mommy’s get it since holding a newborn uses areas of the hand not normally used.  And the severity varies from person to person.  Her only answer as to HOW to solve it, is to see an orthopedic surgeon.

I also haven’t found a girlfriend yet that’s had it, to gather any advice from, so I must be the wussiest of the bunch.  But I have searched online and found plenty of other wrist pain complainers like myself.  I guess while I was pregnant, I should have been using my dumbells for wrist curls and forearm buffing.

Basically, I have tendonitis with the pain running from my thumb nuckle down to the middle of my forearm.  If I so much as move my thumb a quarter of an inch outward or bend my wrist in attempt to lift, pull or grab, the pain sends me cussing to the sky!

Anyone who encounters me out and about, and can’t SEE the pain happening to me, must think I have tourette syndrome or have an imaginary friend that I’m having a fight with.  I’ll do something seemingly ordinary, like try to close my wallet with my left hand, and then I’ll wince in pain and utter a “oh fuck you” or “goddamnit”.

It’s amazing to realize just how much wrist action goes into the small things.  Like drying your hands.  I have to hold my left hand still and have my right hand drape the towel around it.  And with picking up or holding Max, I have to be really, really careful.  Not only does my wrist hurt, but it’s weak.  I basically slide my left hand underneath him, very carefully, and then hold on really tight with my right.

Rest seems to be the best thing for it.  After a couple of days of good behavior and using my hand as little as possible, the pain lessens.  But with less pain, I get all carefree and do something CRAZY like squeeze the toothpaste or open a jar of peanutbutter and it sends me cussing to the sky all over again.

Joe went out and bought me a wrap for my hand.  I wore it one day, but as much as I wash my hands with the new baby, I have to keep taking it off and on again.  Which is a total pain in the ass.  And I just don’t want pain there too!