Re: going through the basal joint surgery process - at least, my story
Quote:
Originally Posted by Haydena
Hi Adklady,
You are now 10 days after your surgery, how are you feeling?
I hope all is well with you & your hand.
Do let us have some news from you.
Take care,
Haydena.
Thanks for asking, Haydena. I just found your response. I'm now almost 4 weeks post-surgery. The first night was horrible, as I was allergic to the pain medication so vomited all night. Fortunately I was on an IV in the hospital so did not become dehydrated. When I finally reakized that the pain med was causing my illness, I stopped using the pain pump and all was well. Since then I have only used extra strength Tylenol as needed. Now I usually don't take anything all day as I'm not in pain. Occasionally I feel a burning sensation at the incision point or sometimes a throbbing ache, but this is tolerable, and from what I've read on here, normal. I'm out of the original spica splint and have been wearing a non removable splint. I'm to have it removed 12/27, 5 weeks post-op, and then will begin gentle range of motion exercises. I've decided to put off the same surgery on my other hand until next year or longer, if I can. My pain will be my guide. I'm so thankful for a wonderful husband, an elevation pillow, elastic waist pants, pullover bras and short-term disability insurance!
Re: going through the basal joint surgery process - at least, my story
Quote:
Originally Posted by ADKLADY
Thanks for asking, Haydena. I just found your response. I'm now almost 4 weeks post-surgery. The first night was horrible, as I was allergic to the pain medication so vomited all night. Fortunately I was on an IV in the hospital so did not become dehydrated. When I finally reakized that the pain med was causing my illness, I stopped using the pain pump and all was well. Since then I have only used extra strength Tylenol as needed. Now I usually don't take anything all day as I'm not in pain. Occasionally I feel a burning sensation at the incision point or sometimes a throbbing ache, but this is tolerable, and from what I've read on here, normal. I'm out of the original spica splint and have been wearing a non removable splint. I'm to have it removed 12/27, 5 weeks post-op, and then will begin gentle range of motion exercises. I've decided to put off the same surgery on my other hand until next year or longer, if I can. My pain will be my guide. I'm so thankful for a wonderful husband, an elevation pillow, elastic waist pants, pullover bras and short-term disability insurance!
Hi Adklady,
I dont understand why but I was not notified by e mail about this post of yours & am really sorry I didnt not reply to you before.
Sorry you became allergic to the pain meds they gave you after your op & bravo to you for realizing this.
For the burning ache & throbbing pain you may still get, there is a homeopathic cream called Arnica which I suggest you buy or order on the internet. I swear by it for all kinds of pains. If however you are not in pain now, the more you hydrate your scar the better as the skin needs all the moisture it can get.
I wish you good luck with the removing of your splint this coming Tuesday & good luck with your motion exercises.
Do please let us know how you are getting on.
Take care.
Hugs, Haydena. PS. I wish you a very happy Christmas.
Last edited by Haydena; 12-24-2011 at 08:46 AM.
The Following User Says Thank You to Haydena For This Useful Post: ADKLADY (12-25-2011)
Re: going through the basal joint surgery process - at least, my story
Quote:
Originally Posted by wendyray
Thank you for your kind note and best wishes, ADKLADY. It's tomorrow at 11:00. I think it will go well. I'll let you all know how I feel on Tuesday.
Hugs,
wendyray
Wendyray, hi,
I have been thinking about you since last Monday & would very much like to hear how your op was & how you are feeling?
If you are able to, please let us know.
Wishing you a very happy & pain free Christmas.
Hugs, Haydena.
Re: going through the basal joint surgery process - at least, my story
Quote:
Originally Posted by Haydena
Wendyray, hi,
I have been thinking about you since last Monday & would very much like to hear how your op was & how you are feeling?
If you are able to, please let us know.
Wishing you a very happy & pain free Christmas.
Hugs, Haydena.
Hi, Haydena,
Thank you for your kind note. I thought I posted a note on how it all went last Wednesday. Maybe I just thought I did. Or, maybe I am just not so great at knowing where to post.
Anyway, I'm doing okay. The first two days were the worst pain-wise. Now that's pretty much under control, but I'm not progressing as fast as I'd like to be. I know that that's probable understandable since the only hand I have to use right now had its surgery on November 2. I think I am just bored with the whole process. I wish I could just go to sleep and wake up with at least one hand working normally. It doesn't help that I am also in the middle of full blown menopause with hot flashes and night sweats. I am taking something herbal (wild yam) for that now so its not as bad as it was.
My hand therapist is happy with my progress, so I take comfort in that. I'm just not used to doing so little. Thank God for the game Words with Friends! It's the one thing I seem to be able to do well right now.
Sorry if my note sounds down. I am down--but this, too, will pass.
Thanks again for your note.
