"Trigger Finger" Anyone?

[West R Lee]

No, it only needs to be on for 48 hours. For that, i just skipped a shower today.

Wow, you lucky booger. I had to put two plastic bags over my hand and that dressing had to stay bone dry for 10 days......11 actually, they didn't want it wet the night my stitches were removed. Are you planning on doing therapy Rock?

West

 

[Rocky]

Are you planning on doing therapy Rock?

None scheduled. I'm pretty diligent about stretches and moving it though. Hopefully should be ok.

 

[Uke]

Yes, post surgery, my therapists have told me to play and that it wouldn't do anything but help. The Doc told me to do anything I like. Golf on Friday will be the real test. As far as playing, I'm almost able to play pain free while actually playing. In a couple of hours I'm sore and a bit stiff from playing though. I'm thinking it just takes a bit of time.

West

Great! Good to know what you need to do and what you like to do are in agreement.

 

[Rocky]

West, how's that hand doing?

Had the stitches pulled out today. I have more range of motion without the stitches. I can fake playing many guitar chords (D is tough if you want the third in there) and can play single note lines with reasonable dexterity. Doctor says if I keep exercising the hand, I should be pretty close to normal in a couple of weeks.

 

[West R Lee]

West, how's that hand doing?

Had the stitches pulled out today. I have more range of motion without the stitches. I can fake playing many guitar chords (D is tough if you want the third in there) and can play single note lines with reasonable dexterity. Doctor says if I keep exercising the hand, I should be pretty close to normal in a couple of weeks.

Oh man, that's great Rock. I'm glad it's going well.

I think for some reason I was under the false impression I'd be as good as new the day after surgery......well, that's an exaggeration, but very soon after surgery. I've gone the physical therapy twice a week since surgery and for maybe three weeks of that, I felt like I wasn't getting any better. Along with that therapy came a number of finger exercises that I've tried to make time to do. I might not do all of them as many times a day as I'm supposed to, but I have been doing at least one set every day, most days three sets. Then maybe two weeks ago I began to feel real improvement. I can actually make a fist for the first time in months, and can do it without pain. Making a fist is one of those several exercises therapy has given me. At my age these things take time and effort.

Rock, if you're not doing therapy, and if you'd like, I'll PM you the simple bends and stretches they have me do. I played golf both last week and yesterday, and the difference is night and day compared to just a few months ago. Kind of funny, now a couple of other fingers hurt (not bad), but that left index finger feels just fine after 18 holes. A similar experience with playing guitar. I can make all the chords now with the only drawback still being the location of my incision scar........right there on the sharp edge of the fretboard with some chords. But even the scar is getting much better. Get some cocoa butter with vitamin E and work it into your your old incision in a couple of days. In my case the therapists work on the scar as well.

Keep me updated and don't get discouraged Rock.

West

 

[Rocky]

West, that sounds like some real progress! I'll shoot you a note for the exercises/stretches.

 

[banjomike]

Trigger finger is what caused me to quit working at Gibson in 2003.
By the time I quit, I had already taken a month off without pay to see if taking a break would help. It didn't, and I was in constant pain from the 2 middle fingers of my right hand. I moved out of the finish dept. into sanding, where using different tools was thought to be a good change, but that didn't help either. So after a month back on the job, I quit for good.

The trigger finger is worse in cold weather, but it can be bad even when it's hot outside.

Since then, one finger did recover. The worst one, though, has not. It still locks up all the time, but it's mostly painless now. I'm still glad I quit when I did, even though I was sorry I needed to.

 

[West R Lee]

Trigger finger is what caused me to quit working at Gibson in 2003.
By the time I quit, I had already taken a month off without pay to see if taking a break would help. It didn't, and I was in constant pain from the 2 middle fingers of my right hand. I moved out of the finish dept. into sanding, where using different tools was thought to be a good change, but that didn't help either. So after a month back on the job, I quit for good.

The trigger finger is worse in cold weather, but it can be bad even when it's hot outside.

Since then, one finger did recover. The worst one, though, has not. It still locks up all the time, but it's mostly painless now. I'm still glad I quit when I did, even though I was sorry I needed to.

