Guest guest Posted March 11, 2002 Report Share Posted March 11, 2002 Hi Nina, Owen here, Next month it will have been year since I had surgery on my left hand. My fingers index through small, I am now able to open (Unclench) them with some thought, I was unable to open from clenched first before. As far as my thumb is a little questionable. Over all though my left hand is much stronger than my right (I'm right handed) so as result I often grab things (Coffee pot, water glass, mug etc.) with my right hand first and feel my grip slipping and then switch to my left for a sure grip. I guess it going to take a while to convert. to a lefty. Nina. The best of luck to you. Please make sure the anesthesiologist is aware of your CMT. Please make sure you get OT (Occupational Therapy) after your surgery and start as soon as possible. Happy Trails, Owen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 5, 2004 Report Share Posted January 5, 2004 Kay, I just had my right hand knuckles replace Dec 23 Th. they replace them with silicone. They also straighten my fingers & fix my trigger fingers, I will have a lot of therapy to do and I use my left hand to type & everything else, I am right handed, it was hard at first to use my left hand but I'm getting better. I still clean the house but the only thing hard is cooking. I have three cuts on top and two on the bottom, if you like I can send you pic's of my hand? Which are they going to do? Please feel free to e-mail me any time. Lucy Hi, All, I am new and need help. Need to hear from anyone who has had hand surgery. I have RA and doc wants to do joint replacement on my kuckles. I don't look forward to 6-8 weeks without use of hand because I still work fulltime and use computer. Can anyone share? Kay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 5, 2004 Report Share Posted January 5, 2004 I haven't had joint replacement but I had surgery on my hand for a synovial cyst. My RD recommended the surgery so I went to an orthopedic surgeon who said the surgery was not essential but could be done if the cyst bothered me. I had the surgery and it was successful. I think an orthopedic surgeon is a better judge of when surgery is needed than an RD. Good luck and God bless. ----- Original Message ----- From: Kay Simpson Rheumatoid Arthritis Sent: Friday, January 02, 2004 4:52 PM Subject: hand surgery Hi, All, I am new and need help. Need to hear from anyone who has had hand surgery. I have RA and doc wants to do joint replacement on my kuckles. I don't look forward to 6-8 weeks without use of hand because I still work fulltime and use computer. Can anyone share? Kay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 5, 2004 Report Share Posted January 5, 2004 My reumatologist sent me to a surgeon to see about knuckle replacement. The surgeon was 100% ready to go ahead and straighten my fingers out - the whole joint replacement for the knuckles. When I went back to the rheumatologist to discuss this it turned out he really was trying to give me a lesson. He knew the surgeon would be gung-ho and I was the one who backed off going ahead. He said if it was necessary to do surgery to improve the function of the joint or in the case of severe pain he would recommend it but that I should wait for either of those eventualities to go ahead. That was before 1990 and though my hands are more deformed from the ulnar drift the function is still good Annette > I haven't had joint replacement but I had surgery on my hand for a synovial cyst. My RD recommended the surgery so I went to an orthopedic surgeon who said the surgery was not essential but could be done if the cyst bothered me. I had the surgery and it was successful. I think an orthopedic surgeon is a better judge of when surgery is needed than an RD. Good luck and God bless. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Kay Simpson > Rheumatoid Arthritis > Sent: Friday, January 02, 2004 4:52 PM > Subject: hand surgery > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 7, 2004 Report Share Posted January 7, 2004 Lucy, Thanks for writing. I hope your hand is recovering well. I don't know if I want to be without use of hand for that long. Are you glad you did surgery or is it too early to tell? Were you in pain or having trouble making hand function?? I can still manage okay and just hesitant to go thru all the therapy and stuff. How long is therapy before you have full use of hand??? Kay ----- Original Message ----- From: lucyoo1@... Rheumatoid Arthritis Sent: Monday, January 05, 2004 10:19 AM Subject: Re: hand surgery Kay, I just had my right hand knuckles replace Dec 23 Th. they replace them with silicone. They also straighten my fingers & fix my trigger fingers, I will have a lot of therapy to do and I use my left hand to type & everything else, I am right handed, it was hard at first to use my left hand but I'm getting better. I still clean the house but the only thing hard is cooking. I have three cuts on top and two on the bottom, if you like I can send you pic's of my hand? Which are they going to do? Please feel free to e-mail me any time. Lucy Hi, All, I am new and need help. Need to hear from anyone who has had hand surgery. I have RA and doc wants to do joint replacement on my kuckles. I don't look forward to 6-8 weeks without use of hand because I still work fulltime and use computer. Can anyone share? Kay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 7, 2004 Report Share Posted January 7, 2004 Lucy, They want to do joint replacement on right knuckles and also trigger finger. He first said 2 surgeries but later said might could do it all at same time. Are you pleased with how your hand looks now?? Kay ----- Original Message ----- From: lucyoo1@... Rheumatoid Arthritis Sent: Monday, January 05, 2004 10:19 AM Subject: Re: hand surgery Kay, I just had my right hand knuckles replace Dec 23 Th. they replace them with silicone. They also straighten my fingers & fix my trigger fingers, I will have a lot of therapy to do and I use my left hand to type & everything else, I am right handed, it was hard at first to use my left hand but I'm getting better. I still clean the house but the only thing hard is cooking. I have three cuts on top and two on the bottom, if you like I can send you pic's of my hand? Which are they going to do? Please feel free