Hugs,
wendyray
The following user gives a hug of support to wendyray: Haydena (12-27-2011)
Re: going through the basal joint surgery process - at least, my story
Quote:
Originally Posted by wendyray
Hi, Haydena,
Thank you for your kind note. I thought I posted a note on how it all went last Wednesday. Maybe I just thought I did. Or, maybe I am just not so great at knowing where to post.
Anyway, I'm doing okay. The first two days were the worst pain-wise. Now that's pretty much under control, but I'm not progressing as fast as I'd like to be. I know that that's probable understandable since the only hand I have to use right now had its surgery on November 2. I think I am just bored with the whole process. I wish I could just go to sleep and wake up with at least one hand working normally. It doesn't help that I am also in the middle of full blown menopause with hot flashes and night sweats. I am taking something herbal (wild yam) for that now so its not as bad as it was.
My hand therapist is happy with my progress, so I take comfort in that. I'm just not used to doing so little. Thank God for the game Words with Friends! It's the one thing I seem to be able to do well right now.
Sorry if my note sounds down. I am down--but this, too, will pass.
Thanks again for your note.
Hugs,
wendyray
Hi Wendyray,
Nope, your note does'nt sound down, you have been through quite alot & its always good to get rid of negative feelings & thoughts. This forum is a place where we can get support from eachother during difficult times.
I am pleased to hear that you are doing well in your recovery & that your hand therapist is happy with your progress.
Happy to hear you are pain free now. My first 2 days after my surgery were also quite painfull & thank goodness for pain killers.
Oh dear !! I remember those awful flushes & night sweats & you have my fullest sympathy. Maybe you should check out other alternative remedies, I know there are quite a few more on the market.
Unfortunately boredom during recovery is a problem. I spent hours surffing the internet, writing loads of talkbacks on news websites & playing trivia word games & watching videos.I was able to type with my healthy, right hand. My friends were all working during the day.
I realize that time goes slowly when one is bored, but do give yourself time to heal & be patient with yourself. In a couple of weeks you will be just fine & will have forgotten the frustration you are going through now.
I actually think you are fantastic to have had both your hands down over such a short period of time. Bravo to you.
Another tip I forgot to tell you about is for you to drink as much water as possible to help flush the knock-out injection you had during your op. (I can never spell the proper word & am too lazy to refer to my dictionary!!)
Hang in there Wendyray, you are over the worst!
Take good care.
Hugs, Haydena.
Re: going through the basal joint surgery process - at least, my story
Quote:
Originally Posted by Haydena
Hi Wendyray,
Nope, your note does'nt sound down, you have been through quite alot & its always good to get rid of negative feelings & thoughts. This forum is a place where we can get support from eachother during difficult times.
I am pleased to hear that you are doing well in your recovery & that your hand therapist is happy with your progress.
Happy to hear you are pain free now. My first 2 days after my surgery were also quite painfull & thank goodness for pain killers.
Oh dear !! I remember those awful flushes & night sweats & you have my fullest sympathy. Maybe you should check out other alternative remedies, I know there are quite a few more on the market.
Unfortunately boredom during recovery is a problem. I spent hours surffing the internet, writing loads of talkbacks on news websites & playing trivia word games & watching videos.I was able to type with my healthy, right hand. My friends were all working during the day.
I realize that time goes slowly when one is bored, but do give yourself time to heal & be patient with yourself. In a couple of weeks you will be just fine & will have forgotten the frustration you are going through now.
I actually think you are fantastic to have had both your hands down over such a short period of time. Bravo to you.
Another tip I forgot to tell you about is for you to drink as much water as possible to help flush the knock-out injection you had during your op. (I can never spell the proper word & am too lazy to refer to my dictionary!!)
Hang in there Wendyray, you are over the worst!
Take good care.
Hugs, Haydena.
Thanks for your reply, Haydena. Once again, you have really come through for me--with great encouragement, shared experiences, and good reminders, balanced with just the right amout of sympathy. You are truly a blessing to me!!
Re: going through the basal joint surgery process - at least, my story
Hello Haydena and Wendyray: it is good to hear how you're doing, Wendyray! I too have fallen into quite the boring routine, 5 weeks post surgery. I've been watching a lot of movies, the food network, dr. Oz, etc. And reading ebooks. I think that what I miss the most is being productive--cooking, driving, being able to shave under my left armpit, write out checks etc. I can't say that I miss my job yet, as I work at a maximum security prison and it is a depressing place to work. Besides, I'm still being paid on sick leave.
Today I had the splint removed. Tomorrow I begin physical therapy. I'm finding that my thumb is completely stiff, even the top joint. My wrist is very stiff on both sides. I'm having occasional shooting pain and throbbing. When will this stiffness and soreness go away? I haven't had to take any Tylenol in a while but I think I may tonight. I was so excited to have the splint removed, and I'm disappointed that I don't feel that I can do anything more than when I still had it on! Is this normal? Hope to hear your feedback soon.
