Fourth Time’s the Charm
Back in November, I took a completely pointless fall, wherein I hurt my wrist. Now we’re at the end of February, and my wrist still hurts pretty much all the time. For example:
- By the time I was halfway through the second lap of the Frozen Hog, it hurt enough that I could no longer stand while pedaling.
- It hurts by the end of a 90-minute session on the trainer.
- It hurts when I type.
So late last week, I went to the doctor. I got my cholesterol levels tested again (still high, but not as high as the first test, since I fasted before the test this time), and got an X-ray of my wrist.
The X-ray says my wrist is fine.
So yesterday, I went to get an MRI of my wrist done, at 8:00 a.m., figuring that by doing this early, I’d still be able to get in a full day of work.
There was no line — another of the benefits of starting early. The technician had me lay down on my stomach, with my left arm stretched out in front of me and my wrist fastened down.
Into the tube I went, uncomfortable, but willing to spend half an hour in there because I want answers.
Ten minutes later, they pulled me out. “The machine had a problem and I need to reset it,” the tech said.
Back into the waiting room I went.
Try, Try Again
Fifteen minutes later, they called me back in and sent me into the tube…again.
After a couple minutes, the tech’s voice came over the intercom: “We’re still having some problems, but we’re going to leave you in there and see if we can get this thing working.”
Fine. Let’s just get it over with, I thought, hugely grateful that I have no claustrophobia issues at all.
I tried to go to sleep, but my superpower (I am Instant Nap Man) failed me. Too uncomfortable.
Half an hour later, they pulled me out. “Sorry,” they said. “The machine won’t work. We’ve rescheduled you at an imaging center at 12:00.”
On the positive side, they did give me a couple of movie passes by way of an apology for wasting my time. Which makes me think: what kind of place has a bad enough fail rate that the keep customer-pacifying movie passes on hand?
Fail, Fail Again
So, I had two and a half hours before I needed to be at the imaging center. Long enough that I may as well go and try to get some work done, but short enough that I didn’t have any chance of accomplishing anything before it was time to turn around and come back.
So, at noon, I showed up at the imaging center, where they promptly had me change into scrubs, and then sat me down in a cold room, barefoot, watching the local news channel — a station so bad I have gone to the effort of learning how my remote control works, just so I could program it to automatically skip over that channel.
I sat there for a full hour.
A nurse then came over and said that, as I knew, they had squeezed me into their existing schedule that day, and that they thought they would be able to fit me in at noon, but it turns out they could not.
Could I please come back at 2:30?
“Sure,” I said, now completely convinced that I was being surreptitiously filmed for some kind of Candid Camera-ish show (for those of you who are young, “Candid Camera” is the TV show “Punk’d” is based upon, but with more originality, less meanness, and a lot less celebrity navel-gazing).
So I had an hour and a half to kill. Just enough time for me to drive back to the office and then turn around as soon as I got to the parking lot.
Or, on the other hand, enough time to go to Racers bike shop and hang out for a few minutes.
At Racers
While at Racers, I bought a Superfly.
Finally
At 2:30, I arrived at the imaging center, no longer expecting that I would get an MRI, but kind of curious as to what the next reason for delaying would be.
And so, of course, they promptly ushered me in and did the MRI. I found this machine interesting — instead of a tube, I was under a large convex circle, not nearly so confined. I expect that people with claustrophobia problems would find this much more agreeable than traditional MRI machines.
Also, instead of going in on my stomach, my arm stretched in front of me, they had me lay on my back, my arm at my side.
I fell asleep pretty much instantly, wakened every so often by the voice in the intercom telling me how much longer I had left.
Guess my Ailment, Win a Fat Cyclist T-Shirt
And so now I’m waiting to hear the results. I’m really, really hoping that it’s something that can be fixed, both quickly and easily, with very little recovery time.
Ha.
I tell you what, though: let’s make a contest out of my waiting game. I’ll describe the pain I’m having. Whoever first correctly diagnoses what’s going on get’s one of the cool new Fat Cyclist T-shirts. Men’s or Women’s, your choice.
Oh, and also I’ll start bugging you for other medical advice.
So here’s what’s going on with my wrist.
- The pain is worst on the left and right sides of the wrist.
- When I make a fist, the palm side of my forearm — just below the wrist — bulges out.
- Flexing the wrist — even without lifting any weight — hurts, especially when I bend my hand side to side at the wrist.
If you need additional information, ask in the comments section and I’ll answer the best I can.
I await your diagnosis with both interest and trepidation. And also with a big Diet Coke with Lime, but that’s not really relevant.
Comment by Brewinman | 02.26.2008 | 10:05 am
Sounds like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome to me. Oh, and we’re at the end of February. November was 3 months ago…
Comment by fatty | 02.26.2008 | 10:07 am
brewinman – thanks for the catch. fixed it.
Comment by nccycling4fun | 02.26.2008 | 10:08 am
Tendinitis from overuse!
Comment by mocougfan | 02.26.2008 | 10:15 am
I’m going with Carpal Tunnel as well.
btw….”While at Racers, I bought a Superfly”… Hello Mr. Fisher.
Comment by Jen | 02.26.2008 | 10:17 am
An injury to the TFCC (tear) with possible ulnar impaction.
Your doc will tell you never to mtb again.
