HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

thumb joint surgery

Support Forums
>
Osteoarthritis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
12
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 2/18/2011 5:51 AM (GMT 0)
i got my purple cast on yesterday. it was an experience. so far i am doing well, with much less pain each day. hopefully i will be able to tolerate the cast for 4 weeks...yikes, that is a long time. using my left hand has really increased the pain in that hand. i am not happy about that. i really do not want to go through another surgery.

dolly

Post Edited (Dolly68) : 2/17/2011 10:56:34 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 2/18/2011 10:28 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Barney - a grape cast - you are a fashionata for sure.  That was one of my worries is trying to use my left hand if I chose the surgery - I am so 99% Right handed and thumbed. 

My left hand is fine but it is clumsy.

I wish you well and keep on with the updates.

Blessings,

Kitt

Posted 3/6/2011 9:04 AM (GMT 0)
Hey Dolly just read your post and wondered how you are getting on with the cast. I am having my surgery on 14 March and not looking forward to the surgery let alone the cast!!!!! I'm hoping I can have a pink one :-) i hope your pain is ok and under control. I also have pain in my left hand exactly the same as I am experiencing in my right hand so will probably have to have that done also at some stage. It would be nice to hear from you and how you are. X :-)
Posted 3/7/2011 2:34 AM (GMT 0)
Hi, I had my surgery on my right hand 7 years ago.  So glad I did.  The cast was a burden for a little while.  Some tricks they don't tell you:  you can get a plastic cover for your hand and arm which allos you to take a shower.  Get it at a hospital supply store.  Since I'm female and have long hair, I had it washed and styled every week which helped.  Wish I had prepared lots of foods ahead of time or had friends bring food because that was the hardest part:  cooking !  In case someone is debating about the surgery, I have had steroid injections in my left hand thumb area and its very successful and last for 4 to 6 months. !  Good luck....
Posted 3/9/2011 4:59 AM (GMT 0)
It's been five weeks since my surgery and the cast comes off in another week! I can hardly wait. The cast itself is not nearly as bad as I anticipated. It's not being able to use my dominant hand that is annoying. The pain is much less unless I try to use the hand; then it lets me know! On the other hand I am having pain in my left hand, arm and shoulder.

I am hoping I can get back to normal as soon as possible. I know I will be going to therapy but not sure for how long.

I am encouraged by others who have had success with the surgery and hope mine is successful as well.

Dolly68
Posted 3/9/2011 5:03 AM (GMT 0)
Good luck to you, Masiemouse, on your upcoming surgery. I will be thinking about you and wishing you a complete success!

You can have any color cast imaginable.

Dolly
Posted 3/19/2011 9:24 AM (GMT 0)
Hey Dolly68
Just to let you know I had my surgery and Oh My Gosh how painful was it cry! It was not as straight forward as my surgeon first thought as it was bone on bone, didn't realise it was that bad, anyway I have part cast and it heavily bandaged and elevated for 4weeks then i start physio. Hope you are well and recovering i will be returning to work Monday and can't wait as I am rubbish patient. Luckily I have my own business and have help so can't skive for long !! :-) Take care.
Posted 3/19/2011 9:32 AM (GMT 0)
Msval
So glad your surgery worked out for you I just had mine on the 14 March and it's sooooooo painful. It's good to know that 7 years on and your hand is fine. I know what you mean about the cooking and looking after your hair. Hope all is well with you.
Posted 3/20/2011 3:15 AM (GMT 0)
i hope all goes well for you, masiemouse. i can't believe you are going back to work already.

my cast came off last wednesday and i start therapy next tuesday. my thumb is numb and tingly. i don't know if that is normal or not. has anyone experienced that feeling? my surgeon said it was from being in a cast for the past 6 weeks. i sure hope so, because it is a strange feeling. the good part is that, although the thumb is stiff and i cannot bend it, the severe pain i had endured for the past two years is pretty much gone. it seems to have moved to the other hand!