Wendyray, you are very brave and did what you had to do. 6 months from now you'll probably be glad that you got it over with. Chin up, hon. I'm a hot-flasher and flusher too, just ask my husband who has to put up with me constantly adjusting the thermostat! And it has been hotter than usual in Southern Florida. Sigh. I have to keep reminding myself how blessed I am in so many ways.
Take care, ladies. It's always so good to read your posts!
Re: going through the basal joint surgery process - at least, my story
Quote:
Originally Posted by wendyray
Thanks for your reply, Haydena. Once again, you have really come through for me--with great encouragement, shared experiences, and good reminders, balanced with just the right amout of sympathy. You are truly a blessing to me!!
Warmest regards and a VERY BIG HUG,
wendyray
Wendyray, hi,
I am pleased to have been of help to you & appreciate your appreciation.
Take one day at a time & you will see how your progress will improve.
I look forward to hearing about your continued healing & progress.
Best regards & a big hug to you with loads of happy smiles.
Re: going through the basal joint surgery process - at least, my story
Quote:
Originally Posted by ADKLADY
Hello Haydena and Wendyray: it is good to hear how you're doing, Wendyray! I too have fallen into quite the boring routine, 5 weeks post surgery. I've been watching a lot of movies, the food network, dr. Oz, etc. And reading ebooks. I think that what I miss the most is being productive--cooking, driving, being able to shave under my left armpit, write out checks etc. I can't say that I miss my job yet, as I work at a maximum security prison and it is a depressing place to work. Besides, I'm still being paid on sick leave.
Today I had the splint removed. Tomorrow I begin physical therapy. I'm finding that my thumb is completely stiff, even the top joint. My wrist is very stiff on both sides. I'm having occasional shooting pain and throbbing. When will this stiffness and soreness go away? I haven't had to take any Tylenol in a while but I think I may tonight. I was so excited to have the splint removed, and I'm disappointed that I don't feel that I can do anything more than when I still had it on! Is this normal? Hope to hear your feedback soon.
Wendyray, you are very brave and did what you had to do. 6 months from now you'll probably be glad that you got it over with. Chin up, hon. I'm a hot-flasher and flusher too, just ask my husband who has to put up with me constantly adjusting the thermostat! And it has been hotter than usual in Southern Florida. Sigh. I have to keep reminding myself how blessed I am in so many ways.
Take care, ladies. It's always so good to read your posts!
Hi Adklady,
Congratulations on having your splint removed. Thats a great step forward.
Yes of course the soreness & stiffness will go away as soon as you start physio. Its quite normal for your hand to be sore & stiff as its been in a cast for sometime & you have'nt moved it at all. Dont worry & be patient the more physio you do with your physiotherapist & alone, the faster your hand will improve with flexibility which will enable you to use it more.
The best you can do for that shooting pain is to use an ice pack. It really helps. Believe it or not, its actually a good sign to have those shooting pains
as your hand is telling you its healing !!
I am interested to know how you are proceeding with your hand, so please let me know here.
All good wishes for your continued pain free healing.
Re: going through the basal joint surgery process - at least, my story
Thank you, Haydena, hugs to you as well! I'm glad that you pointed out that the pain actually means that the hand is healing. I hadn't thought of it that way!. I'll keep in touch!
The following user gives a hug of support to ADKLADY: Haydena (12-28-2011)
Re: going through the basal joint surgery process - at least, my story
I started PT yesterday. Right now we are only working on loosening up my fingers--no easy task due to the severe OA in every DIP joint. My thumb remains swollen and I cannot bend it. I believe there may be some nerve damage because there is some loss of feeling from the base of my thumb to the top joint, along the front side facing me. We will see. I meet with the PT once again next week and then 2 times for 6-8 weeks. So nice to have the cast off!
Re: going through the basal joint surgery process - at least, my story
Quote:
Originally Posted by ADKLADY
I started PT yesterday. Right now we are only working on loosening up my fingers--no easy task due to the severe OA in every DIP joint. My thumb remains swollen and I cannot bend it. I believe there may be some nerve damage because there is some loss of feeling from the base of my thumb to the top joint, along the front side facing me. We will see. I meet with the PT once again next week and then 2 times for 6-8 weeks. So nice to have the cast off!
Hi Adklady,
From what I can understand you are now almost 6 weeks after your surgery.
Correct me if I am wrong.
I dont think you should worry about your thumb still being swollen & stiff.
We all heal differently & at our own pace. However if you think that you may have some nerve damage in the area you need to go see your surgeon. Worrying about it is not good for you. Did you ask your physiotherapist about this?