(I’m just projecting my injury on to you but it’s also my guess. :-) I managed to mtb again … 661 wrist braces are rather nice, check them out … retail is less than $15 a wrist.
Comment by Clydesteve | 02.26.2008 | 10:21 am
Fatty,
I already diagnosed this on a previous post. You have a navicular bone (a very small triangular-ish bone in the wrist) which has broken, and partially rehealed. Because the navicular has such a poor blood supply, the healing process has arrested, and the non-supplied half is dying, causing pain. Because the bone is kind of buried in there, it is hard to detect a break on X-rays, and since it has partially healed, re-broken, healed, rebroken, kind-of-healed, etc., the X-rays have not picked up on it.
XXL.
Superfly, huh? Your understaement is overwhelming. Details, please!
Comment by becomingblue | 02.26.2008 | 10:21 am
Your ‘ailment’ is you are getting old and frail. The wrist proves it. And the shoulder. Probably your back, too, when you roll out of bed in the morning. Time to schedule the surgeries and rehab. At least you aren’t drinking Tab, yet. If I’m right, I take an XL.
Comment by Ian | 02.26.2008 | 10:22 am
Sprained wrist
Comment by Clydesteve | 02.26.2008 | 10:23 am
No, wait, not XXL in a tee-shirt, T6 is small in jerseys, but conventional in tees. Only XL.
Steve, expecting the “win” tee for the contest win. (“Speak authoritatively and with arcane details, and people will be cowed into believing you”)
Comment by Clydesteve | 02.26.2008 | 10:24 am
They still have TAB? Bleh!
Comment by chtrich | 02.26.2008 | 10:27 am
You pulled a tendon. I’m not a doctor and I don’t play one on T.V.
Comment by TIMK | 02.26.2008 | 10:28 am
I second Dr. Clydesteve’s diagnosis because it sounds so scientific.
Any riding the Superfly isn’t going to heal it, so you might as well give that away too. Clydesteve can have the shirt, I’ll take the bike.
Hope they figure it out and fix it for you.
Comment by thejerry | 02.26.2008 | 10:29 am
My bet is they will say “we couldn’t find anything wrong. Just try to stop flexing your wrist and don’t grip anything anymore.”
Comment by Richard | 02.26.2008 | 10:30 am
Your left framistan us out of calibration.
Comment by bob | 02.26.2008 | 10:31 am
I’m going to guess a colles fracture:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000002.htm
Comment by Canadian Roadie | 02.26.2008 | 10:33 am
I got something like that a long time ago. I’ll say it’s the same thing – you have a “slight dislocation of one of the small bones in your wrist”. You’ll be told to wear a splint at all times and get physio 5 times a week where they will put jelly on little pads and stick them to you, thereby appeasing your need for medical attention while medically doing nothing.
Comment by SkinnyCyclist | 02.26.2008 | 10:35 am
TMS – Tension Myositis Syndrome (http://www.stjohn.org/innerpage.aspx?PageID=2480)
Comment by swtkaroline | 02.26.2008 | 10:35 am
I think you pinched some nerves in your wrist when you originally fell on it. The pain of the original injury and consequent constant gripping of bike handles (and typing) has caused the muscles around those nerves to remain inflamed, meaning continual pressure on the pinched nerves.
Really, though, myguess is that you will never know, due to the fact that they will have to reschedule you every time you come in for your consult. Perhaps a better contest would be for us to guess the reasons for the rescheduling?
Comment by Brandy | 02.26.2008 | 10:35 am
I like the Diet Coke and lime too! Good stuff. You should put it in one of these to further stressing your wrist:
http://www.zymetrical.com/product.asp?3=830&dc=JSA/Q/w/u3/8W&gclid=CJOH2IS_4pECFQ5aiAodywTobg
Comment by Dana | 02.26.2008 | 10:36 am
Injured one of the many wrist ligaments.
Comment by Big Boned | 02.26.2008 | 10:38 am
Fatty,
I think you suffered a concussion when being “helped” down the stairs when Susan found out that your response to being frustrated by medical incompetence was to buy a Superfly. I think the wrist was hurt in bracing for the fall.
I call “dibs” on using the Superfly that you were promised use of for 3 months. I either get the use of that one or the use of YOURS for 3 months. I’d suggest it not be yours. We want to remain friends after all…
Big Boned
Comment by UtRacerDad | 02.26.2008 | 10:40 am
I just glad that I work close enough to Racer’s to go and hang out there at lunch ;). It’s really says a lot when you would rather go hang out at the bike shop than go find something to eat for lunch.
We expect a full ride report on that superfly.
Comment by Robb | 02.26.2008 | 10:43 am
accute materbatory inflammation! chill on the pr0n for a while fatty, i know you’re trying to burn calories in any way possible, but give yourself a break man!
size L please :D
Comment by Wild Dingo | 02.26.2008 | 10:44 am
I’m going with the tendon thing. A tendon slipped off bone or is torn, and re-using it in anyway (typing, mountain biking) over and over is not helping it. Ouch. I’m dying to know what it is!
Comment by Caloi Rider | 02.26.2008 | 10:46 am
I’m going to say you tore one of the tendons connecting your flexors to your fingers.
A new secret weapon, eh? Now you just have to hope Chris Carmichael doesn’t get one too. He’ll be asking you for coaching tips at the finish line (if he gets there before you get bored and leave for your hotel room).
