You're very welcome - I'm glad I was able to help you out a bit.

Don't worry about the "playing a kid guitar" bit. 3/4 size does not equal beginner guitar and does not equal kiddie guitar. It just so happens that this size guitar suits those needs. You can can get a really nice 3/4 size guitar, like a Baby Taylor. My daughter has a Mitchell guitar, which is the store brand for Guitar Center. It cost ~$120. She was drawn to that guitar, but there was another guitar made by Laguna that I thought had a better sound. It was ~$150. Both are well made instruments - not toys. The store also had a nice Yamaha.

There were many good well made choices. It's much different from when I was first learning back in the early 80's - beginner guitars back then were hard on the fingers and sounded horrible.

Especially if you are recovering from carpal tunnel issues, I think you have a good plan to head back out to the music store. I think you'll find a 3/4 size guitar refreshing.

Best of luck! Let us know how it goes for you.