dolly
Posted 3/20/2011 8:25 AM (GMT 0)
Hey Dolly

Lol if I don't go back to work I think I will go maaaaaaddddd !! But as I said my business is run from my home and I have assistance but basically I am a rubbish patient :-) . At the moment my fingers are very swollen but can just about use fingertips so am able to use iPad with no problems at all. My surgeon did say that I could experience tingly and numbness for a whole while after plaster is removed and also may lose feeling all together at the base of my thumb but if that all I will have to endure then that's ok as like you I have had a lot of pain so pain free is the future !!! :-) work hard with your physic and keep smiling :-)

Take care

Maisiemouse x
Posted 3/20/2011 8:28 AM (GMT 0)
Sorry Dolly meant to type work hard with your physio xx
Posted 3/20/2011 6:10 PM (GMT 0)
masiemouse, thanks for sharing what your surgeon said. it makes me feel a lot better. it's just a weird feeling, kind of like novacaine before it totally wears off. i don't like that feeling! hoping it goes away soon. i also love the ipad! it makes life easier when you only have one hand and fingertips to use. don't do too much too soon; delegate..LOL

dolly
Posted 3/22/2011 3:32 PM (GMT 0)
  Wish you guys could have had my surgeon.  He was great.  The bone in the basal thumb joint had completely deterioated.  It was so bad that it cut through the tendon in my arm.  Had surgery in 2004, the thumb joint was completely removed and re-attached to the wrist bone with a tendon.  I only had to wear the plaster cast for 10 days then my bright blue removable one for about 3 months while having therapy.  It was my right hand of course and it was hard to deal with daily duties.  Now my left thumb is doing the same thing and I am scared to death to go through surgery again simply because I have moved to a different city and can't have my old surgeon. 
Posted 3/27/2011 9:13 PM (GMT 0)
cool  Hi.....I am having my surgery on April 26th.    It is a little freaky reading these posts, but it lets me know what I am in for.      For all of you who have had the surgery, do you feel it was worth it, now that it has been a while?    I have had cortisone twice....the first time it helped for 3 1/2 months.  This last time only about two.    Also, did any of you spend a night in the hospital, or was the surgery done as an out patient?    Thanx, and please keep the posts coming
Posted 4/5/2011 12:06 AM (GMT 0)
BonSue, very best wishes for your surgery. I had mine done Feb 3 and now i can say it was worth it. It is painful the few weeks and then gets a little better each day; at least that was my experience. I am in my second week of therapy and doing well. I still do not have full function of my thumb, but every day my hand feels stronger.

I had a setback for about 10 days when I fell in a parking lot on my hand! I was very fortunate I didn't do damage to the surgery; I was sore and swollen, so I had to postpone therapy.

I hope some of the information helps you. It helped me a great deal before I had my surgery.


Dolly
Posted 4/5/2011 10:53 PM (GMT 0)
cool  Dolly      I posted yesterday, but I don't know where it went......Thank you for filling me in on your progress.    Sometimes I wonder if this will be worth it....I can stand the pain, now....but I guess after a few months it will be worth it...... I made a few meals yesterday and put them in the freezer.....How about driving?      Someone said you have to be careful not to drive too quick, because if there is an accident,  even if it isn't your fault, things can be twisted to make it look like it is.    I guess any accident could have the same consequences.     Can't believe you had a fall on your hand......yikes that must have hurt!!!   Guess that's all for tonight.   Please keep us up dated on your progress.....I'm very interested
Posted 4/9/2011 12:39 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Dolly
Just read about you falling how awful for you !!!! How are you ?
I have had plaster off and have a horrible looking hand !! I was in considerable pain and had x- rays to check that all was well and it is it's just post op pain !!! I am in a plastic splint now and have to soak hand three times a day and massage scar with lotion and it is very soothing I have to say. I have exercises to do also and that's making a fist with fingers and touching thumb to first finger ( seems impossible at the moment ). I hope that things are improving for you now. X
Posted 4/9/2011 6:00 PM (GMT 0)
Maisiemouse

     When did you have your surgery?   The way people are talking about the pain, it's kind of freaking me out.    Is it worth it?    People months post op seem to think that is was worth it.....me.....hum....I'm starting to wonder.......please keep us informed....I go in two more weeks....

