I am 21 years old in a few weeks and have been diagnosed by an Ortho doc. That I have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome... I keep waking up in the middle of the night in unimaginative pain, however the doctor has told me I could take the steroidal shots but I heard they do cartilage damage and I could do surgery which my grandfather did and now he can't use his hands at all. I don't know what to make of all of this for one thing I thought I was to young for CTS. I have done physical therapy and it didn't help actually my hands felt worse. I figured if I ask maybe someone can give me some advice I have been off work on short term disability for two months and currently laid off as well but still can't work by doctors orders so now what? I am a college student and the pain in my hands are unbearable but I don't know about the surgery either all other surgeries I have ever had I got infections from and I want to be able to use my hands.:( I do not know what to do someone help!!

There is no guarantee with surgery but the recovery time is long. It will take time for recovery. Do you have it in both or just the one?

Both my mother and uncle have had it done, in both. One at a time of course. There is no guarantee that it will work. I think my mother had more then one surgery. My uncle only had the one, on both hands. The recovery time is long.

You can not live in that kind of pain. There are other treatments like you said. If you have had infections in every other surgery were the infections series and they also no your history, right?

Depending on the surgeon (doctor) did they describe exactly how big of an incision they will have to make , etc..?

I have it in both hands however my right is worse then the left right now. I also am in college full time as well as I was working full time. I just worry about the surgery I guess. Yes the infections for example with my tonsillectomy I was out of school for about six months because of infections. I also got told that the shots that he wants to put in my hands in two weeks can deuterate the cartilage and I have problems with that as it is. I guess the only thing in my favor is that I do not have kids I only have three beautiful cats to worry about. I do know I thought of doing one hand first and letting it heal and then seeing if I want to do the other hand since I am ambidextrous.