What Is This Feeling?

Dear Reader,

What is this feeling, so sudden, and new?

I felt the moment I typed words to you

My wrist is throbbing

My nerves are pumping

My face is scrunching

What is this thumping?

Pounding like a train, does it have a name?

Yes! Carpal Tunnel Syndrome….

To the Reader who did not watch as many Broadway shows as I did, please note that the intro lines of this post are a spoof of the song “What Is This Feeling?” from Wicked, except instead of describing “loathing,” I am detailing my experience with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

If you are one of the lucky ones, Dear Reader, you have probably only heard of rather than experienced Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (or what I will now refer to as CTS…because the less typing the better…).

This morning was like every other morning, except when I sat down to begin work on my laptop, my wrist felt… funny. After a few more minutes it felt less funny and more like a dull, aching pain…then, I knew exactly what this feeling was. I’ve only had one experience with CTS, when I was in college. During this time, I was working a job where I would move the mouse and click for a few hours a day for a few days a week. It was the most straightforward, predictable, and, frankly, the longest job I have ever held to this point, however, it made my right wrist hurt.

CTS pain is caused by too much pressure on the median nerve, which can stem from poor arm positioning while typing. According to the Mayo Clinic: Common symptoms can include numbness, tingling and weakness in the hand and arm. For me, CTS feels like my wrist has “fallen asleep” and will not fully wake up.

In college because I wanted to keep my desk job, I decided to move all mouse operations from my right hand to my left hand. This was somehow exhausting, but it allowed my right wrist the time needed to heal. Flashforward to today, however, I don’t even use a mouse! Eeep! So, should I now only type with my left hand? Should I find a special keyboard? Should I dictate to my computer rather than type? I was clearly injured on the job. Who is my union representative??

I am typing to you now while standing up. From this position my wrist is at a better angle… maybe this is just how my life has to be now. Even with this new inconvenience… I must say, I still am keen on working from home rather than at a properly aligned office desk. And, that is just where my #priorities lie.

Love,

Raven

P.S. to the reader who has not heard the “What Is This Feeling” song from Wicked, just listen to the first bit (starting at 46 seconds) and re-read the beginning of the post… it’s important to me that you understand what I was trying to do here 🙂