Will I be able to become a surgeon?

[ap28]

I hope to some day become a heart surgeon, but I have some physical restraints that may interfere with this goal.

I usually go on the computer for more than 25 hours in an entire week. It is because of this that I have carpal tunnel syndrome and that my forearms and wrists as well as fingers ache and hurt. I even have trouble sometimes doing normal things such as brushing my teeth without pain and eating food. I am fairly young, only 16 and I was wondering if there is any way for me to fix my hands. I haven't consulted with a physician yet about my hand problems, so its not confirmed that I have carpal tunnel, but I do have all the symptoms. Do you guys know how I can strengthen my hands and wrists and possibly regain the vitality in order to become a surgeon one day? I have greatly reduced my hours spent on the computer.

Also, I know that surgeons do like 10 hour surgeries sometimes and I wonder how they do this without getting carpal tunnel or other nerve disorders. Or is it common for surgeons to have carpal tunnel? And If so how do they deal with it, and how are they able to perform additional surgeries with that disorder?

Lastly, for some reason I'm unable to hold liquids for a long time, again I'm only 16 and I have no idea why I have to wake up every night to go to the bathroom. Do you guys know how I can fix my bladder so I can last longer? This never happened to me before, but for some reason this year I have to wake up every night, the saddest part is I'm so young.

Anyways thanks for the help!

PS. I'm not looking for anyone's sympathy so please be honest and share only the truth. It is better I know now that I cant pursue a career as a surgeon than waste my time going through all the preparations only to find out that I'm unable to do it.

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[El Nino]

Oh my....

I suggest you visit your doctor. I do not recommend a forum for a place to receive medical advice. Also, when people self diagnose themselves majority of the time they're wrong.

Although you have hopes to become a heart surgeon now, odds are you are going to change your mind later on. I suggest you search through the forum and just read. Check-out the cardiology, pre-med and allopathic forums etc.

 

[FuturaDocta]

This does not sound good at all. I dunno if that is carpal tunnel. I think you should definitely go to your doctor and soon. If you have frequent urination and nerve problems you might be developing something crazy. I don't wanna scare you or anything, so take what I say with a grain of salt. Except for this, GO TO YOUR DOC! pleez

And, don't let this run down your dream. People heal.

 

[NickNaylor]

(Repeat what has been said above)

More than likely this won't prevent you from becoming a physician. I think that, for the most part, physical trauma has to be pretty... well, traumatic to prevent you from performing your duties.

With that out of the way, go to a doctor.

 

[Future Doc1]

Well before you take any advice, take the advice that is most important, which is to go to your Physician and get a certain and official diagnosis but there are some things I can tell you to do to strengthen your wrists and forearms--you can do reverse curls or wrist curls (look them up on youtube). The pain is not that difficult to contain--you can get a perscription from your doctor to treat what ever you have or you can take a painkiller or something at home but that is kind of dumb (your also not aloud to perform any kind of surgery under painkillers, at least the ones that cause nausia or other effects similar to nausia). As far as your excessive urination, you could have multiple problems or something that involves both weakness of muscles in the arms and excessive urination, which is not particularly good. Go to a doctor.

 

[Rendar5]

No one on this forum can give you medical advice about ur condition/s. If you want to know what's going on and also want to know how to effectively deal with it, go to your doctor. Don't self-diagnose, don't self-treat, and don't listen to anyone online if they try to tell you what you have or how it can be treated.

 

[ap28]

Does anyone know about surgeons today that suffer from carpal tunnel? I understand that surgeons are at high risk of CTS, and there must be tons out there that are suffering from it. Are those surgeons rendered ineffective or will they be able to continue their practice? How does a surgeon with CTS perform surgeries if his/her hand hurts over and over and why would a patient want a surgeon like that at all? Just some questions I have for surgeons out there, not sure if this is the proper place in the forumn for this, if not can you tell me where this is best suited to be posted. Or where I can find this information?

Thanks

 

[Angio]

I used to be a race car fabricator before becoming a premed student, therefore I have done a LOT of TIG welding of all sorts. This has led to me having carpal tunnel symptoms, but no actual carpal tunnel. I haven't welded in over a year, and even with writing essay after essay, spending 20-30 hours a week typing on the computer, no symptoms. My keyboard however, is very very flat to the table (about 0.500" tall) so my wrists do not angle very high up.

Read this, it may help your situation with typing.

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-11324_7-6324059-6.html

***Please note that I am by no means giving any medical advice for your wrists, just my statement to my situation and how I minimized issues with CTS at my home office.

 

[kdburton]

If you're only 16 years old the last thing I would be worrying about is whether or not you're going to be able to be cardiothoracic surgeon based on current symptoms. You still have to graduate from high school, do 4 years of college, 4 years of medical school and 10 years of residency+ fellowship before you can be one of those. So you've got at least 18 years to figure this out. SDN is not the place to ask for medical advice (especially on the High school/pre-college student forum). Go talk to yuour doctor