Hand Surgery

That is Good news. Keep at it. Still holding you in our prayer also.
 


My goodness, somehow I have missed this thread and just caught up with it.

Take care, Alex and hope it goes well for you.

Chris
 
My goodness, somehow I have missed this thread and just caught up with it.

Take care, Alex and hope it goes well for you.

Chris
Thanks-
I see the Dr. this week so I'll see how things go.
 
@kc1di--
When your Dr. pressed on your wrist and hand did he apply a lot of presser to the point that you felt pain?
How much pressure did he apply when touching the injured hand?

The Dr. was very rough and pressed really hard on my hand and wrist to the point where the pain was pure agony to me.

Got two cortazone shots in my hand today. The thumb and the first finger have been numb for 4 and 1/2 hours so far.
 
Doctors should have more sense and more compassion.

Over 22 years ago, Elaine was being retired Totally and Permanently Disabled, from too many years of high speed typing for lawyers appearing before impatient judges. As part of her retirement approval, she was referred to a hand doctor appointed from the government's side.

He was a big fellow and insisted on shaking her hand, and she whimpered in pain.

I was just recently retired from powerlifting and had a 280 kg (617 lbs) deadlift, so I shook his hand, and he winced.

Not proud of it, as I believe with great strength you should be gentle, but he hurt Elaine. Don't know if he learned anything from it.

Cheers and keep the faith.
 
Doctors should have more sense and more compassion.

Over 22 years ago, Elaine was being retired Totally and Permanently Disabled, from too many years of high speed typing for lawyers appearing before impatient judges. As part of her retirement approval, she was referred to a hand doctor appointed from the government's side.

He was a big fellow and insisted on shaking her hand, and she whimpered in pain.

I was just recently retired from powerlifting and had a 280 kg (617 lbs) deadlift, so I shook his hand, and he winced.

Not proud of it, as I believe with great strength you should be gentle, but he hurt Elaine. Don't know if he learned anything from it.

Cheers and keep the faith.
Ant idea why the Dr. did that to Elaine?
 
My best guess he was checking to see if she was faking it. She wasn't.
 
Where I live, you don't even need a permit to conceal carry a firearm. I doubt a doctor is gonna do similar to my wife!

I kid, I kid... I don't carry a firearm. I just wanted to point out the absurdity of a doctor doing that.

When I was in the hospital after the wreck, a doctor dropped (what was to me) heavy charts and clipboards onto the leg I'd just had operated on the day before. I calmly pointed out that she'd done so and she said something snarky about 'oh, so that hurt did it?' and I made sure she never entered my room again.

I mostly had the most awesome treatment known to man, but that instance (and one other) made me speak up.

The second was that I have low blood pressure, especially if I've been prone. Well, I'd been prone for a few days and a nurse had me stand up for the first time. I did so and was immediately gonna fall on the ground. I said something and she said 'stop faking'. Sure enough, and the pain was intense - oh so very intense 'cause at the time just bending a foot was painful, I started falling.

The next thing I know there's a few people picking me up, again the pain was horrible, and I was back in bed. Again, I made sure that nurse never saw me again.

Other than those two instances, things were awesome. I was treated for a bit over a year and those were the only things I can possibly complain about.
 
Where I live, you don't even need a permit to conceal carry a firearm. I doubt a doctor is gonna do similar to my wife!

I kid, I kid... I don't carry a firearm. I just wanted to point out the absurdity of a doctor doing that.

When I was in the hospital after the wreck, a doctor dropped (what was to me) heavy charts and clipboards onto the leg I'd just had operated on the day before. I calmly pointed out that she'd done so and she said something snarky about 'oh, so that hurt did it?' and I made sure she never entered my room again.

I mostly had the most awesome treatment known to man, but that instance (and one other) made me speak up.

The second was that I have low blood pressure, especially if I've been prone. Well, I'd been prone for a few days and a nurse had me stand up for the first time. I did so and was immediately gonna fall on the ground. I said something and she said 'stop faking'. Sure enough, and the pain was intense - oh so very intense 'cause at the time just bending a foot was painful, I started falling.

The next thing I know there's a few people picking me up, again the pain was horrible, and I was back in bed. Again, I made sure that nurse never saw me again.

Other than those two instances, things were awesome. I was treated for a bit over a year and those were the only things I can possibly complain about.
If a Dr. was that ham handed with a chart I would see to it that they never entered my room either David.
I can only imagine how angry you were.

