Davao Diary: Diagnosed with De Quervain's Tenosynovitis

Before I got here in Davao, I had been feeling some pain on left wrist. If you remember, I talked about a right wrist condition I had several months ago. Now that’s gone. That was some lump actually which came and went for some time until it completely disappeared when I had my new laptop. So I guessed it might have been my use (or perhaps wrong use) of the standard desktop mouse.

But now, I have a different condition on my left wrist. No lumps, but there is some shooting pain every time I try to twist my hand or lift something with considerable weight. I don’t like going to doctors so I’ve been ignoring the pain for days now until it finally took its toll when I got here in Davao City. The pain was becoming more unbearable. So I went to Davao Doctors’ Hospital’s new extension: East Asia Orthopedic & Rehabilitation Institute. Dr. Sam Peli checked my wrist and his first question was, “Do you have a baby?” I was kind of startled with the question. “Uhm, wala po”. After doing some bending tests on my hand and wrist, he said it was De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis. (Ano po yun Doc?) He went on saying that this kind of pain usually happens to women (mothers) at home. It’s “usually” caused by overload of domestic duties which then causes the inflammation of the tendons connected to the thumb. But then, the syndrome is really idiopathic. There’s really no known single cause. It’s not really isolated to “domestic duties”… my typing definitely had a lot to do with it.

I actually have a history of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome on my right wrist 6-7 years ago and my hand was immobilized for weeks. The doctor had to put my wrist in a metal brace. And I think my left wrist is going to need the same brace too to keep it immobilized and away from more trauma and stress for the meantime.

The doctor had to give me a steroid injection on my left wrist and gosh it was painful even with the local anesthesia. What was even more painful was the 2500 pesos that I had to charge on my credit card since I didn’t have cash on me. And then I was prescribed with Dolcet – medicine for post surgical pain. Another “ouch” to my wallet! :-(

The doctor said the pain and inflammation SHOULD be gone in a matter of days. If symptoms persist, the next option would have to be surgery. With lots of scripts due in the next weeks plus going full force on the Commemorative Book for CCBC, and some major blogging to do on the side, typing with one hand will surely be CHALLENGING!!! Sigh! So please keep me in your prayers…