| Jonathan Van Ee's Story | |
But, I did not get better. After about two months, a friend of mine told me I should see a doctor. In a directory of doctors I found a hand surgeon with an office in an upscale area. I booked an appointment. That doctor told me my condition was not at all serious and would definitely get better over time. He diagnosed me with tendonitis, saying the tendons in my fingers were sore from overuse. This caused inflamation, he told me, which could be remedied with anti-inflamatory medication and ice water. He gave me a prescription-strength anti-inflamatory medication and also indicated I should come back for another appointment. This kind of soreness would take time to heal, he said. Neither the anti-inflammatory medication nor icing my hands seemed to help. I made about four visits to that doctor, but did not believe I was getting useful information from those follow-up visits. I asked the doctor how this would play out over time. What, I wanted to know, would he tell me in the future if my condition remained roughly as it was. The doctor did not have anything to say. My condition improved a little, and stabilized. At least I was not getting worse. For the next two years I would live with the same continuous dull pain in my fingers. Then, it started getting worse. Much, much, worse. I saw a number of specialists, physical therapists, read books, researched the internet extensively, spoke with many people about my pain, and stopped typing completely. But, my condition deteriorated to the point where I effectively stopped using my hands. My parents visited me, cleaned my house, and offered encouragement. I could, they indicated, move back to live with them and teach English. That would not require the use of my hands. My legal career, art hobby, and pretty well my entire life came to a halt. Obviously, this was not an easy time. Not only did I not understand why my condition got worse, everyone told me that I had to be prepared for the long haul. Tendonitis, and carpal tunnel (which I also developed), would last a lifetime and require therapy twice weekly. Each therapy session would run about $100, and insurance would not cover most of that expense. |
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