I hurt my nerve from an accident at work. Long story short I smacked the elbow of my right arm on a metal divider wall on a counter while trying to casually swipe a credit card as part of my normal duty I had performed for a few months and hours that day.

It took a while to find out the root of the problem and just as long I feel to get thru the process of having surgery. Yes that’s because it was a workers comp injury so they try to spend as little money as possible where private insurance focus on patient health and well being in life now first.

So I had hurt it in December and had surgery in September and it’s about 2 weeks shy of 2 years post injury.

I will start with this is the WORST injury I have had in my life and I have broken bones and had concussions :/

I was in non stop pain and meds weren’t helping before I had surgery. I woke up from surgery and felt no pain and that lasted maybe 6-9 months. I eased my way into working full time and no longer work (my choice) where I got hurt. I work at a deli in a grocery store which is not helping my elbow stay calm.

My problem now is I am for sure weaker on that side because I get major pain for over a week if I do a simple task of over doing it in the day, I’m scared to go to the gym and lift weights.

I have pain off and on in the day and constantly at night in my elbow, wrist, and fingers. Sometimes my shoulder and neck hurt on that side too and I can’t say they are linked cause I didn’t have the shoulder pain before surgery.

I sleep with compression sleeves on my joints on that arm and wear one on the elbow for work. I have an extra compression sleeve in my car in case I get pain while out. I keep one in my purse and at my significant others house as well. I feel like where ever awoken stashes pads and tampons I stash an elbow sleeve. I have often resorted to using medical tape on my pinky and ring finger to act as a splint but then that leads to me needing to stabilize down my hand as it feels like all the joints in it hat half of my hand are over working. If I could go back and never apply for that job, I would in a heart beat! This has been the worst experience I have had. I wish there was an end all to the pain and suffering. The dr seemed to think moving my nerve would feel amazing and I would have a normal life. I now have already signed the papers with workers comp to settle the claim and agree I won’t hold them responsible for future and that I’m not disabled but I regret that as well as I feel in the future probably sooner then later I will need my elbow checked again. But maybe having it done under my personal dr who cares differently insurance wise would help me get the treatment I need. I have made full on splints that make it so I can’t move my fingers to my elbow out of cast material and had many forms of splinting my arm even when I had the sling right after surgery. Nothing fully helps with the pain but not using it at all and I’m right handed so adjusting is hard for me. As someone with a learning issue as well I would be majorly struggling to learn to write with my other hand.

If given the choice there has been times I would say to cut it off to take the pain away and that I would be happier learning to relive life with one hand then have this pain as I am struggling with pain and trying to live a life I’m not capable of living with this injury being so lasting. I have yet to look too seriously into if there is a reason it is still hurting or it’s it’s just that “oh I’m old and know it’s going to rain cause my joints hurt” kinda thing that grandmas always talk about.

I don’t mind giving link to post made previously with info earlier on in my recovery