Man, I'm sorry Mike. I know it hurts. I'm not trying to insult your intelligence, but have you ever considered seeing the doc? No doubt you have. I'm pretty new to Medicare, but I've been pleasantly surprised by how much it covers. It's paid every dime of physical therapy. Just thought I'd mention it.

West

 

[banjomike]

Man, I'm sorry Mike. I know it hurts. I'm not trying to insult your intelligence, but have you ever considered seeing the doc? No doubt you have. I'm pretty new to Medicare, but I've been pleasantly surprised by how much it covers. It's paid every dime of physical therapy. Just thought I'd mention it.

West

Hi, West...
Thanks for your concern.
Sure, I've considered going to the doc. I have several friends who have trigger finger, and they've had very mixed results trying to cure it.
Mostly, I m just really paranoid about my hands. The condition eventually partially healed itself once I left the spray booth, so It doesn't hurt except once in a while.
It's a greater inconvenience than painful most of the time, but when it hurts, it still hurts.
One finger recovered and never gives me trouble any more, but the other one has permanent damage, I'm sure.
If it starts hurting all the time, Ill go see a doc about it.
I'm 78 now, so stuff like this is all on a scale of diminishing returns.

 

[West R Lee]

Hi, West...
Thanks for your concern.
Sure, I've considered going to the doc. I have several friends who have trigger finger, and they've had very mixed results trying to cure it.
Mostly, I m just really paranoid about my hands. The condition eventually partially healed itself once I left the spray booth, so It doesn't hurt except once in a while.
It's a greater inconvenience than painful most of the time, but when it hurts, it still hurts.
One finger recovered and never gives me trouble any more, but the other one has permanent damage, I'm sure.
If it starts hurting all the time, Ill go see a doc about it.
I'm 78 now, so stuff like this is all on a scale of diminishing returns.

I guess sometimes we just do the best we can with what we've got Mike. Good luck to you sir.

West

 

[West R Lee]

How's your hand Rocky?

West

 

[Rocky]

Doing heat and exercises. I'm getting discouraged , but keeping up with them. Thanks.

 

[West R Lee]

Doing heat and exercises. I'm getting discouraged , but keeping up with them. Thanks.

Rock, so you know, I'm 6-7 weeks since surgery and I still get a bit sore from time to time. Again, I thought it would be a virtual overnight fix, and it's taking time. But it's a little less sore each and every day. Mine started out with sharp, shooting pains across my index finger knuckles, and now, after golf and guitar, AND after my finger exercises, it just gets a little sore, but the sharp pains are gone. The exercises hurt it more than the golf and guitar do. I go back and see the surgeon on Jan. 30.

So hang in there and don't get discouraged, I'm afraid at our age, these things take time.

West

 

[Rocky]

Doing heat and exercises. I'm getting discouraged , but keeping up with them. Thanks.

Thursday (the day prior to that morning post) was tough. Did a lot of exercising and stretching, and it kept reverting back after an hour or two, so lots of work, and some pain. It must have paid off, because it's been a lot better the last couple of days. Gonna keep at it. Gotta play a gig on Friday, and I think I'll be able to do it now.

 

[West R Lee]

Thursday (the day prior to that morning post) was tough. Did a lot of exercising and stretching, and it kept reverting back after an hour or two, so lots of work, and some pain. It must have paid off, because it's been a lot better the last couple of days. Gonna keep at it. Gotta play a gig on Friday, and I think I'll be able to do it now.

And then a day will come along and you'll think you're getting nowhere, but DON'T give up the exercises and stretching Rock. Then as time goes on, you'll continue to notice less and less pain. So on the bad days, don't get discouraged and though you'll have good days, another sore day will come along, but the intervals between will get longer. You're doing GREAT my friend.

As I said in my last post, I go back for probably my final visit to the surgeon on the 30th. I was afraid I was going to have to tell him surgery didn't help, but these past few weeks have changed my mind. I'm almost as good a new for real.

Do keep me posted, and keep on working that thing.......about 3 times a day, and sets of about 10.

West