Hello, I'm new here. Kinda stumbled onto this place while on a desperate search for information/stories while I try to make a final decision on what's going to be the next step for my wrist. So, here's the vague background, I guess...
My first surgery was in 2015, and was absolute garbage. Some kind of minor heat-based tendon repair, to the best of my knowledge - the surgeon never explained it to me, and refused to see me again after, despite my pain returning while I was still in recovery from that surgery.
Second surgery was a reconstruction in 2017. Other treatments weren't working anymore, and it had to be done. Went reasonably well. I got 2 years out of it before it failed out of the blue.
Third surgery was last summer - proximal row carpectomy. Recovery for that went alright. I had a stretch of maybe 2 months where I was doing fantastic. Then the pain started up again.
We've been trying treatments, and running tests, hoping it was just the wrist being agitated from all the trauma and recovery. Turns out, it's not.
My capitate is fractured, and full of inflammation. Somehow, my cartilage is eroding far faster than it should. So at this point, it's time for another surgery to try to salvage whatever we can of my wrist. And it sounds like I have 2 options.
I can decide I'm done - because after 6 years, I am so unbelievably tired of surgeries and pain - and finally do the fusion. Something I was prepared for the last time, before I was told the PRC was on the table and would potentially buy me 10-15 years. So it's not like that concept is a massive shock to me at this point.
Or, I can choose the resurfacing option. It sounds like, best case scenario, that would get me 5-7 years before we'd have to fuse it anyway, as the parts are going to deteriorate. It comes down to is the potential of 5 or so more years of motion worth knowing there's at least one more surgery on my horizon, and is the extra trauma of that added surgery going to be worth the time I get out of it.
Most of what I can get online is just summaries of studies, and none quite match this situation, anyway. So if anyone has anything they can share about life after either of these procedures, the recovery, etc., it would be greatly appreciated. I'm genuinely leaning towards the fusion because I just don't want to hurt anymore, but I want to be sure I've really considered both options before I settle on one officially.
My first surgery was in 2015, and was absolute garbage. Some kind of minor heat-based tendon repair, to the best of my knowledge - the surgeon never explained it to me, and refused to see me again after, despite my pain returning while I was still in recovery from that surgery.
Second surgery was a reconstruction in 2017. Other treatments weren't working anymore, and it had to be done. Went reasonably well. I got 2 years out of it before it failed out of the blue.
Third surgery was last summer - proximal row carpectomy. Recovery for that went alright. I had a stretch of maybe 2 months where I was doing fantastic. Then the pain started up again.
We've been trying treatments, and running tests, hoping it was just the wrist being agitated from all the trauma and recovery. Turns out, it's not.
My capitate is fractured, and full of inflammation. Somehow, my cartilage is eroding far faster than it should. So at this point, it's time for another surgery to try to salvage whatever we can of my wrist. And it sounds like I have 2 options.
I can decide I'm done - because after 6 years, I am so unbelievably tired of surgeries and pain - and finally do the fusion. Something I was prepared for the last time, before I was told the PRC was on the table and would potentially buy me 10-15 years. So it's not like that concept is a massive shock to me at this point.
Or, I can choose the resurfacing option. It sounds like, best case scenario, that would get me 5-7 years before we'd have to fuse it anyway, as the parts are going to deteriorate. It comes down to is the potential of 5 or so more years of motion worth knowing there's at least one more surgery on my horizon, and is the extra trauma of that added surgery going to be worth the time I get out of it.
Most of what I can get online is just summaries of studies, and none quite match this situation, anyway. So if anyone has anything they can share about life after either of these procedures, the recovery, etc., it would be greatly appreciated. I'm genuinely leaning towards the fusion because I just don't want to hurt anymore, but I want to be sure I've really considered both options before I settle on one officially.