Comment by Dopey | 02.26.2008 | 10:56 am
Pinched Ulnar nerve at the ulnar canal. Or what XXL said
Comment by end of train device | 02.26.2008 | 10:58 am
There is nothing wrong with your wrist. You might have a problem above the shoulders.
Comment by roadrash | 02.26.2008 | 11:03 am
Degenerative osteoarthritis. Happens when you get old.
Comment by Dobovedo | 02.26.2008 | 11:04 am
“I await your diagnosis with both interest and trepidation. And also with a big Diet Coke with Lime, but that’s not really relevant.”
Oh, I think it’s extremely relevant. The problem with your wrist is lifting too many “big” Diet Cokes with Lime! No calories sure, but next time go for a smaller size.
Comment by Dobovedo | 02.26.2008 | 11:06 am
PS… your wrist pain may be painful, and the diagnosis of said appears to be even more so, but I find it a huge relief that what you described is obviously NOT cardio- related, as I had feared.
Comment by KanyonKris | 02.26.2008 | 11:17 am
I like how you slipped the Superfly in. Kind of like:
“Oh, I ran some errands and bought some tube socks, underwear, a loaf of bread, {mumbling: a Superfly}, and 60W light bulbs.”
Comment by TheTragonDragon | 02.26.2008 | 11:22 am
I am going to guess that you either stretched or ripped your flexor retinaculum. Its purpose is to hold the tendons that come off of your forearm flexor muscles and connect to your digits. When flexing, those muscles would pull on the tendons and cause the bulging underneath the wrist.
Either way, hope it isn’t too serious.
By the by, first time poster, but read often. Love your blog.
Comment by dailytri | 02.26.2008 | 11:23 am
Scaphoid fracture
Comment by bikemike | 02.26.2008 | 11:29 am
neurofibramatosis.
i am NOT a monster! c’mon, what movie. the ailment says it all.
Comment by Noah | 02.26.2008 | 11:31 am
Long-shot:
Might be ebola.
Comment by Reagan | 02.26.2008 | 11:31 am
DO you have a hernia? Just a wild guess, I am no doctor.
Comment by BurkeInTheOzarks | 02.26.2008 | 11:38 am
I’m not exactly sure what it is called but it surely has to do with ball bearings. Hey! It’s all ball bearings nowadays. Now you prepare that Fetzer valve with some 3-in-1 oil and some gauze pads. And I’m gonna need ’bout ten quarts of anti-freeze, preferably Prestone. No, no make that Quaker State.
Comment by hyper | 02.26.2008 | 11:43 am
lunate fracture. Thats my guess.
Comment by Mike Roadie | 02.26.2008 | 11:56 am
Technically, it’s called an “Owee”
Comment by Tim D | 02.26.2008 | 12:07 pm
I’m with Robb’s assessment, possibly exacerbated by your current excessive weight while doing the “sit on your hand til its numb, then it feels like someone else” trick.
Comment by abby | 02.26.2008 | 12:13 pm
Fun! Mine does the same thing! But, without all that extra pain .. I did it with the falling and breaking of most of the bones in my left wrist, and arm. All those little pieces parts? They cant always put them all back together and they float around wedging themselves in various places, causing pain and swelling.
Or. You’re using your left hand to .. lift that coke and lime too much. Switch your mouse around to the left hand and drink with your right for a while :)
Comment by SyracuseStu | 02.26.2008 | 12:16 pm
You have nodules in your wrist caused by bio-accumulation of aspertame due to excessive ingestion of Diet Coke with lime. The process is similar to the painful buildup of uric acid in joints that is typical of gout. If you look real close on the MRI, you will see these nodules are red in color and have a little while “swish” pattern on them.
If I am right, I think I actually deserve the Superfly, rather than a Tee shirt.
Comment by Bob | 02.26.2008 | 12:16 pm
My wife’s an x-ray tech at an imaging center; she asked around the office and the consensus is torn tendon. She’s also sorry that you got jerked around and assures me that had you flown out here to New Jersey, you would have been treated better. See if your insurance will cover it.
Comment by chtrich | 02.26.2008 | 12:28 pm
ebola, hernia, owee……..great comments today.
Fatty – stick to the ‘real’ medical professionals. Those one that ‘practice’ medicine.
Good luck!
Comment by Clydesteve | 02.26.2008 | 12:45 pm
The Idata thing has been updated. Jill checked in to Puntilla CP at 3:45am and left at 8:55am this morning. In some time zone, presumably one of the Alaska ones.
http://www.alaskaultrasport.com/results.html
Go, Jill!
Comment by SYJ | 02.26.2008 | 12:55 pm
Same thing as this guy:
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/16212095/
It appears that your days of playing guitar or bass in Rock Band with the family have sadly come to an end
Comment by Jason | 02.26.2008 | 12:58 pm
Just a few thoughts:
Rupture of the digital extensor tendons in the wrist?
Lunate or paralunate fracture?
Will be back with more ideas…
Comment by Anonymous | 02.26.2008 | 1:00 pm
chtrich – seems that in many cases, practice only means that its a guess anyway, you can get as good of a guess from posters on a blog :).
