One Year Later! Watch This to Prepare for a PRC
So a year has passed since my surgery. I have experienced much and have learned plenty. Am I perfect? NO! Does life go on? YES
Have a look at my video of how life is after a year. I apologize for not making more blog entries lately but I am enjoying riding my motorcycle and in May we moved to a new house. But here is an update. I have being using a new treatment to reduce inflammation that is working really well for me (may not be a solution for anyone else). I list them under the video for those interested and I strongly recommend this routine to prepare for a PRC. Why not start reducing the inflammation before the operation and help expedite the healing.
What I am taking now:
Revised 2023-02-09 – These are the only supplements that I feel helped.
- Double Shot of Wheat Grass 3-4 Times Weekly – http://www.greenhealthcanada.com/Benefits_of_Wheatgrass.html
- Krill Oil Daily – http://krilloil.com/krill-oil-benefits/
Preparing for Surgery:
The following recomendation is based on my personal research and experience and not on medical advise from any medical professional.
With that said, I would strongly recommend (I am not a doctor or health care professional) that you start a double dose of the Wobenzym Plus and start taking Protandim one month prior to your surgery so that all of the inflammation fighters are in your system by the time you need them to work (after surgery). I would start the wheatgrass shots daily as well.
Proximal Row Carpectomy - PRC 
Just watched your video. I am having my PRC on my right (dominant) hand on March 3, 2023. Needless to say I am quite nervous. I had my pre-surgical assessment at the hospital this past Monday. Just in regards to your recommendations regarding supplements, at that pre-surgical appointment I was told (and also for prior surgeries) that I need to stop all supplements 7 days before the surgery. So taking your recommended supplements in the month before is a great recommendation, but not within 7 days of the surgery.
Yes, I should note that at the end of the day, I feel the supplements did nothing.
I will try to Edit that video or make a not on it
Hi, I updated that. I currently still take high omegas and have started back on Turmeric for inflammation because I am doing a lot of mouse and typing lately.
Hey friend hope all is well I know it’s
Been a couple years since this video but I am awaiting this type of surgery Nd have some questions as to what I will be able to do after the surgery I am heavily into mountain biking as well as archery, guitar and whittling are these things I will still be able to do after this surgery obviously with some alterations and things won’t be the same I know but any and all wears to these would help very much thank you for your time
HI PETER; JUST READ YOUR LATEST COMMENT. THATS GREAT YOU AND YOUR WIFE WITH THE SAME BIKES ENJOYING THE RIDE TOGETHER. I WANT TO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR TAKING THE TIME TO SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE AND ANSWERING QUESTIONS WHICH HELPED ME AND I’M SURE MANY OTHERS FEEL WE WEREN’T ALONE.
MANY THANKS AND BEST WISHES
RIDE SAFE YOUR FRIEND NICK
Please let me know if any of you have used the Dragon software and if so, did you use Dragon 11.5? Thanks
Tina Taverna
I am a travel agent and so typing is a good part of my daily schedule. I am now ready to purchase the Dragon software but when I go online, there is a lot to choose from. Any suggestions as to what you used? Thanks for answering my questions on driving, PT and best is the great bottle of wine 🙂 Thanks for putting this blog together as it is very helpful.
Tina Taverna
get a few great bottles of wine, you may need them before and after the bicycle trip (LOL). Driving is not an issue unless you have a standard. I was driving a standard after 2-months with no real issues.
I do have a sports car that is a standard and that will be put aside for a while. I meant driving my van with the cast as I was told it would be on for about 6 weeks and that is when I am concerned about turning the wheel with just my left hand?
I am going to order the Dragon software as I think that will help since I do a lot of typing being a travel agent. I also belong to a bicycle group and have a trip in Oct. that I think I will sip wine while they bike as I have not tried biking with my brace I now wear but don’t think it will work. Our next bike trip is in April to Santa Fe so hoping I will be able to bike by then and if not, they have great Margaritas 🙂 I am concerned about driving so going to call DMV and car dealership as I heard there is some sort of knob you can apply to the steering wheel to help you drive. I am rt handed and so I will be driving with my left – I will not be doing long distance driving while I have the cast but local trips will be necessary. Have you heard of such a thing to help driving possible? Tina
PS Great that you are back to your motorcycle as it certainly seems like that is your passion. My husband had a Harley once and I had a dirt bike – it was fun!!!!!
Hi,
Yes I had some pain after surgery and pills helped. I got off them quickly. I started Physical Therapy and continued on my own because where I live there was not experienced hand therapist. I have posted quite a bit about that. Research the page on exercise diagrams ( https://proximalrowcarpectomy.com/prc-explanation/exercise-diagrams/)
Just checking if anybody is out there to answer my question on physical therapy after PRC?
