Lisa Wilkinson reveals her secret health battle
After 20 years of suffering the painful, uncomfortable condition, Today co-host Lisa Wilkinson has finally sought treatment for her carpal tunnel syndrome. The 57-year-old was noticeably absent from the morning show on Wednesday, posting a cryptic photo on Instagram by way of explanation.
“So, I didn’t quite make it in to work today, because this happened…” she captioned the snap.
On Thursday, Wilkinson was back on air, explaining she was first struck down by the condition following the birth of her son Louis. After 20 years of enduring the discomfort, which had progressively gotten worse, the star finally resorted to surgery.
“Basically, my arm was going dead when I woke up in the morning,” she told viewers. “I’d wake up and have pins and needles, but it’s been getting worse and worse and worse, to the point where for the last two months I haven’t been able to sleep for much more than an hour at a time every night because my arm is just completely dead.”
Despite only her left wrist being operated on, Wilkinson revealed both sides were affected. Surprisingly, as Today panellist Dr Ric Gordon explained, it’s not uncommon for women to experience the condition during pregnancy.
“You have the median nerve which runs through a tiny little tunnel in your wrist,” he said. “That median nerve supplies sensation and motor function to the thumb and those fingers. If you put a lot of fluid in to a little tunnel, you’ve got to compress the nerve. That’s why people get that numbness in that side of their hand and it can progress up the arm as well.”
Have you ever suffered carpal tunnel syndrome before? Did you seek treatment? Share your story with us in the comments below.
Image credit: Lisa Wilkinson/Instagram.