Comment by Ethan | 02.26.2008 | 1:01 pm
I thought that Gary Fisher was going to give/lend you a Superfly? Did you chicken out on their offer???
Comment by aussie kev | 02.26.2008 | 1:10 pm
i will go with tennis elbow – stop playing tennis !!!!!
k
Comment by Solo | 02.26.2008 | 1:22 pm
Guess you are saving the Superfly story for later…. after you see if you slipped it by Susan as you tried so eloquently.
While a Colles fx or Navicular fx (same as a Scaphoid) are both reasonable assumptions the Colles would have shown up on a decent plain film. The Navicular would not have in the first couple of weeks but is so chronic in nature in your case it would have by now. Navicular fractures radiate more pain into the thumb rather then the wrist in my experiences. Sooooooooo I’m going with a disloacted pisiform with an ulnar collateral ligament sprain. Could have broken off the hook of your hamate which would not show up on “normal” (views they know that insurance will pony up for) xrays without a sunrise view. More a baseball injury from the knob of the bat but I have heard of them occurring from falls as well as mtb grips.
I have been thru a dislocated pisiform and it was not at all pleasant until I decided to actually treat my wrist and after the swelling subsided I found the problem and slid it back in. Never had an xray but likely wouldn’t show much unless one was specifically looking for it. Enjoy.
Comment by isela | 02.26.2008 | 1:22 pm
Alright, I’ll admit that I have no freaking idea what’s wrong. My guess: it is all in your head (that’s what my hubby says to me) so stop complaining about it and just get on with your life, LOL.
Seriously, probably a sprained ligament. There are various levels of sprains, I am thinking because of the bulge at the base of the wrist is a 3rd degree or so, but I am not sure.
Remember: it is all in your head manifesting on your wrist
Comment by Frank | 02.26.2008 | 1:25 pm
Ditto what Ethan said. Did we miss something? Thought you were getting it for free!!! What’s up? Hope the wrist gets well soon. Have no idea what it is. Thought it might be a tendon or ligament issue.
Comment by je | 02.26.2008 | 1:32 pm
Totally off topic from all the medical/personal wrist use advise …
But I really like last year’s Fatcyclist t-shirt better. I wear it to the gym on occasion and usually get one or two comments from people asking if I used to be fat or something because I’m one slim, trim sexy dude.
Comment by Triflefat | 02.26.2008 | 1:35 pm
Comment by wheelman gaz | 12.10.2007 | 3:16 pm
Fatty, someone ALWAYS sees the silly, non-heroic falls. If the wrist pain persists you should search on “scaphoidâ€.
Looks to me like the wheelman pre-empted this whole thing. Must have some “anticipate free-stuff contest” superpower. Give him the tee.
Comment by Big Mike In Oz | 02.26.2008 | 1:39 pm
RSI or Carpal Tunnel from excessive shifting while riding. Use the fixie more and replace all that unergonomic Shimano with SRAM as soon as they release their new Red Dirt range.
Comment by leroy | 02.26.2008 | 1:50 pm
Hoof and mouth disease.
Obviously.
Comment by System6 | 02.26.2008 | 1:53 pm
I like the one about 20 postings above that eluded to some kind of necrosis of a small bone thinga-magiggy. If it is Necrosis, Floyd can tell you where to get a replacement joint and, uh, size XL for the shirt if you think it’s going to shrink. Otherwise, an L.
That being said, sounds like a sprain, but I’m a roadie and we generally don’t have wrist-aches, so I’m sticking with Necrosis because I like saying it and writing it, and it sounds exotic and dangerous.
Comment by Emily | 02.26.2008 | 1:57 pm
Hmm, so all the obvious ones are taken…. I’m going with a diagnosis of wrist pain due to advanced scurvy. Your Diet Coke with Lime cravings are a manifestation of your need for citrus fruits.
… What kind of insurance copay do you have on the Superfly?
Comment by Don (http://cyclingphun.blogspot.com) | 02.26.2008 | 2:10 pm
Simply, I think it’s a chipped bone fragment.
(or carpal but that was mentioned.)
Comment by pipebaum | 02.26.2008 | 2:14 pm
blah, blah, blah, blah
I BOUGHT A SUPERFLY
blah, blah, blah
Comment by Born4Lycra | 02.26.2008 | 2:22 pm
It is quite clearly refered pain from somewhere else. Probably in grown toe nail or impulse shopping. It’s a little known fact that while there are hundreds of muscles involved when smiling there are thousands in action when reaching for the credit card or wallet and buying stuff very quickly on impulse. As such it can’t really be defined as an injury as there is no blood.
Hopefully whatever it is it is easy to fix.
P.S. Susan did you know he bought a new bike?
Comment by nibo | 02.26.2008 | 2:26 pm
I’ll head in with the over-arching (and often obviously correct) RSI – Repetitive Stress Injury
Comment by DougT | 02.26.2008 | 2:30 pm
Are you really going to ride a mountain bike with gears?????
Comment by Al Maviva | 02.26.2008 | 2:31 pm
Definitely Guinea Worm, or Morgellons.
Failing that, tertiary syphilis contracted from a filthy porta-john at Leadville. Shoulda gone before the Clydesdale class boys hit it.
My money is on the Guinea Worm.