to e-mail me any time. Lucy Hi, All, I am new and need help. Need to hear from anyone who has had hand surgery. I have RA and doc wants to do joint replacement on my kuckles. I don't look forward to 6-8 weeks without use of hand because I still work fulltime and use computer. Can anyone share? Kay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 8, 2004 Report Share Posted January 8, 2004 Kay, My fingers were not straight it was going to the right and they were hurting at time but I didn't like the way they were going to the side and my Godmother is in a rest home and her roommate has arthritis and she had the same problem as I have and because she didn't have the surgery she cannot use her hands and that is what made me decide to do the surgery. I went to the DR yesterday and I'M doing real good. Yes, I'm glad I did the surgery cuz I saw my finger straight and the cut is not to bad. The therapy will be for 4 weeks and after that I will start to use my hands. What hurt me more was the trigger finger and I also had that fix too. Kay I been using my left hand a lot and I have arthritis on my wrist and shoulder it's starting to hurt. So I been taking more prednisone and that does good for me. Kay I will keep you in my prayers. Lucy Lucy, Thanks for writing. I hope your hand is recovering well. I don't know if I want to be without use of hand for that long. Are you glad you did surgery or is it too early to tell? Were you in pain or having trouble making hand function?? I can still manage okay and just hesitant to go thru all the therapy and stuff. How long is therapy before you have full use of hand??? Kay ----- Original Message ----- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 8, 2004 Report Share Posted January 8, 2004 OOoooooohhhh, trigger finger! Owww! I had that in both thumbs last spring - it just appeared overnight. Wow, what pain! It stayed for a while and I kept forcing my thumb to bend(although it felt like I'd break it off sometimes) and after about a month, it went away. I hope it *never* comes back. ----- Original Message ----- From: lucyoo1@... Rheumatoid Arthritis Sent: Thursday, January 08, 2004 11:32 AM Subject: Re: hand surgery Kay, My fingers were not straight it was going to the right and they were hurting at time but I didn't like the way they were going to the side and my Godmother is in a rest home and her roommate has arthritis and she had the same problem as I have and because she didn't have the surgery she cannot use her hands and that is what made me decide to do the surgery. I went to the DR yesterday and I'M doing real good. Yes, I'm glad I did the surgery cuz I saw my finger straight and the cut is not to bad. The therapy will be for 4 weeks and after that I will start to use my hands. What hurt me more was the trigger finger and I also had that fix too. Kay I been using my left hand a lot and I have arthritis on my wrist and shoulder it's starting to hurt. So I been taking more prednisone and that does good for me. Kay I will keep you in my prayers. Lucy Lucy, Thanks for writing. I hope your hand is recovering well. I don't know if I want to be without use of hand for that long. Are you glad you did surgery or is it too early to tell? Were you in pain or having trouble making hand function?? I can still manage okay and just hesitant to go thru all the therapy and stuff. How long is therapy before you have full use of hand??? Kay ----- Original Message ----- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 10, 2004 Report Share Posted January 10, 2004 Lucy, Thanks for keeping me informed. I am very interested. I did not ask if you are still trying to work at a job or not. I am so glad you got a good report at last doc visit. Do you have any help at home from family members? Did they do trigger finger at same time with surgery to straighten fingers? How many knuckles were replaced? Do they just replace the bad knuckles or all of them? I am off prednisone and very glad about that. After 7 years of fighting RA, I found an alternative doc who has really helped me out. I take an anti-inflammatory, Minocin, vitamin C, fish oil, and chicken cartilage. I feel more "normal" than ever now and so grateful for it. I hated the moon face thing with prednisone and how it made me irritable. The rheumatologists tried several drugs on me- methotrexate, plaquenil, NSAIDs, gold shots, Enbrel, Kineret. Got tired of all that. Hated giving myself shots but I did it for a good while. When I asked about antibiotic therapy, rheumy would not help - SO I found someone that would. I hope you continue to heal and recovery. Please keep me posted on your hand. I am seriously thinking about having surgery soon. Kay ----- Original Message ----- From: lucyoo1@... Rheumatoid Arthritis Sent: Thursday, January 08, 2004 10:32 AM Subject: Re: hand surgery Kay, My fingers were not straight it was going to the right and they were hurting at time but I didn't like the way they were going to the side and my Godmother is in a rest home and her roommate has arthritis and she had the same problem as I have and because she didn't have the surgery she cannot use her hands and that is what made me decide to do the surgery. I went to the DR yesterday and I'M doing real good. Yes, I'm glad I did the surgery cuz I saw my finger straight and the cut is not to bad. The therapy will be for 4 weeks and after that I will start to use my hands. What hurt me more was the trigger finger and I also had that fix too. Kay I been using my left hand a lot and I have arthritis on my wrist and shoulder it's starting to hurt. So I been taking more prednisone and that does good for me. Kay I will keep you in my prayers. Lucy Lucy, Thanks for writing. I hope your hand is recovering well. I don't know if I want to be without use of hand for that long. Are you glad you did surgery or is it too early to tell? Were you in pain or having trouble making hand function?? I can still manage okay and just hesitant to go thru all the therapy and stuff. How long is therapy before you have full use of hand??? Kay ----- Original Message ----- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 24, 2007 Report Share Posted April 24, 2007 I was referred to a hand surgeon about 22 years ago. I am still considering an appointment. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.