Keep doing the hand movements on your own as much as you can.
There is a very good homeopathic cream which you can buy on the internet
& I think in some drug stores, called Arnica. It reduces the swelling & I advise you to buy it & use it at least 3 times a day. I swear by this cream as it helped me alot with swelling & pain.
Re: going through the basal joint surgery process - at least, my story
Quote:
Originally Posted by Haydena
Hi Adklady,
From what I can understand you are now almost 6 weeks after your surgery.
Correct me if I am wrong.
I dont think you should worry about your thumb still being swollen & stiff.
We all heal differently & at our own pace. However if you think that you may have some nerve damage in the area you need to go see your surgeon. Worrying about it is not good for you. Did you ask your physiotherapist about this?
Keep doing the hand movements on your own as much as you can.
There is a very good homeopathic cream which you can buy on the internet
& I think in some drug stores, called Arnica. It reduces the swelling & I advise you to buy it & use it at least 3 times a day. I swear by this cream as it helped me alot with swelling & pain.
Please let me know how you are doing.
Haydena.
Hi again Adklady,
I scrolled back on this thread to re-read my posts about my surgery & how my recovery went.
My splint was removed after 5 weeks. My physio told me to place my hand in a large bowel of warm water 3 times a day & do gentle hand exercising.
With my thumb I had to touch my pointer finger (1st finger) & continue each day by touching the third, fourth & fifth. I was not allowed to place my thumb into my palm of my hand.
I also had to move my fingers & bend the top of my thumb, every hour.
6 weeks after my op my thumb & wrist were still slightly swollen.
Re: going through the basal joint surgery process - at least, my story
Haydena: I have scheduled an appointment with the surgeon tomorrow, to follow up on the numbness. I'm going to ask him about the Arnica cream as well. I'll let you know what he says.
Re: going through the basal joint surgery process - at least, my story
Quote:
Originally Posted by ADKLADY
Haydena: I have scheduled an appointment with the surgeon tomorrow, to follow up on the numbness. I'm going to ask him about the Arnica cream as well. I'll let you know what he says.
Great.
You should be aware that not many doctors/surgeons know about alternative products. Some of them dont even agree with the use of alternative products,
which cannot harm you at all.
Good luck, I'll be interested to read what he tells you.
Re: going through the basal joint surgery process - at least, my story
Hello Haydena: I'm actually about 5 weeks post-surgery, as I had it 11/23. I asked the surgeon about arnica cream. He said that it helps with bruising and swelling, but not scarring. He gave me a silicone cream foe the scarring called Kelo-cote advanced formula scar gel. It's expensive to buy, about $28 for a 90 day supply. I looked for the Arnica cream in the drugstore here but they don't carry it anymore, so I'll order some from Amazon. As for the numbing in the thumb, he said that sometimes that happens when one begins to move the thumb after surgery. Nothing to worry about. He actually encouraged me to start gently moving the tip back and forth. Thank you so much foe your very helpful feedback and support. You are correct, I was worried and now feel that I can enjoy my holiday weekend. Happy 2012 to you!
Re: going through the basal joint surgery process - at least, my story
Quote:
Originally Posted by ADKLADY
Hello Haydena: I'm actually about 5 weeks post-surgery, as I had it 11/23. I asked the surgeon about arnica cream. He said that it helps with bruising and swelling, but not scarring. He gave me a silicone cream foe the scarring called Kelo-cote advanced formula scar gel. It's expensive to buy, about $28 for a 90 day supply. I looked for the Arnica cream in the drugstore here but they don't carry it anymore, so I'll order some from Amazon. As for the numbing in the thumb, he said that sometimes that happens when one begins to move the thumb after surgery. Nothing to worry about. He actually encouraged me to start gently moving the tip back and forth. Thank you so much foe your very helpful feedback and support. You are correct, I was worried and now feel that I can enjoy my holiday weekend. Happy 2012 to you!
Great relief to read your post Adklady,
thanks so much for telling me. I am very pleased you got good feedback from your surgeon & that you feel less stressed now. BRAVO.
I did not tell you that Arnica cream helps with the scarring, tho I did say the more you hydrate your scar the better. Yes, silicone cream is very good for the scar.All good things cost alot!! unfortunately!!
Moving the tip of your thumb gently backwards & forwards is excellent & remember, you cannot hurt your thumb by doing this. The more movements you do the less numb your thumb will feel. It takes time & all you need is patience to recover.
I am ready to support you with my answers anytime you have questions & I am pleased to have been of help to you.
I wish you a very happy & healthy new year.
Haydena.
The following user gives a hug of support to Haydena: ADKLADY (12-30-2011)
The Following User Says Thank You to Haydena For This Useful Post: ADKLADY (12-30-2011)