Comment by Philly Jen | 02.26.2008 | 2:33 pm
I’m doubting it’s carpal tunnel, unless you’re a southpaw — it would be strange for unilateral carpal tunnel to show up in your non-dominant wrist. I think Dopey’s might have nailed it with the pinched ulnar nerve, since you reported signs of cyclist’s palsy in your left hand a while back. Though that doesn’t explain the freakish forearm bulge…Spinach that needs to recalibrate its GPS?
Comment by Mark | 02.26.2008 | 2:59 pm
Fatty, I know we can’t really talk about this, this blog being kid-friendly and all, but, you know, your momma was only half right when she said you would go blind if you didn’t stop spending hours in the loo as a young man. Clearly, she forgot to tell you about Late-Onset Dominant Wrist Infarction, which affects only those men who ignored their mom’s sage advice – although it is possible she didn’t know about LODWI, since women are not aflicted with it. Size L, please.
Comment by Duane | 02.26.2008 | 3:07 pm
Stress Fracture.
Those freakin things never heal.
Comment by mocougfan | 02.26.2008 | 3:10 pm
Botched? Awaiting the official declaration. The others are very amusing. LODWI…classic
Comment by graisseux | 02.26.2008 | 3:14 pm
My guess is the doc never quite figures it out but prescribes you some anti-inflammatories. That’s how these things always go. At least they do for me. Maybe I need to find a new doctor.
Comment by paul | 02.26.2008 | 3:18 pm
I think your pregnant…. Hike up the skirt and send me a large when my diagnosis is confirmed.
Boo to da Superfly, head down the street to the specialized factory in salt lake and head home with a S-Works
Comment by susie b | 02.26.2008 | 3:20 pm
Aww, he’s PREGNANT! And you need to cut back on the caffeine. ‘Susie’ or ‘Susan’ are quite desirable name choices.
Or maybe since you have not yet taken care of the shoulder situation (which, btw, has reduced many of your faithful readers to nervous wrecks whenever we see a new racing or joyriding post), the wrist is joining forces with the shoulder. I do believe this is a sign you are being taken over by the BORG (that it just happens to be an abbreviation for ‘Busted Old Racing Guy’ is merely a coincidence).
Comment by Toxteth O'Grady | 02.26.2008 | 3:23 pm
Gout
Comment by susie b | 02.26.2008 | 3:23 pm
I can NOT believe Paul wrote the same thing at the same time. That’s just weird. Or BORG-like maybe.
Comment by Marrock | 02.26.2008 | 3:40 pm
I’d cast my vote for a bone chip.
Comment by Rachael | 02.26.2008 | 3:45 pm
diagnosis?
age.
Comment by spin sam | 02.26.2008 | 4:09 pm
It could be Lupus………
Comment by paul | 02.26.2008 | 4:45 pm
I stand corrected on the Specialized Factory…. It closed in 2002. My Bad….
Comment by Wonderdyke | 02.26.2008 | 4:57 pm
As so many of my esteemed colleagues have guessed tendinitis, I’m going with a torn ligament at the time of injury which never healed properly and has left you with scar tissue/adhesion.
Nice job on the superfly – and awesome t-shirt. Can’t wait to get mine.
Comment by AJ | 02.26.2008 | 5:06 pm
I’m going with tendonitis as well… previously mentioned, but best fit diagnosis
Comment by Weiland | 02.26.2008 | 5:06 pm
A seperated wussy for sure. Most people afflicted with this condition find the comfort of cheese to go along with their whine. But if this stems from a fall back in November and this is the first you’re blogging about it I don’t think you’d fall into that category. FYI I’ve had CAT scans and MRIs all over the Salt Lake valley, the worst is the CAT scan at Salt Lake Regional Hospital, I barely fit in that one.
Comment by kentucky joe | 02.26.2008 | 5:16 pm
Okay, just because I like free t-shirts, you have a strain or TFCC ligament. Here is more detail, the ulnar bone is the long bone of your arm that starts at the point of your elbow and ends where the 5th finger is on the hand. The ulna is slightly raised at the wrist and you can feel it. There is a ligament you can feel, like a band between the ulna and the bones of the wrist. This is called the TFCC (triangular fibro-cartilagenous complex). It is the link between the forearm and wrist at this point. You have a tear or strain of this ligament causing pain most especially when you roll your wrists. Another thing you will notice is that when you rotate your forearm from a palm down position, the small bone (the ulna) pops up and becomes more prominent than on the other side. Size Large should cover this house call.
Comment by Jennifer | 02.26.2008 | 5:16 pm
You broke your wrist but it didn’t show up on the X-ray because the technician botched it. So the doctor sent you for an MRI, hoping they would be more skillful.
Comment by Chris in Boulder | 02.26.2008 | 5:20 pm
Clearly this is a case of Writer’s Cramp, the penalty one pays for incessant blogging. That, or the even more obscure De Quervain’s Disease. In either case you have already hit on the cure – the acquisition of a new toy – but buying a whole new bicycle? You may have overdosed. Good luck, Chris
Comment by Justin | 02.26.2008 | 5:29 pm
My wife’s a doctor. She says it’s carpal tunnel.
Unfortunately, the way most people hold their handle bars is the same way they type. Riding your bike a lot is like typing a lot, and can cause carpal tunnel, especially if you already have an exisiting injury.
To treat, get some wrist braces, and ice it after your rides.
