I was offered a third dose of RT on one area of one hand on my last visit. Different I know. But, I decided then that the hand was not 'bad enough' to go ahead, so I would hold back and reconsider if it got worse. It's been about 9 months and the area that was giving me problems me problems has settled down.

Only you can judge how much 'bad enough' is for you right now, versus the risks of it developing much worse or the risk of using that RT dose now and not later. By all accounts surgery on the feet is something to be avoided in most cases, so I would be inclined to explore all other options first, including putting up with quite severe discomfort or pain, and using a third dose of RT when it is really ' bad enough'.

Feet can be a problem for diabetics, I don't know if you are one, but something else to think about.

As I'm getting older, my attitude and decision to things that are borderline, even not quite sensible, is increasingly 'have it', 'do it', ' get it', 'be it', and so on, but I missed the motorcycle phase in my fifties since I hds done that in my twenties.

I know I'm the old cracked record (For those that remember what a cracked record is) and while I agree with 'have it', 'do it', ' get it', 'be it' I still caution 'have it', 'do it', ' get it', 'be it' but don't play with it.

I don't agree with the "protect your hand", cut out doing things etc. I carry on as normal and treat my hands as something to adjust for. Like being short or left handed or being English.

Seph

Gary; when I first joined this forum I said that DD and LD were painless. I was then bashed over the head by many who said it was not painless.

I have had the disease so long that I had forgotten that the reason they operated on my foot was that I was complaining about the pin from the lump that had developed. And in my early forties I didn't associate the pain in my hand when shaking hands with DD. That hand pain came back recently and I remembered.

In my case the pain in my feet passed once the growths stopped. The pain in my hand, now that I know what it is, has caused me to change my grip. Other than that yes, man up and deal with it. Its not deadly so you can find a way to suck it up and ignore it.

And being a pom you are used to loosing so it shouldn't hurt any more when you loose. And the adrenalin rush from winning as a kiwi makes it all good.

Seph

Gary, sorry to read your LD is giving you trouble. Here is what I read in a previous post about a Dr . Chin, he is in Brisbane, AU:

Re: Surgeon - Dr Amanda Reilly - Brisbane Australia - Feedback & Dr Chin
Hi Steven and Jaci,

I recently had both a Fasciotomy operation on my left hand and also my left foot for Ledderhose was injected by Dr Chin some 6 weeks ago. Hand is still recovering, but is looking good, he was going to inject the hand but it was too far gone with the tissue being very fibrous, possibly after 5 NA procedure previously (and hence not a good candidate for an injection) so we decided to strip the finger ready for a future injection if required.

The injection in the foot resulted in TOTAL disappearance of 4 nodules and the larger nodule (around 15-20 mm) has shrunk considerably. It was a bit sore for 2-3 days but I could still walk on it OK. Normally the injection is done with a local anaesthetic, but as I was having a general for my hand, it was done under a general anaesthetic for me. The foot is so much easier to extend straight, walking is easier and to date no side effects. Dr Chin tells me it takes up to 8-10 weeks for the injection to fully do its job, so I am hopeful the larger nodule will shrink further. Dr Chin uses an injection already approved for treating other ailments and has been using this technique for many years with great success. As he is seeking a licensing arrangement for the treatment I feel I cannot disclose too much, but I am certain if you contact Dr Chin he will be more than happy to discuss the efficacy and effect of the treatment. I believe he has an alternative to RT, freezing and other treatments for Ledderhose that once he can get the appropriate licensing in place will become a much sort after treatment. It is also very effective on DD but I can’t comment on this aspect yet as I haven’t had this treatment. In terms of cost, the injection unfortunately isn’t covered by Medicare or I don’t believe any health fund, but compared to out of pocket expenses/gaps for other treatments I think the cost will stack up, especially if you live in Brisbane and surrounds and hence little travel.

Best of luck to you,
Christl