Polymerous said: I had PT Wednesday, and saw the surgeon's PA today.
News is so-so.
The PT is piling on more exercises. "Embrace the suck." I am making good progress in most areas, but lagging behind in one direction in one exercise (and another one, I've been told, is the last that any patients make any progress on). These are all range-of-motion exercises. We can't start any stretching for a week or two more (to extend that range of motion) and adding weights is another 2 weeks or more after that.
The PA thinks I am doing well too, but there is concern from the X-rays the surgeon here did. (We never got the X-rays from the TX hospital.) They don't know if it is an artifact of the bad angle one of the X-rays had, but the plate in my wrist may cause some problems downstream with my tendons. They will be doing another X-ray June 6 to hopefully get a better look at this. (My bones are screwed into this plate at 6 points, to hold everything together.) It may be that the plate (once the bones have healed sufficiently) will have to be removed. I can't say that I'm at all happy about that possibility. (The PA tried to reassure me that if this was necessary, the recovery would be quick, "2 weeks", but I can't help help but think about more pain, more disability, and more scarring.... and as I'm already looking at more surgeries after this wrist is up to snuff, I dread the thought. )
There is also mixed news on healing time. I still am not allowed to lift anything over 1-2 lbs. It may take until 3-4 months post-op until we build me back up enough that I will be able to use (grip and lean heavily on) a walker. So there's that. (My knee surgeon thought it would be 2 months... )
"Full healing" is something like 6 months (quoted previously), but it could be 12 months. (12 months is in line with my previous ortho surgeries, more or less, but then why didn't they just say that, instead of 6 months?!! Mealy mouthed doctors... reminds me of the false expectations I was also given for the previous surgeries! (Apologies to the doctors here... I know that there are no absolute timetables for things but it does get frustrating to be told one thing, but the reality turns out to be rather different. Never mind my feelings, just tell it to me straight. )
At least she (the PA) also seemed happy with my progress thus far. (She said it was a bad sign when patients came in at my point who couldn't move their fingers, or not much. My limitations on that score all have to do with my arthritis, not this injury; I can move them to the same extent as before.)
Tangible progress from my point-of-view (things I can see, not numbers measured on their gadgets)... I am typing (for several days now) pretty much pain free with both hands (which the PT thought helped me with one aspect of my range of motion - he was pleased), as well as using the mouse with my right hand. I can ALMOST comb my hair right-handed now (I can't really do the back of my head, yet). I can brush my teeth with my right hand. I can cut my meat. (I still can't eat from a fork or spoon right-handed, though... the twist angle is still too much and hurts. But I'll get there. And I still have to wait for the weight-bearing exercises before I can drink right-handed.)
Infuriatingly slow, but I'll get there... maybe in time to divide a few irises late this summer, or early autumn.
DraDiana said: Sounds like you're doing a great job of "embracing the suck". The increasing functionality is your evidence.
Thank you for that encouragement!
Regarding "It may take until 3-4 months post-op until we build me back up enough that I will be able to use (grip and lean heavily on) a walker."...
I was released from hand therapy 6 months after my finger was crushed. A week later I broke 6 bones in the arch of my left and had to be "non-weightbearing" on that foot for 5 weeks. Using crutches and a walker really strengthened that hand and didn't seem to cause any problems.
That is helpful to know, but at this point we are only 5 weeks post-op. (Sorry that you were double-whammied like that. )
Getting the pins and plate out of my finger made it feel better immediately afterwards. That amazed me, because my surgeon spent 3 hours on an area 2 inches long, separating all the layers from each other (skin from fascia, fascia from tendon sheath, tendon from tendon sheath, tendon sheath from bone). I expected a flare in pain and swelling, but had relief, instead. Every patient I can recall who had a plate removed, ankle, hand, etc., expressed relief. Fear your gophers - not the plate removal.😉
Really? Wow, that's great news!
As for "Fear your gophers"....
Jumper2 said: Lovely poem. It's always sad when the season comes to an end.