Lumpy Hand

The swelling in my hand has decreased a lot but that doesn't mean it's not lumpy from the scar tissue among other things. At least the hand is coming along in the right direction though. My hand therapist measured the progress (in degrees) and confirmed that I am making head way too. Yey!! But in the meantime my hand gets to look like a sack of potatoes. I guess its going to be like that for many many months. Nice scars hugh?


My mom was here visiting this last week which was sooo wonderful. I miss my parents a lot cuz they live far away.


Hand Therapy is going well too. I do about 10 hours/week at the physical therapy place and I do another 10 hours/week on my own at home. And I wonder why I am tired right now between that, training full on, doing pilates and yoga, running and weightlifting too.... Hmmmm??

Did I not tell you that the hand therapist was going to have her day with me too? Well, whew.....she sure did. One day she was working my hand so hard that she had me literally sweating bullets in the seat and the other day I ended up almost passed out on the table. It works like this:

Heat er up:


Then offer your hand to the therapist so she can twist, push, pull, manipulate and bend it every way you don't want it to go. I have become really good at running in place while she wrenches on my hand. I figure the running in place is good cyclocross practice. And even when I start running she won't stop what she is doing. Oh man it doesn't feel great but we all know it is for the best. It doesn't help either that my wrist is broken. Sometimes I think both of us forget that fact until she hits a sensitive area in my wrist when trying to loosen up my hand muscles. Aye yie yie.

After that it's hand exercises and then a little pegboard action. Notice I have gone type A with the pegs. It didn't take too long for that to happen did it?


Reaching for yet ANOTHER peg:


Then the part when you know you are done with the pain - ice time. Ahhhhhh. Relief!


I also got this little niffy contraption that is supposed to help me make a (pretty forced) fist. And I must say it does the job well. I am supposed to wear it like a bracelet so I can do my excercises every hour like a good little girl. You know you want one of these cool looking things for yourself don't you? So yeah....

Open


Then close....


Open again....

And repeat, repeat, repeat. Ugh. It is all resistant training and seems to be working. My life is soooo boring right now!

I continue to meet some pretty amazing people with horrific stories about their hand and wrist injuries. Most seem to be related to cycling or motor cross but that is par for the course in the Park City area. One 9th grade kid did BOTH his wrists and got a major concussion while he was at it when charging the Deer Valley Downhill course in a race. He has been told to not do ANYTHING that could risk another concussion for 6 months. Let's just say he is going to be a darn good swimmer when its all said and done. It is funny too when you are chatting up a storm with a kid that age about bikes and then realize that you have more in common with the kid than his mom who is my age! But you know, I wouldn't have it any other way being a complete kid at heart!