Category: Ulnar Nerve
Personal essays about ulnar nerve damage, cubital tunnel syndrome, surgery, rehabilitation, hand function, and disability-informed care.
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The Problem With the Baseline
The waiting room was ordinary enough. People checked in, handed over insurance cards, completed forms, and waited for their names to be called. Patients were brought back in pairs, each moving through the same routine with little explanation. When my name was…
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In the Absence of an Answer
For a while, recovery seemed straightforward. Daily tasks had returned close to normal. Typing was more consistent, buttons still took effort but could be managed, and both hands worked together to put on shoes the way they always had. There was enough…
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The Second Conversation
The evaluation report was already marked with corrections before the next occupational therapy appointment began. Weakness in the hand remained, tasks that had been manageable before ulnar nerve surgery were still difficult, and several questions from the previous assessment had never been…
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The Trouble With What Used to Work
Looking back can be useful because distance sometimes reveals the beginning of a change, the importance of a decision, or the meaning of an experience that seemed unclear at the time. What once seemed routine may look different in retrospect. The preparation…
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The Decisions No One Sees
Several weeks ago, I underwent ulnar nerve transposition surgery after the ulnar nerve in my left arm was compressed at my elbow. To relieve the pressure and prevent further damage, the surgeon moved the nerve from behind my elbow to a new…
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Are You Ready?
There is something strange about surgery. You know the day is coming. It sits on the calendar for weeks. You talk about it, prepare for it, and think about it. Yet when the day finally arrives, it still feels oddly unreal. That…
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Function, Delayed
Function narrows before anyone calls it loss. The first change was subtle. The sensation between the ring finger and pinky on the left hand felt off. It was numb, but not in a way that was complete or alarming, just dulled enough…