A Second Opinion...

So yesterday I was able to meet with a doctor from the Arizona Hand & Wrist Specialists. I had several people recommend this office. I gave my doctor a list of three possible choices for me to see and this office is who they chose. It took a while to get an appointment and I'm not very patient when I should be sometimes. After they finally received my medical records, I was able to schedule 4 or 5 days later.

Anthon and I immediately liked this doctor. He came in and asked what happened and then moved both arms a little here and there to compare and see how they felt. He took x-rays of both arms to compare and looked at my MRI. Rather than look at all of these things on his own he brought them in the room and explained them as we looked at them. Yes there are some angle differences of 5-10 degrees on my left wrist but nothing he felt that surgery would make big differences with. He said my wrist is stiff no matter what direction it is moved and typically its only stiff in one direction for other people. My wrist would be immobile for weeks again if I was to get surgery which would start my range of motion back at zero.

Dr. Frankel felt the best option to start off is to get a cortisone shot and then a static progressive wrist flexion/extension brace. So basically a brace that I can crank to move my wrist back and then once it relaxes and doesn't hurt so much then crank it back a little more. It is going to be a painful process and I will have to be super patient. After looking at the paperwork, it looks like that will be a 4-6 month process.

I suspect it will look something like this. 

We decided to go ahead with process and see what kind of progress we can make. I received the cortisone shot yesterday and man was that intense! Good thing Anthon came along to hold my other hand. I do not recommend getting needles stuck in your wrist (or anything with needles in general). I was so sore by the end of the night that I basically could not use my wrist at all. After taking some tylenol, icing it and taking a shower I felt a little relief but this morning it is feeling way better. I wasn't sure that I would be able to write today if it hurt as bad as it did last night.

The doctor's medical assistant is working with my insurance now to see if they will cover the brace and then they are going to let me know. I can start working out again by the end of the week (Woo hoo!) and then I can also start physical therapy back up next week. 

I am grateful that I found another doctor to get a second opinion and I am very happy with my choice. The other doctor never gave me any other options other than a major surgery that would leave me super sore and immobile for a while longer.