Posted 4/9/2011 7:37 PM (GMT 0)
Hey BonSue
I had my surgery 14th March and I have to be honest it has been extremely painful and as I said when my plaster came off it was bad but today I can nearly touch my forefinger with my thumb and that was very exciting. I still am on strongish pain relief and that is essential I think. I think very positively and do my exercises and hopefully all will be well in the next few weeks. I wish you luck with your op and will be thinking of you. I will try to post my progress regularly. Good luck.

Maisiemouse x
Posted 4/14/2011 8:01 PM (GMT 0)
hi everyone,

i am doing well with therapy. i go three times a week. i cannot believe how strong my hand is getting. i am able to use it to pick up light items and that is a big plus. my left hand is tired of being so overused! i even started cooking again. i love to cook and did a lot of cooking in the months before my surgery so we would have good home made meals in the freezer.

thankfully, the fall didn't do any damage to my hand. i agree the surgery was a painful process, but i now see the results more and more each week. on one hand i am glad i had the surgery; however, i will opt not to have it on my left hand, as i do not want to go through this again. my hand therapist suggested that most of her patients say that and do the other hand when they see how well they do. who knows?

maisiemouse, you will see improvement every week. i do my exercises on a regular basis and can also touch all my fingers to my thumb now, something i could not do only one week ago. is your thumb still numb? mine is and i am hoping i get feeling back soon. best wishes for a speedy recovery.

bonsue, hang in there. we will be there for you to support you after your surgery. everyone has a different reaction to surgery. i wish you the very best and will be thinking of you.
Posted 4/14/2011 8:03 PM (GMT 0)
maisiemouse, how did you get the cast off so quickly after surgery? i had a cast on for 6 weeks.

dolly
Posted 4/15/2011 11:38 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Dolly

I am sooooooo pleased to hear that you didn't do any damage to you hand and that you are ok. I'm not sure ,but they may do things slightly differently here in the UK because I thought I would be in plaster for a bit longer and was so pleased when it was taken off after 3 1/2 weeks which was last Thursday but unfortunately my hand was still quite swollen and painful but I had an x-Ray to check all was ok and was fitted with a splint ( which is more painful to wear than the plaster cry ) but I wear it when I'm working only. The hand therapist advised me to rest my hand in warm water three times a day and then do exercises for 10mins a time which I have been doing and I can also touch my first 2 fingers with my thumb and nearly the third. My thumb and the right side of my wrist is still swollen but although my thumb feels a bit strange it's not really numb if that makes sense !! I saw my Consultant on Wednesday and he is very pleased with everything and I see him again in 4weeks by which time I will have had physio and my splint will be in the BIN. I have been told that for a full recovery from the operation can take up to a year. Keep up the good work and thank you for your support it's been very good to have someone to talk to. Xxx
Posted 4/16/2011 1:43 AM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone,

I'm new on the forums!

I have severe arthritis in my thumb. It is not responsive to cortisone injections anymore. I've been getting them every 3 months for several years now. I'm not even sure if that is a smart thing to do, but my doc obviously thinks so.

I cannot turn a key in a lock, close a zip loc, fasten my bra, type (hurts!) do dishes, button my jeans and on and on.

I need to go back and re read the posts here. I have no idea what the surgery entails. How long you are out, etc etc. My PCP said I should have a joint replacement and is sending me to a specialist on Oahu, as there are no hand specialists on Maui, where i live.

Any advice would help!

Thanks you guys!!!!
Posted 4/16/2011 1:48 AM (GMT 0)
PS, I'm so excited to find this thread! Yay! I'm not alone!
Posted 4/16/2011 2:14 AM (GMT 0)
hi lolly, welcome to the thumb brigade! we are all in various stages of injections, contemplating surgery, post surgery, etc. i suggest you read all the posts and you will get a good idea of what to expect with surgery. what you describe sure sounds like a candidate for thumb joint surgery. best of luck to you,

dolly68
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
12