On Tuesday I saw a hand doctor and on Wednesday I saw the hand therapist. Talk about specialization - at least they do both hands. No specialist for the left hand and the right hand! I suppose I am fortunate that it is my left thumb that is killing me, because I am right handed. This is really an ongoing problem which derives from the arthritis I have in my hands ....and my hip.... and ...and ...and!! It finally came to the point that I can't hold anything in my left hand. At the beginning of this year someone suggested that it wasn't arthritis at all, but carpel tunnel syndrome. And, it turns out, it is a combination of the two.
This is a daytime splint.
Another view.
This is the night time splint.
And another view.
The most amazing thing about all this was watching the hand therapist make the night splint. She put a rectangular piece of the hole-y white plastic in a flat apparatus that looks like a banquet serving hot tray. She drew a very rough sketch (like five little lines) of my hand on a piece of paper. When she took the plastic out it was malleable and using the hand 'pattern' she had made, she cut it in the shape that she wanted and, when it had cooled a little, she wrapped it around my hand to shape it. Then she trimmed and smoothed and applied the Velcro tabs and voila! a splint made just for me. I'm not too crazy about the ragged knit piece that I wear under it, but if I don't wear it the splint sticks to my hand and I have a hard time getting it off. I'm trying to find something else that will work. This is an open ended deal, so I don't know how long I will wear the splints, or if it will be sufficient. The next step is surgery and anyone who knows me at all knows how diligently I avoid surgery! I'm tying to figure out ways to do things without using my left thumb. I'm not ready to give up on the computer yet.
I have a lot of sympathy for the people across the nation who are suffering from miserable weather. I had planned to go to the desert this week, but the weather reports deterred me and I am glad. Thousands of people were stranded around SCalifornia due to snowy road closures. I will try to go on Xmas day or the day after, but will be home by the 30th. Meanwhile I will try to blog.
2 comments:
Del, I'm so sorry you're dealing with the hand issues. I hope you bounce back quickly.
Ick. been there/done that. The splint and some occupational therapy fixed it. But oh, my, I hope you don't have to have surgery.
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