Did you file a complaint with the medical board on the Dr. or the nurse?

 
If a Dr. was that ham handed with a chart I would see to it that they never entered my room either David.
I can only imagine how angry you were.

Did you file a complaint with the medical board on the Dr. or the nurse?

No, I just made sure they never entered my room again. I simply voiced my disgust and the staff took care of the rest. Under the circumstances, I couldn't even recount their names or even what they looked like. My memory of that entire ordeal is really quite fuzzy - and probably not because of the copious amounts of opiates they gave me.

My brain just kinda discounts stuff like that and shuts it away. I have whole chunks of my life that I don't remember in any detail. I probably could ask the hospital to go through their records and find the names, as I'm sure they chart stuff like that, but I've never done so. At the time, I had more pressing matters to take up my brain cycles.

I do NOT assume malice. I do NOT assume negligence. I do NOT assume indifference.

I figure they're just like everyone else on the planet, prone to having a bad day or a lapse in judgement from time to time. That's generally a good assumption, as I too have had bad days in the past. I too have had lapsed judgement. I too have had off days.

I'm only vindictive if there is a pattern of bad behavior directed at me. On the whole, I got treatment that many Americans (indeed anyone on the planet) would be grateful to have. I'll avoid discussing it in public - and derailing your thread - but you can send me a PM and I'll tell you a bit more.
 
I can move the thumb and rotate it now w/o pain.
And I can pick up small things that are light weight.
Still can't pick up a fork and use it or make a fist...but the progress is good so I got a smile on my face.

I've got 3 more weeks of PT till I check in with the Dr. again.
 
Those are progress. PT's progress isn't immediate and it's seldom easy.
 
Those are progress. PT's progress isn't immediate and it's seldom easy.
Yup, it hasn't been easy. A few times I tried to make a fist and touch the middle to the tip of the thumb and the pain was horrible! I hope it heals all the way and that may take a while.
 
Good progress--

I'm able to hold my tooth brush and brush my teeth and hold a sandwich in my hand to be able to eat it.
Can zipper a zipper, pick up small items and write a handful of circles and zig zags.
I haven't been able to do that since August.

The hand and fingers are still weak and shake if I try to make a fist or touch the ring finger or pinky to the thumb. Some of the hand and finger exercises are painful to do. Anyway; the therapist said strength will come later.

Have a nice holiday everyone!
 
Have a nice holiday everyone!

You too! We celebrated on Sunday, for logistics reasons. So, I'll be around tomorrow - though I'll still be cooking up some delicious food.

And, that sounds like great progress. If PT is working this well, maybe your insurance will continue to cover PT long enough for you to maybe avoid surgery? I know some insurance companies are moronic about this and will only pay for a small number of appointments. That seems pretty silly when PT is actually progressing well.

Enjoy your delicious turkey!
 
You too! We celebrated on Sunday, for logistics reasons. So, I'll be around tomorrow - though I'll still be cooking up some delicious food.

And, that sounds like great progress. If PT is working this well, maybe your insurance will continue to cover PT long enough for you to maybe avoid surgery? I know some insurance companies are moronic about this and will only pay for a small number of appointments. That seems pretty silly when PT is actually progressing well.

Enjoy your delicious turkey!
They only cover 20 visit's until the New Year.

Thanks!
 
Good Progress!
Since my last post a lot of good things are happening.
For the first time in 5 months I can wash a few dishes, write a sentence and use a fork or spoon to eat.
I can hold a sandwich too now which is great!

The hand and fingers are still somewhat weak still.
I can almost make a fist. I think the reason I can't make a fist completely is because the top of the fingers and a portion of the top of the hand is still swollen.

Throwing the pic axe into concrete really messed up the thumb badly and the Dr. said he didn't know if it would heal. Sorry I didn't mention that sooner. Truth is the pain in the wrist was so bad that I had forgotten about the thumb. That thumb hurt like hell to heal!:(

Thanks for the prayers.
 
I think I'm out of the woods-
I'm able to make a fist now and I can type about 3 or 4 sentences w/o pain!
Opening and turning lids goes well too w/o pain....just can't repeat it too much.

Haven't been to PT in 3 weeks however; have been practicing the exercises at home and have had great improvement.
Wish I had a one pound weight laying around to strengthen it.
I've got a 5 pound barbell but that will most likely re-create that injury.
Suggestions?

Hands still weak but can do most things now, YAY! :)
 


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