Comment by SpaghettiLegs | 02.26.2008 | 5:36 pm
Tendonitis but I’m gonna up it a notch – tenosynovitis with a possible ruptured tendon sheath.
Good luck with the rehab.
I’m a roadie so I don’t know what a Superfly is. Isn’t that the stuff you put in somebody’s drink to get ‘em all hot and bothered?
Large please.
Comment by Big Boned | 02.26.2008 | 5:40 pm
Justin,
Your wife may be a doctor but I fail to see how icing a wrist brace after Fatty rides is going to help his wrist at all. Your wife get her MD degree on an island somewhere?
BB
Comment by lowrydr | 02.26.2008 | 5:52 pm
Seems like you may have seperated the cartilage between the wrist bones and the hand that then grew back crooked. Or something like that. XXL, I’m still a Fat cyclist, must be the Dominoes delivery guys fault.
Comment by Rusty | 02.26.2008 | 6:00 pm
Sounds like a simple case of “Wuss itis”
Comment by redemske | 02.26.2008 | 6:03 pm
broken hamate bone. You’ll have to have it removed, but you’ll be OK.
eventually.
Comment by DougG | 02.26.2008 | 6:17 pm
Mad Cow disease
Comment by Bob | 02.26.2008 | 6:22 pm
Injured Wrist Syndrome (IWS)
XL
Comment by the greg | 02.26.2008 | 6:24 pm
wow, whatever it is, it doesn’t sound very superfly at all. haha. get it. superfly? well, i think it’s funny.
Comment by the greg | 02.26.2008 | 6:25 pm
wait, not your pain, but my horribly distasteful joke
Comment by me! | 02.26.2008 | 6:30 pm
Lunate AVN
Comment by Kendall | 02.26.2008 | 7:04 pm
I am impressed that you could fall asleep in your MRI machine. I had my knee scanned last week, and even with the earplugs and earphones they provided, The noise was horribly loud and annoying.
Comment by BotchedExperiment | 02.26.2008 | 7:08 pm
Frankly, this is so obvious I’m surprised (and disappointed) that none of the ‘fatheads’ have hit on the correct answer: ‘accident-associated retro-regressive Post Traumatic Stress Disorder induction of psychosomatic wrist pain, acute.’
The way I see it is that you’re trifling little wreck reminded you how dug took the first opportunity to bail at Leadville this past year by claiming some sort of “soft tissue” injury (uh huh).
Remembering how dug bailed reminded you that you failed to beat 9 hours. Since your conscious mind is emotionally unable to deal with your failure as a cyclist, your unconscious mind is afraid you’re going to do something crazy on a bike. Hence, your “primitive brain†(brainstem) is trying to protect itself and the other grey-matter hangers-on such as the cerebral cortex, by inducing acute pain in your wrist.
Comment by Lifesgreat | 02.26.2008 | 7:09 pm
I haven’t the faintest idea what’s wrong with your wrist, but the Superfly made that an even more expensive Dr. visit. . . I wonder if it can be deducted as a medical expense??
Comment by Eric | 02.26.2008 | 7:10 pm
I had a similar problem with my wrist. My guess is Ulnar Neuropathy (some kind of deal with the ulnar nerve that runs through your wrist)
And I like how you snuck in a short line “and I bought a Superfly”. What? What did you do, man? Pics?
Comment by jenni | 02.26.2008 | 7:15 pm
I’m going ganglionic cyst. Try smacking your wrist with a bible very very hard and see if it goes away. I am not a doctor but I play one on blogs.
Comment by formertdfan | 02.26.2008 | 7:19 pm
my 2 cents
1) I am voting for flexor tenosynovitis (after mad cow disease and/or ebola west nile deadly turn your wrist to mush virus); or how about gelatenous atrophy
2) carpal tunnel and ulnar neuropathy usually are associated with clinical syx related to nerve compression/inflammation; however flexor tenosynovitis is common cause of carpal tunnel so could be fleas and lice
3) bone contusion possible; stress fx and avn seem unlikely as they often will have radiographic manifestations, also scaphoid fx unlikely in absence of snuff box tenderness which your doc would have checked for
4) ulnolunate impaction syndrome is often ass. with positive ulnar variance and cystic lunate changes which can be early syx; would expect more ulnar sided syx (not radial and ulnar as you describe)
5) TFC tear — would expect more ulnar sided syx
Comment by Yukirin Boy | 02.26.2008 | 7:26 pm
did Racer have a grip on your wrist or something.
“Drop in to Racer’s for a few minutes and come out with a Superfly” – even if you did want one really bad and had the cash burning a hole in your pocket – that barely gives time for umming and erring.
Actually come to think of it – perhaps thats the way to do it.
Comment by s.s.spike | 02.26.2008 | 7:40 pm
Have they tested you for deQeuervain’s tenosynovitis? Spike
Comment by Rocky | 02.26.2008 | 7:43 pm
You hurt your wrist.
