I was just diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome after years of occasional numbness and tingling, particularly on the left. I went to a neurologist last week and was told that the nerves themselves are fine, with no sign of neuropathy, but that I should probably have surgery at least on the left hand.
My doctor is working on getting me an appointment with a surgeon to go over my options. Fortunately I have good insurance and plenty of sick/vacation time accumulated so that's not an issue, but I have some questions:
- How long before I'll be allowed to go back to work? I'm not scheduling anything on my dominant hand at this time.
- When will I be allowed to type? Knit? Drive? Hold a book?
- How painful is this surgery?
- How much physical therapy is involved?
Any advice or comments would be welcome. Thanks!