Trigger thumb surgery

I had trigger release on my dominant thumb on Aug 10th. They also removed a ganglion cyst from same area during surgery. It has been 8 weeks now and I'm supposed to return to work tomorrow. I did 8 sessions of therapy and on final session my grip was still really weak. Last week I was finally able to hold a pen and write without much discomfort. There is still quite a bit of stiffnes, swelling and discomfort. My job requires me to sit at a computer approx 8-9 hrs a day. I review medical charts so I would say 80% of the time is spent with my dominant hand gripping the mouse and the other 20% typing. I'm a little nervous about returning to work tomorrow. I never expected recovery to take this long. Is this normal? Anyone else had this experience? Could I worsen the situation by starting back to work tomorrow.

There is a huge difference between 'surgically healed' and 'fully recovered'. Physical therapy is only the beginning. It is very difficult to reproduce the actual work usage of any limb in a clinical setting and then only for a brief amount of time.

While I have not had my digits operated on, I've had plenty of other things done! (see my signature) I've had to learn how to use the mouse with my non dominant hand in order to give my dominant hand a break and in order to use the computer post op. I had to learn how to brush my teeth, my hair, lift a coffee cup, all sorts of things!

Take frequent breaks, bring an ice pack or two with you to work, use it as much as possible. Get a 'wrist rest' to use to keep the joint in the best position possible.

The doctors can only assume that the joint is ready to return to normal activity. No one knows until you are actually doing it. When is your next follow up appointment? You can always call them if you need to be seen earlier than that.

You can try putting the mouse on a lower surface if that is more comfortable. You can use an ergonomic keyboard where the keys are angled for each hand. Be conscious of holding your shoulder differently as a muscle spasm can result.

If you are experiencing a lot of pain, contact your doctor. Pushing yourself can create more problems.