Comment by msk | 02.26.2008 | 8:12 pm
i reckon you have a scapholunate ligament tear
secondary option is tfcc (triangular fibrocartilaginous complex) tear with lunate abutment as mentioned before – but it is more of a chronic insidious process rather than from a single traumatic event
but sounds like you were in an open magnet (mri scanner)
they tend to be not as strong as a regular bore magnet (maybe .2 tesla versus 1.5T) and thus the imaging is not as good
so i think the mri result will be inconclusive – bit of this, bit of that, not too much at all to hang your hat on
that will be $350 please
cheers
msk
Comment by Jacksuey | 02.26.2008 | 8:43 pm
I think it’s those wacky swept bars you started using. Go buy some nice carbon rise bars like everybody else uses. Also the mountain unicycle thing could work out for you…
Comment by Chris | 02.26.2008 | 8:53 pm
I would guess a ganglion cyst because carpal tunnel seems too easy as well as tendonitus. If it is this it should heal well. At least thats what the old internet says.
Comment by JEB | 02.26.2008 | 8:59 pm
One of the many small bones in your wrist is out of place. You’ll be told that you either need to give up activities that aggravate it or have surgery, but really a chiropractor can fix it.
Comment by Chris | 02.26.2008 | 9:05 pm
could the small bones be fused? that would be interesting.
Comment by Chris | 02.26.2008 | 9:07 pm
Kienbock disease? I am just guessing now…….man I need a new shirt.
Comment by Heath | 02.26.2008 | 9:37 pm
Injuries are never as bad as they seem. I suggest REST, ICE, NSAIDS (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) use as recommended. Also use a brace often especially when you’re sleeping. If you have range-of-motion, keep it up. Diagnosis? Whatever it is, give it time and it will heal. I enjoy your blog, my wife found it and she reads it to me at night. That way, she gets the keyboard-related CTS and I get to lay down.
If we only exercised on days we felt good, we’d never exercise.
Comment by LuckyCyclist | 02.26.2008 | 9:40 pm
A chiropractor will tell you he fixed it, but you have to keep coming back to keep it in place.
Seriously, take a week off of Rockband. I broke my hand years ago and when it’s cold it aches a lot. Leading up to Frozen Hog I couldn’t go more than thirty minutes on the trainer (I ride in a cold shop) I noticed when I didn’t play Geetar Hero it got noticeably better. Also as the temp went up (twenty degrees or so over the past few weeks) It’s gotten better. My old man says mine is Arthritis. I believe him. He knows Arthritis. Ibuprofen dude. 200 mg for every fifty pounds of body weight. An hour before problem activites. Riding,typing, video games,nose picking…etc.
Comment by Heffalump | 02.26.2008 | 10:05 pm
Somehow during one of your falls that landed you on that wrist, some dehydrated, prehistoric sea monkeys that were just waiting around for the last 2 million years were absorbed into your bloodstream. They were rehydrated by your blood, and your habit of drinking diet coke with lime caused a rare mutation. The bulge is where a giant (for seamonkeys) egg sac is growing, and will eventually erupt with millions of mutant baby seamonkeys that will try to take over the world.
Can I have a T-shirt anyway?
Comment by LanterneRouge | 02.26.2008 | 10:23 pm
I’m pretty sure the wrist thing is scurvy. This explains your unnatural cravings for for citrus infused soft drinks. However the that is only one manifestation of a much larger problem. If you put together the scurvy, the bald head w/ soul patch and your addictive tendencies ( i.e., Superfly), it becomes clear that your real problem is that you think you are Marco Pantani.
Comment by DOM | 02.26.2008 | 10:41 pm
Clearly this is not a level playing field. Guesses from “Owee” to “in my experience…” The latter must be using PED’s (performance enhancing diplomas) and should be at least relegated to the back of the pack.
I’ll go with Morton’s neuroma. Don’t even know if that affects wrists, but it sounds important. As a secondary possibility, I pair previous comments regarding age and pleasure and suggest Viagra overdose.
Comment by buckythedonkey | 02.27.2008 | 12:26 am
Presumably this monologue of self pity is merely fog to conceal from Susan your latest little purchase, the one liner meeting the minimum requirements of the “but I told you about that last Tuesday” defense.
Your wrist pain is entirely psychosomatic, the part of your brain in charge of remembering your bank balance was trying (unsuccessfully, as it happens) to scupper your cycling. You were much cheaper to run when your weakness was ice cream…
Comment by Donald | 02.27.2008 | 1:22 am
It’s your radius… tenderness and loss of wrist motion are normal with what is called a distal radius fracture. I have experience, not medical, just being a victim. Both wrists… the left one year and the right, the next. Hope it heals soon.
Comment by AndyS | 02.27.2008 | 4:18 am
Torn cartlidge?
Comment by Susan (another one) | 02.27.2008 | 5:39 am
menopause
Comment by dvicci | 02.27.2008 | 6:45 am
You have, at some point in your life, offended the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Injuring your wrist in that fall provided just enough of an opportunity for the FSM to get a strand in there. The strand is wrapped around the innards in your wrist, preventing proper movement, and demanding proper atonement before it hardens into stiff noodle.
Comment by cyclostu | 02.27.2008 | 6:46 am
I’m going with hemorrhoids. It sounds like this whole wrist injury is a real pain in the a$$. Therefore, it’s gotta be hemorrhoids.
Comment by Sk8rAl | 02.27.2008 | 7:09 am
Tape worm.
Don’t worry, it’s never lupus.
Comment by El Animal | 02.27.2008 | 7:32 am
I just think it’s PMS.
Comment by El Animal | 02.27.2008 | 7:32 am
I already have one of your T-Shirts.
