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Finger/Thumb Carpometacarpal (CMC) Joint Treatment?

Linda,
Thanks for the clarification, glad you are doing well.
 
Oh, you had a trapeziectomy? Well, that's a new joint of sorts!
 
Yes, Jo. Bradford doesn't seem to go in for joint replacements on the grounds of a) a non-proven history of success and b) cost. I suspect it's more b) than a)! Linda x
 
Yesterday morning I spent a couple of hours at the hospital having my dressing changed. What a bizarre experience. To start with nobody seemed to know why I was there as my discharge notes hadn't been sent down from the ward, one floor up.

Once that was sorted the nurse set to work on my plaster cast. She cut down the side of the cast furthest away from my thumb and then proceeded to manoeuvre said cast off my thumb and hand. Not easy and not painless. She then put a new dressing on, which took all of thirty seconds, and wrapped my arm in some padding. Then the fun started as she tried to slide the same cast back on again. Of course as she pushed it on so the padding pushed down too. Not enough padding she decided so another layer added and guess what, the same thing happened again and the cast wouldn't go over it all anyway. Too much padding she thought so removed it all and started again. Finally, at the 4th attempt she managed to get it on of sorts, and wrapped a crepe bandage round it to keep it in place. Give her her due, she was very apologetic about it all, but by now my thumb was very painful and I was exhausted, so much so that I had to spend the afternoon in bed.

This wasn't quite how I had envisaged spending my 65th birthday!

And I've got to go through it all again next Wednesday when the stitches are taken out! Linda x
 
Happy Birthday, I agree that was not the best birthday you could have.
I hope next week the give you a new cast, plaster is cheap, no reason not to fashion a new one for you.
:flwrysmile:
 
Thankfully today was much less traumatic than last Wednesday. I went to hospital this morning as instructed but was asked if I could go back later as the orthopaedic nurse would be on duty then. I had assumed I'd seen an orthopaedic nurse last week as I was at the orthopaedic outpatients clinic, but apparently not. As my cast was feeling very loose and not doing what it should, I decided I'd rather see a nurse who knew what she was doing so went back this afternoon.

Michelle was certainly much more on the ball than last week's nurse and knew exactly how to slide the cast off. She then removed my stitches without me feeling a thing and said the wound is healing very well. My thumb, hand and wrist were then bandaged with padding using a very different technique from before. The same cast was gently manoeuvred back on and firmly bandaged in place and everything feels much more supported than it had previously. So that's it now until I see my surgeon on 26 May, except that if I have any concerns at all I can ring to find out when Michelle is on and immediately go to see her again. I feel so much more reassured than last week and confident that things are now in the right place.

My daughter arrives from Italy tomorrow for a few days so all is good. Linda x
 
I'm glad you went back to have your cast placed properly. If things don't feel right, it is very wise to be pro-active and get it sorted.
 
Only 5 more days until this wretched plaster comes off. My skin is so itchy under it that it's driving me mad. I don't know what happens after it's taken off next Tuesday. Hopefully I will have other sort of support for my thumb or I'm going to feel very vulnerable. No doubt the joys of physiotherapy will then start again soon but I'm sure it will be worth it. Linda x
 
@Coppernob you are a real trooper with this! Well done! I'll bet PT will be prescribed. After being in plaster for so long you will need to correctly strengthen your thumb. Please keep us updated!
 
The good news is that my plaster was removed yesterday morning; the bad news is that it's very scary having nothing to protect my thumb.

Although I can now move it, for the next 6 weeks I mustn't do any thing that puts any pressure on my thumb. That sounds easier said than done! My wound has healed really well but, as expected, my thumb joint is very swollen and my wrist is extremely stiff and painful. I start physiotherapy on 8 June which will hopefully sort that out.

My first priority is to deal with the skin under where the cast was - at the moment I'm leaving a snowstorm of peeling skin wherever I go! Linda x
 
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Today I had the first physiotherapy session on my hand, wrist and thumb. It was an hour long session so pretty intensive but Dave (the first time I've had a male physio) was very thorough and I was confident that he knew what he was doing. Just like with my knees I'm having to work on flexion and extension (moving my wrist and hand forwards and backwards) but the main problem is moving my wrist side to side. My thumb joint and wrist are still very swollen and he thinks this is preventing much movement at all. He was very good at moving the wrist just as far as it would go but not pushing it any further and I had to say as soon as it became too painful.

After lots of exercising and a lovely hand massage I left with a long list of exercises to do 3 times a day at home. I have to see Dave again once a week for the next two weeks to work on my ROM and he is hopeful that we will then be able to start on strengthening exercises. Tonight my hand and wrist are aching a lot and are very warm but I think they are entitled to after all they've been through today. Linda x
 
Coppernob said:
My thumb joint and wrist are still very swollen and he thinks this is preventing much movement at all.
Click to expand...
NO kidding! I'm very pleased to hear that - shows he does indeed know what he is doing!
Coppernob said:
He was very good at moving the wrist just as far as it would go but not pushing it any further and I had to say as soon as it became too painful.
Click to expand...
Perfect!

This is one case where Pushing Pays Perfectly when Progressing Performance!
 
Second physio session just completed. Another half an hour of manipulation and massage but, once again, Dave was superb and as soon as I said anything was painful he immediately stopped. It's still the side to side movement that's a problem, everything else is very nearly back to normal. There's still a lot of work to be done on getting strength back in my grip but that won't start until after I've seen my surgeon again on 9 July. She did warn me that recovery would be long and slow but all is going well so far. Linda x
 
So glad to hear that progress is ongoing. I know it must be frustrating to move along so slowly, but your patience is going to pay off!
 
More manipulation and also laser treatment this morning; a very painful wrist and thumb this afternoon. Another appointment next week and then one the day after I see my surgeon. Dave hopes he will then be able to start on strengthening exercises as, apart from the sideways movement, my ROM is back to what it should be. Linda x
 
I went to physio this morning but Dave wouldn't attempt anything except more laser treatment as, when I woke up this morning, the inside of my bottom thumb joint was very swollen, red and painful. As far as I know I haven't knocked it or done anything to damage it so it's a bit of a mystery. Dave had no explanation but he didn't want to cause any more possible damage by massaging or manipulating it. He could teach a few knee physios a thing or two! He suggested putting my hand and wrist in an ice bath for 10 minutes twice day to see if it calms down and to definitely mention it to my surgeon when I see her next week. I've an appointment tomorrow with my GP on an unrelated matter so I think I'll see what he has to say about it too.

In this heat an ice bath is quite welcome but I must confess I'm a bit worried about my thumb. It doesn't feel like an infection but, given my knee history, I think I'm a bit paranoid! Linda x
 
Well my worst nightmare has come true. I saw my GP this morning and the only diagnosis he could come up with for my swollen and painful thumb joint was an infection. So I'm back on the dreaded Flucloxacillin for 10 days and have to go back to the surgery in 2 or 3 days if things don't start improving, or get worse. I'm trying to not let it get me down, but not succeeding very well. Linda x
 
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