I can’t believe it is 13 months since I had the surgery to remove the basal joint of my thumb. This is the joint that attaches my thumb to my hand. Surgery was a success, no pain in that joint anymore. I still get pain from different areas throughout my hand and from the area where the muscles atrophed and may never totally come back.
I am on my own with physical therapy for my thumb, hand, wrist, arm, shoulder and shoulder blade, as they were all started tightening up after the surgery. Exercising all the tightened areas from my fingers to my shoulder blade is done 3 or more times daily. Somedays I have to back off do to pain. Dr. B. said to use pain as my guide.
I finally started just doing things around the house or yard. This Summer I planted a garden and I find I don’t notice the stiffness quite as much when I am active. I am trying to build the strength back up in my hand and arm. I wasn’t even able to switch arms when holding my grand daughter without someone helping me. I was unable to lift my arm holding her to switch to my other arm. One would think that, that would be no problem.
I am slowly getting some strength back in my arm and shoulder, but still have pain in the shoulder. I am unable to get my hand behind my back like I use too, but it too is slowly coming along. I ended up with a partially frozen shoulder with having to have my arm up at all times after surgery.
I had to have all of my prescription bottles lids changed to screw ons as I was unable to get the child proof lids off of the bottles.
After getting my hand and fingers working fairly good again and most of the swelling down. I ended up having to be tested for carpel tunnel. I had severe carpel tunnel, and had never had a problem with it until after Occupational and physical therapy. The neurologist told me that I needed to have it taken care of soon or I could lose complete use of my hand and arm. So, on Dec. 20, 2007, I had the carpel tunnel surgery done. One week later I was able to start exercising my hand once again. My Doctor does not believe in splints or braces for after surgery. He just had it wrapped in a well padded gauze with and Ace bandage wrapped around it, and he kept my thumb free to be able to move it around.
Once again the swelling was back. I had to massage the scar to reduce the tenderness and work the swelling out of my hand. This has slowly gotten pretty much back to normal. As of April I saw the Doctor again for another check up on my thumb and hand. I still have occasional numbness still in my fingers, so I have to go back in June to see the Doctor.
There are times I am just not able to use my arm. I have just way to much pain. It wakes me up in the middle of the night. Sometimes I just don’t know what to do with my arm but, exercise it.
This recovery seems like it has been going on forever. At my last appointment I was told that now the recovery time was going to be at least 2 years from April 2008. Due to the fact I had to have the carpel tunnel surgery.
I would say I have gained at least 80% use back of my thumb. My hand still doesn’t feel total normal yet. My fingers and hand have a tendency to stiffen up and swell, and when the weather is changing boy does it hurt. I take alot of ibuprofen some days.
Finally after about 5 1/2 months I was able to eat without getting half of the food on my top. It is really funny how you lose the coordination of your fingers. They don’t bend or turn like they use to. I am still working on getting my fingers to cross. I almost have to not think of what I am doing. If I think about it too much it doesn’t happen. I am working on a printed cross stitch baby bib for my grand daughter and am able to use either my Fiskars scissor or a normal scissors without any pain. I also have started to crochet just a regular stitch scarf for my grandson for winter to put around his neck. My hand and wrist get so tired so fast, but the more I crochet or cross stitch the easier it gets each time. If I miss a day it starts getting tired really easy again.
I have had to go for at least 5 massages to lossen all the muscles in my neck, arm and shoulder. But, it was well worth it as it worked.
Writing took sometime. I was able to type sooner than I was able to write. My signature is almost back to normal, but my penmanship is not as good as it use to be, it takes alot of patience sometimes and also it is better to use a thicker pen when writing, there is less pressure on the joint. The recovery that Dr. B talks about for the 2 years means that, that is when he will know exactly how much use I have gotten back of my thumb. I have the hardest time picking things up with my thumb and index finger, only to discover that my thumb is now at least 1/2 inch shorter than it was, and Dr. B said that the scar tissue that is my joint will shrink down more. I asked him how my thumb was staying in place since he took the joint out. Cause the cartlidge was attached to that bone at one time. The wearing down of the joint caused the cartiledge to let loose and let the thumb slip out of joint. Dr. B. said that the scar tissue will attach to the other bones in my thumb and hand, and that the tendon and ligaments also hold my thumb in place. When looking at both of my thumbs, the skin has gotten more wrinkled with it being shorter. So I have the side of my hand by my thumb and on top of my hand near my thumb and wrist that is wrinkled. I will say it has been well worth it to be able to hold something in my hand again. To be able to put my hair up, or even wash my hair or take a bath with out having to have assistance.
Once in awhile I still need help with a few things. Some jars or bottles are still hard to open, but all in all everything is improving. I am looking forward to the day when I will be able to cake decorate again, the time to try things out are coming soon.
Well I know this really sounds all scattered, but this is just how the recovery has been.
I do highly recommend the surgery to anyone who has had the same problems with their thumb as I did. To be pain free with that joint is a life saver.
Take your hand once and move it around and see what you actually do with your fingers and thumb. Because if you don’t have it taken care of, that is what you will lose, and it is really dabilitating.
Check out the other articles I have written before and after surgery on Osteoarthritis of the Thumb.
osteoarthritis_of_the_thumb_treatments
osteoarthritis_of_the_thumb_part_2.
osteoarthritis_treatment_and_surgery