I went for therapy till my benefits expired, That was twice a week for 3 months. Along with home exercise with a combination of hot compress’s before and cold after. It’s all part of the healing process. It took eight months and at this point I am pain free and back to just about everything I did before. I am a general contractor, ride a Harley and at 63 yrs. old couldn’t be happier with the results of the whole ordeal. It was painful and at times frustrating but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.Good luck.
That’s amazing news!!! I wish they were all like that. You are one of the many lucky ones. Perhaps we’ll meet on the road one day. My wife and I just bought matching BMWs.
Just finished watching your after 1 year video and it was very encouraging. I will mention the supplements you suggest to my family doctor as they seem to be over the counter supplements that should do no harm but may help in my case. I am a golfer and have not asked my surgeon yet but assume playing golf will be a challenge. My next appt with the doc is Oct. 31st so your blog has helped me put together some interesting questions. Thanks, Tina Taverna
I am having my surgery done by a hand specialist and have a lot of questions to ask him prior to surgery. It will not change my mind in having it but would like to get an idea of what is ahead of me. This blog is very helpful. Just wondering if the incision was horizontal or vertical on most of these surgeries as I heard they are done both ways – depending on the surgeon. Did most of you go under general anesthesia and then have a valium prior to surgery? I assume it must be pretty painful after surgery so did you have to take heavy drugs to dull the pain and if so for how long? I was told the stitches would be removed one week after surgery and then cast applied. I am rt handed and it is the rt hand that will have the surgery – how did you do not being able to use that rt hand for 4 to 6 weeks with the cast and then for a while after that as you went through PT? Tina Taverna
I am a travel agent of 71 years old and do a lot of typing still even though I am retired. How long will it take before I can handle the keyboard again. Should I purchase the Dragon software to do my dictation as I know using my phone does not do the job. I am trying to prepare myself as my surgery will be in November and so I will be in a cast through the holidays and then PT starts. In reading all the notes on this blog, I am NOT looking forward to this surgery but do not want the fusion procedure and with the SLAC diagnosis, I cannot live like this anymore. I have 9 grandchildren under the age of 7 and can’t even pick them up anymore. Any advise you can give me will be very much appreciated. Tina
Honestly, I purchased dragon and used it very briefly. I was able to type in a week or so.
Did you watch my video after one year? I just did over 4000 Kilometers in 3-weeks on my brand new bike! I was also depressed and thought I would never ride again at 55 years old.
I watched one of your recent videos and did not notice any noticeable scar. Is that the case? Also, is your range of motion better than pre surgery levels ? I have held off from surgery so far but increasing pain levels may push me to surgery. Any comments appreciated.
I had my surgery in July of 2013. It was my left hand (I’m right handed). There is a scar but my watch covers most of it and somebody would have to be looking for the scar to see it. I didn’t have the swelling and finger stiffness that Peter had. I was tying my shoe laces a couple days after the surgery. I don’t have what I would consider pain in the wrist. If feels a little weird. It feels more weird in the meaty part of the palm where the thumb joins the hand. Not sure how to describe it. Maybe like a really, really mild sprain. It is not something that bothers me or keeps me from doing things. I don’t have good days or bad days. All the days are the same. My wrist is functional for what I need it to do. I have golfed. It does hurt in one specific spot when I golf (on the pinky side where the hand meets the wrist). It doesn’t really build up over the course of a round. It is just there. When I am done golfing, by the time I get home, as far as my wrist is concerned it is like I never went golfing. It feels normal (what’s normal to it anyway). No residual effects the next day. I admit I probalby won’t golf as much as I used to, but I don’t have to give up the sport.
Unfortunately, there seems to be a wide range of results from having this type of surgery. I feel that I lucked out in having it on my non-dominant hand. And in my case, I feel like I am in the top 90 percentile in getting a satisfactory result.
I ride my motorcycle and often I am on a bumpy road that jerks my wrist. No Pain. I had pain once or twice lifting too much and once using a jigsaw but it subsided quickly and went away overnight with no medication.
Don’t get me wrong however, If you were to knock my wrist with a stick or when I bang it on something it hurts for a bit. But in my case when that happens my fingers tend to swell a bit for a few days then it goes away. my new rule is to avoid knocking it whenever possible and life is good. That is why I say there are some 😦 days but mostly 🙂 days…
What about pain ? Do you have any chronic pain or pain when you suddenly bump or jerk your wrist?