R&R at the RMH

Gracie has been resting relatively comfortably at the RMH for a couple of hours now. She HATES her bandages, despite their snazzy colors, and she is super frustrated at not being able to use her hands. :( I really hate that for her. Her independence is so important to her.

So far, I have not heard any complaints of pain, but I am hoping to get her some Ibuprofen on board soon in order to get the jump on any breakthrough pain that might show up. Other than that, we're to keep the bandages clean and dry until Thursday, when we have our follow-up appointment with Dr. VanHeest.

So, let me backtrack and tell you a little more about our conversation with Dr. VanHeest when she finished with Gracie's procedures. I put a picture below of what the Carpal Tunnel is so you can see what kind of damage the compression of those ligaments can cause. Dr. VanHeest said that when she released the band of ligaments that was causing the constriction of the tendons and nerves, it looked as if there had been a rubber band there in that spot. There was an indentation left by the tightening ligaments in the tendons and learning this made us all (including the Doc) very glad we went ahead and took care of this problem sooner rather than later. Who knows how much longer she would have had function in those nerves, tendons, and muscles????

Her trigger digits were similarly identified. Dr. VanHeest found areas of the tendon sheath where it was obvious that it was catching and causing the triggering to occur. It was just a matter of cutting the sheath away to allow the tendons of the fingers to move freely. Trigger digits can be painful when attempting to straighten them, and as time passes they can become permanently contracted if left untreated. See below for an illustration of what I mean.

So that's what happened this morning. Gracie has really been a champ through the whole process. We are so proud of her.

Thanks for the prayers and love being sent out for us. We feel it enveloping us at all times.

xoxo.