Comment by Big Mike | 02.27.2008 | 7:51 am
Well, based on my vast education, I think you’re pregnant.
If not, then you may have Bursitis or in a rare-case, a calcium deposit around an soft-tissue injury in your wrist-Do you have a thyroid condition?
If you are pregnant, I’m confident your riding are through (and you’ll never have to work another day in your life either). Since I’m leaning towards soft-tissue damage rather than a gestational sac, my shirt size is XL.
Comment by RB | 02.27.2008 | 7:56 am
I think its a chipped bone fragment. Happened to me once. It only took 3 weeks to heal the bone and about 4-6 months for the pain to subside.
I am curious to know if it ever hurts when you lift things (especially between your thumb and forefinger)
Comment by Big Mike | 02.27.2008 | 7:58 am
…almost forgot!
Have your Doctor insert a square needle into your left nut, then the whole wrist thing won’t seem so bad.
Comment by SRAM fanboy David | 02.27.2008 | 8:06 am
Herniated muscle. Shouldn’t cause pain but if it puts pressure on the nerves that could continue to suck. Really hope it isn’t that, though. Feel better.
Comment by Ian | 02.27.2008 | 8:49 am
disrupted ulnar triangular cartilage
Comment by Trapperdan | 02.27.2008 | 8:53 am
Distemper? Parvo virus?
Comment by Willie Nelson | 02.27.2008 | 8:58 am
Bursitis
Comment by Anonymous | 02.27.2008 | 9:20 am
Bowed Tendon, hack it off at the shoulder :)
Comment by Richard | 02.27.2008 | 12:40 pm
After reviewing the previous posts, there doesn’t seem to be any medical condition left to guess…..Perhaps you should make sure you have a will and leave me a t-shirt (XL).
Comment by KT | 02.27.2008 | 2:20 pm
I think it’s food poisoning.
Oh wait, that’s me. We’re supposed to be diagnosing YOU.
Well, I don’t have the proper degree for it, but I’m going with laminated root rot.
Shoot, wrong degree.
Ookay… let’s try again: severe tendinitis.
And it is possible to get carpal tunnel/tendinitis in the non-dominant hand, I’m living proof. It just takes 9 months of constant violin practice to get there.
Ummm… My fourth choice would be…. coronovirus, aka kennel cough. Stop visiting kennels.
Comment by Al Maviva | 02.27.2008 | 2:43 pm
>>>Jenni Writes:
>>>I’m going ganglionic cyst. Try smacking your wrist with a bible very very hard and see if it goes away.
Ironically enough, that’s exactly the same treatment that would be prescribed for LODWI.
Comment by Barbara | 02.27.2008 | 5:40 pm
I have no idea what’s wrong with your wrist, Fatty, but it sure has been entertaining reading everyone’s theories and wild guesses.
I do have some advice, though – if it’s carpal tunnel, tendonitis or anything non-fracture… don’t let them CUT you! Find yourself a PT who does myofascial release and get if fixed for real.
Comment by Beth | 02.27.2008 | 5:45 pm
TFCC first choice, scapholunate second choice.
Shouldn’t be scaphoid (i.e. navicular) fx, or pain wouldn’t be on the palmar (volar) side of the wrist. Wouldn’t expect carpal tunnel as a result of a fall (any time people hear wrist pain they lump it into carpal tunnel, the MRI wouldn’t give a great indication of CTS anyway, you would need an EMG/NCV study – much less fun).
Comment by pantaloonfan | 02.27.2008 | 6:30 pm
To whoever said tenosynovitis, I think you are WAY off. I had that in my wrist, and there was no bulging, and it was only on one side, and it’s a repetitive motion injury (at least in my case) called Dequervain’s Tenosynovitis (or Tenovaginitis if you want to be a bit more nasty.)
I, for the record, am proudly indicating that I have not a clue as to what’s wrong with fatty, though I applaud his focus and determination in not getting it figured out for months. Men everywhere are building small statues to mount in town squares, friend. :)
Meanwhile, hope this gets better quickly. Being in pain has a chilling effect on one’s whole state of mind.
Comment by jenni | 02.27.2008 | 7:11 pm
Al- I can’t find what that was again, this post is soooo long!
Comment by TheLurker | 02.28.2008 | 6:06 am
Dunno what’s causing the prob, but if it hurts when you’re typing you might want to think about buying a Maltron keyboard. I’ve been using one for 12 or 13 years now and it makes the difference between being able to do my job (code monkey) and not.
http://www.maltron.com
http://www.maltron.com/maltron-kbd-dual.html
Comment by RSBren | 02.28.2008 | 10:54 am
I am guessing that it is a Colles Fracture. That is what happened to me on one of my many falls.
Comment by randomduck | 02.28.2008 | 12:42 pm
I’m guessing it’s an injury of the ulnar collateral ligament – a.k.a. “Skier’s Thumb.”
Comment by jfg | 02.29.2008 | 8:52 pm
De Quervain’s tenosynovitis
Comment by LoPhat | 02.29.2008 | 9:00 pm
Your problem is that you didn’t go to the doctor when you crashed, and then go to PT, and of course you didn’t do the exercises that you said you would.
That’s why you haven’t healed.
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Interesting ideas… I wonder how the Hollywood media would portray this?