Tennis Elbows and Other Sorrows

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For years my left arm have been bothering me. Most of the time I'd ignore it. Earlier this year,when it was diagnosed as tennis elbow, I have had two injections, about three months apart and each time it worked. For a few months until I do something heavy. Like bags or whatever. I have always thought that it was due to an old playing injury, which was probably true too and later, it was from carrying Nazzim and Sofia. To this day, I remember carrying Nazzim, who was about one year old then, at the market. The market floor was wet and dirty and he wanted nothing to do with it. And he was a big one year old.

Even though I am right handed, I carry children (from cousins to nephews and nieces to both Nazzim and Sofia) with my left hand. Even when my left hand was tired, I'd switch but my right hand would only last a few minutes, then it s back to my good old reliable left. Same with carrying bags. Heavy bags.

Last Saturday, I played golf with a rather sore left arm which, by about midway, was on fire. It was aching before but it never bothered my golf. So, the only thing left was to go a doctor and get a referral to see a specialist. An orthopaedic surgeon you, no less. Itu maknanya sudah teruklah tu, heh heh heh. After some questions and a few painful manipulations of my arm, he declared it as tennis elbow. We know that already but this is coming from a specialist meh. And I'm gonna have it forever and ever. It will be recurring. As if I don't know.

The thing about tennis elbow is, it is caused by improper use of the wrists. As the good Dr. Syed said it, "Professional tennis players never get tennis elbows, it is the amateurs who get it, because they play tennis just like they play badminton, with their wrists..."

Ah, I play tennis but I play it with my right hand. Either I am a pro and good at it or I simply did not play enough. Maybe it was the latter. Then it dawned on me that it must have been all the bags and haversacks that I have handled through all the years, how I'd manipulate them with just my left hand, hence, left wrist. I'd pick it up with my left hand, put it over my shoulder with my left hand, hold on to the strap with my left hand, more often than not, with the wrist in some god awful awkward position. That must be it. And oh, the good doctor said that housewives are also great sufferers of tennis elbows - they wring the clothes they wash real good. And I'd usually wring the cloth that I'd use to wash my car real hard. You know how proud we' d be when we managed to wring every single drop of water from any piece of clothing? Yup, pretty proud and bad bad bad for the wrists.

So from now on, I just have to learn to use my right hand, wrist, arm, side a lot more. And just wring a lot less water out of anything.

And of course the injection. Ah, needles.

"It's OK, the needle is out.", the good doctor said as I was still squeezing my eyes shut then. Needles, I try to stay away far far away from them.

So remember, you get tennis elbows when you misuse your wrists......

Aaahhhh....., good to have a good left arm again.....

As a parting shot, what would you do if you are faced with something that is seemeingly insurmountable and not easily discussed with most anyone?

Now, that's a strong left arm............

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