Sat 20th March 2010
Removal of the surgically attached button went well yesterday and I hope to make more rapid progress in my return to full thumb health over the next month.
Tues 9th March 2010
Very excitingly, Mr. Thumb moved under his own steam for the first time today since the accident.
The new hi tech compression dressing has greatly reduced the scars and the swelling and I feel much more optimistic.
I will be continuing with the physiotherapy exercises for several weeks yet, and return to hospital next week for the removal of the surgically attached button. Fingers crossed (no pun intended).
Friday, 19 February 2010
The stitches were taken out on Tuesday and I now have a high tech plastic surgery dressing. I am continuing with the physiotherapy exercises which I have been given for my thumb, and altho its hard going because of the scars and the swelling I can move a bit more.
Thanks to everyone for the jokes, fruit, company, well wishes, etc....
Friday, 12 February 2010
I'm now able to sleep almost normally, unburdened by the weight of plaster cast. I have started regularly doing the physiotherapy exercises which I have been given for my thumb, and I'm delighted to say that I can move a little bit.
The new lightweight splint/cast is much easier to cope with: I have even been able to practice for the first time today (legs only), no arms. I am, perhaps fortunately, being kept occupied by catching up with website work, office work and reading and writing for Taiji book reviews.
I look forward to being back soon and wish you all well.
Weds 10th Feb
Hello again
Welcome to the continuing saga of my injured thumb. Yesterday, Tuesday, I went back to hospital and had the plaster cast taken off for the first look at the surgery underneath.
As you can see from the pictures, it's a bit messy, but in general everybody seems very pleased with it. I must say I'm delighted to have the enormous and very heavy plaster cast removed and replaced with a thermoplastic splint. However, I have to wear the splint continuously, no exceptions, for at least six weeks. The fingers of my right hand are undamaged but in order to protect the thumb tendon while it self repairs, I can effectively do nothing at all with my right hand. Fortunately, given both the damage and the surgery, I am in very little pain and hope and expect that it will heal well.
Weds 3rd Feb
A Tale of Sudden Digital Misfortune
Hello Everyone
My right arm is in a plaster cast from elbow to fingers: this unfortunate situation started off with a relatively small and bizarre accident. While recycling bottles locally, one smashed and a sliver of glass about an inch long and a millimetre wide was driven into the ball of my right thumb.
There was quite a lot of blood but I went home and successfully extracted the glass: after washing and dressing the wound it seemed to be healing relatively quickly and well. The following weekend I taught in Bristol and on my return home on Sunday evening was brushing my teeth when I felt, heard, and experienced a kind of snapping and exploding sensation in the lateral edge of the inside of my distal thumb joint.
Immediately after this very disturbing sensation I was unable to move the thumb above the top joint. A rapid phone call to a medically experienced friend and some internet research suggested that the tendon which controls and operates the movement of the upper part of the thumb had ruptured or broken.
The next morning I went to the doctors: from there to casualty: from there the following morning to a specialist hand clinic and then immediately into day surgery for an operation to repair the broken tendon. The plastic surgeon told me I was fortunate that the glass had cut the tendon, which had then snapped, but it appeared to have missed the nerves.
Although the actual surgical area is relatively small, because the tendon was broken near to its insertion to the bone, it was necessary to drill into the bone and to put sutures through the ball of the thumb to an external anchor called a button. The result of all this is that while there is apparently are 90% chance of my regaining more or less full use of the thumb, my right arm and hand have to remain completely immobilised in a very substantial plaster cast for at least eight weeks.
I thank everyone concerned for their sympathy, support, goodwill and patience, and hope to see you sooner rather than later.
Paul (Brewer)