Triggered
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I have arthritis.
Just over 6 months ago I got a cortisone shot in the left thumb metacarpal. It worked ok.
Now the pain is coming back.
They said I could get 3 shots separated by about 6 months. If it is still hurting, then they'll remove the Trapezium and toss it in the trash.
Then they'll rebuild the lost support by rearranging some tendons.I haven't investigated exactly how this surgery works yet; I was hoping the cortisone would last longer.
I have arthriitis in the same joint (thumb). At one point, I thought I'd have to give up the piano completely. My ortho doc asked what I'd done to mess up the joint so badly - beyond the arthritis.
I'm playing the piano as badly as ever but I'm playing - and it came from using a splint at night to completely restrict movement along with the liberal use of Arnicare on the joint just prior to putting on the splint. I've given the splint/arnicare combo to a few folks who have had a good measure of success. You might want to give it a try.
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Splints helped the wife at one time. Hers were custom fitted out of a foam that became rigid after molding.
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Steroids are a temporary fix, in most cases. When you get them, they're like money in the bank. Spend wisely.
Always remember, Operation Valkyrie was an act of sedition.
Warning: I post things that interest me. Read and comment at your own discretion. -
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Steroids are a temporary fix
Yup. I am resigned to the fact that I'll need surgery on both fingers by the end of the year.
Interestingly, the injections helped the pain, but both joints are still triggering a bit almost 48 hours later. Hopefully it'll continue to improve.
I got almost immediate relief on the other hand, so I don't know what to make of it.
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The ring finger continues to deteriorate. Painful for any activity (like piano) and I've really restricted my playing. I was hoping that the thumb would act up again as well, so that the surgeon could do both at the same time.
However, the thumb is fine for now.
So, the ring finger has had two failed injections - surgery is the next step.
I emailed Dave (the surgeon) and asked, "PLEASE, can we do another injection and hope the thumb acts up so you can operate on both at the same time? If the ring finger fails, and the thumb is OK, I guess I'm doomed to another operation."
He said, "Sure. One more injection we can do."
Bullet dodged - for a while, at least.
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"My pronouns are FA/FO." - Mik, 2024
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Good. Most people I would not follow that lead, but with you I would.
I have very little confidence that it won't recur. Surgery was a nothing, basically, but it stopped my playing for about 4 months. I would just love to get both fingers fixed at the same sitting. But, if the thumb's OK, I'm sure Dave won't touch it.
"Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08
The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.
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@George-K how long does the affect of the injection last for?
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@taiwan_girl said in Triggered:
@George-K how long does the affect of the injection last for?
Variable. I only got about 3 months last time. I imagine the next will be the same.
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Hell to get old.
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I'm in the same boat.
Now about 9 months since the shot in left thumb metacarpal, it hurts full time.
I'll be calling today to schedule a second shot. They said I could have maybe 3 shots and then surgery.
I assume surgery will shut down the golf game for a while, I don't like that.
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it stopped my playing for about 4 months
Have you seen this?
I'm not sure if it applies.
SUTURE BUTTON SUSPENSIONPLASTY (SBS) FOR BASAL JOINT ARTHRITIS
Patients remain in a splint for about five days, after which their dressing comes off. They can begin therapy and start using their hand again immediately.
With traditional thumb arthritis surgeries, patients can be in a cast for one month or longer. The majority of Dr. Yao’s patients get back to normal activity by the three-month mark, if not sooner. Other surgical methods can have double the recovery time, up to six months in some cases.
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Finger injected yesterday...
Surgeon said that there is evidence that after a steroid injection, if surgery is performed less than three months after the injection, risk of infection is higher. Statistically significant, but probably not clinically significant.
But, pain is gone.
The finger is still triggering, but he said this might last a few days.
The good thing is that, even though triggering, playing the piano (I tried today) is not painful.
The plan is to see what happens. If triggering recurs, I'll ignore it, as long as it doesn't REALLY affect function. If it causes pain, that's a different thing, of course.
Hopefully (?) the thumb will start acting up as well, and I can get both of them done at the same time.
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It's really a nothing procedure. Local anesthesia (though he did offer sedation). My left hand hurt for a few weeks afterward, but I was able to return to the piano after a few months, much to the dismay of Mrs. George. I'm glad both are being done. He offered to inject the thumb again, but he said that if it recurs, and it's likely to, I'll need surgery. Only 1 trip to the OR is better.
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Getting old ain't for....
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Hope all goes well.
