"Trigger Finger" Anyone?

[JohnW63]

Um...I don't think I want any of the above fixes. I don't want to find out of I'm a screamer. I don't think I would. I might be a "curser" though. I got colorful when I had kidney stones.

 

[Boneman]

Great to hear, and agreed with PT over surgery if any chance of PT alone working the magic. Sometimes doctors are too quick to prescribe surgery when it might be avoidable.

 

[West R Lee]

Um...I don't think I want any of the above fixes. I don't want to find out of I'm a screamer. I don't think I would. I might be a "curser" though. I got colorful when I had kidney stones.

Anytime, like this week, that I've been asked to "rate" pain level? My first question is always, "With 10 being a kidney stone?"

West

 

[West R Lee]

Welp, 5 weeks of therapy and I've had my finger twisted, bent, pushed pulled, heated in sand, heated in wax, molded in wax, electric bandages and electronically infused. Still is pretty sore. I have been playing each day just a bit. I can do it, but about 10 minutes tops.

So I visited the doctor yesterday and surgery is set for Friday. Those trigger finger sufferers here who have gone under "the knife" were spot on. Of course, I'm worried I'd never be able to do the things I love, then the doctor and nurse sat me down as the doctor is describing the surgery. Turns out ol' Dr. Clark has had surgery for this on one hand, and mentioned he needed it on the other. My first question? Which hand will you use to do mine? I also requested that he stay in a Holiday Express the night prior. Estimated surgery time?........4 minutes. Then the nurse told me I'd come back in 8 days and she'd remove the stitches.........both of them. Now for the real issue......no food or coffee Friday morning, and surgery isn't till 1, so my next question was, "But you do have a full buffet here for afterwards, right?"

He said I'll be playing golf in two weeks, so I'm assuming getting back to guitar will be pretty fast. I can't wait to get back to my Walmart 1st Act and my Keith Urban guitar. I've been taking lessons from Zamfir online, so I'm ready!

West

 

[chazmo]

Good luck on Friday, Jim!

 

[West R Lee]

Good luck on Friday, Jim!

Thank you Charlie. Outstanding surgeon, 4 minute surgery.........what could go wrong?

West

 

[walrus]

Good luck, West!

walrus

 

[West R Lee]

Thank you Mr. Walrus. I really appreciate it.

West

 

[JohnW63]

Nothing to eat or drink sounds like full knockout stuff or mostly. 4 minutes. Dang. Wonder what the full recovery time will be. Connective parts have less blood flow and heal a lot slower. If you tell me 4 days, I'm going to fall off my guitar stool.

 

[Stuball48]

Thinking about you West and smooth and easy surgery your way!!!

 

[Opsimath]

I hope it goes well and the next update will be all good news!

 

[West R Lee]

Nothing to eat or drink sounds like full knockout stuff or mostly. 4 minutes. Dang. Wonder what the full recovery time will be. Connective parts have less blood flow and heal a lot slower. If you tell me 4 days, I'm going to fall off my guitar stool.

The Doc said they knock you out just like during a colonoscopy. You're out, but not for long and no big deal.

West

 

[West R Lee]

Thinking about you West and smooth and easy surgery your way!!!

Thanks Shelby, I appreciate that very much.

West

 

[West R Lee]

I hope it goes well and the next update will be all good news!

Thank you Miss Cynthia, and I'll report back after I get back home. It's not far though, about an hour's drive.

West

 

[West R Lee]

Well surgery went well today. I won't be able to feel a thing in my hand until tomorrow, but I survived. I just wanted to thank you all for the well wishes.

West

 

[FNG]

Hope you heal quick, West! Those Collings need some love!

 

[JohnW63]

Well, I must admit that was the shortest surgery expected time I've ever heard of. Did they knock you out and IV you and the whole bit?

 

[West R Lee]

Well, I must admit that was the shortest surgery expected time I've ever heard of. Did they knock you out and IV you and the whole bit?

Yes sir. IV in both arms, one for antibiotics, the other for the happy juice. They inject you with something that keeps you awake and you don't have a care in the world, wheel you though the OR waiting area in the back, then give you the full knock out treatment.

West

 

[West R Lee]

Hope you heal quick, West! Those Collings need some love!

Yes they do Effin. I have been able to play a few minutes a day these past few weeks, so yesterday it was the DV72. It had been a while, but she's still got it. I need to do a wholesale string change on all of them, but not this week I don't think.

West

 

[richardp69]

I'd never heard of it until about a month ago. I finished a round of golf and my left index finger was absolutely killing me. Killing me to the point that I can no longer fret with that finger, and it's really got me down.

My son in law, who is an outstanding PA in Tyler diagnosed it as "trigger finger", which apparently is an inflammation and swelling in the tubes that our tendons run through in order to extend and retract our fingers. he sent me to a hand specialists/surgeon there. The surgeon confirmed what my son in law had said. Last week the surgeon injected it with cortisone and told me he wanted me back on the 20th for an evaluation. He wanted to give it a couple of weeks to heal and told me to play golf and guitar and to even do it in excess to see if the cortisone helped. Apparently it hasn't, as this sucker hurts like hell. I'm afraid the next step is surgery.

I know some of us are older and wondered if any of you had even had a similar experience, and what your outcome might have been?

West

Man, that sounds just brutal. Best wishes sent your way for a total and rapid recovery.