Hello All,

I am Kayellen, Kaye if that is easier. I am a 48 year old house wife from Texas, smoker, non drinker. I was newly diagnosed with DC and have looked all over the Internet for help and information. I just happened to stumble across this forum today.

My stats are as follows.

Right hand (dominate) an abundance of nodes in palm and at the middle knuckle bend of several fingers. Cords at thumb, pinky and ring finger with the pinky finger contracting at the first knuckle from the tip with a raised reddish node on the top part of the knuckle. Am experiencing moderated to severe pain in this hand. Also pain along the outter wrist and within that joint.

Left hand, No nodes in palm that are noticeable but there are nodes in the bends of my middle knuckles on the fingers. Cords at pinky, ring and index fingers as well as the thumb on the inner wrist side that causes pain and stinging in the thumb and wrist area. Pinky and index fingers are stiffer and seem to also be contracting inward. Same red raised node on the top of my pinky as on the right pinky.

This all became noticeable this past November during thanksgiving. Prior to that I would notice pain and stiffness after I worked in the yard or garden. After some Ibuprophen and rest it would go away until next time. I thought it was arthritis. Two years ago I was diagnosed with Barretts Esophagus and was told to no longer use ibuprophen as it will cause more problems with the Barretts.

The past several months have been quite painful with my hands and got to the point that yard work and drawing became too painful. I finally went to the doctor so he could officially tell me I had arthritis, put me on a course of treatment and I would be good to go. Wrong... He informed me that I had DC and that it was worse than arthritis and that this was one time he wished he could diagnose arthritis. He suggested cortisone shots and a hand specialist.

I hope to see the specialist within the comming weeks. Until then I am in search of a way to relieve the pain until i can see what teh specialist has to offer and what coarse of therapy he suggests.

Everything i and my husband have read says that there is little to no pain associated with DC. I find this funny since the pain i indure at times is severe.

Have any of you that live with DC experienced pain with it? Have you found anything that can ease the pain?

If you have had Cortisone shots, how effective were they? Was the pain more severe the first few days after the shot was given?

Thanks for reading my ramblings.

Kaye

Thank you for responding Newman.

Yes I spent several hours on the website both Friday and Saturday, reading the various treatments & surgeries as well as the many forum topics. I found many that caused the "AH HA!" response because I thought I might have been being a big baby and allowing myself to over dramatize what i was feeling but it turns out I found several of the comments and replies were exactly what i was or had expeirienced at various times.

I have so many questions that I am afraid may not be answered by a doctor. Only because they are book taught and have no real experience with the disease on a personal level. I have found several answers so far on the forum in response to other peoples question. Some I have found partial answers to so I will list some of the ones that are really bugging me and hope I do not drive you kind people nuts!

Today my hands are for the most part pain free, just a dull ache here and there. Is it common in the course of the disease to experience what might be called flare ups? Times when things are downright painful and other times when it is just a minor discomfort or not even noticeable?

Regarding the table top test. I know that i will get a definitive answer from whichever doctor I visit but I wanted to try to understand and at least have an idea of the degree of contracture i have. I read several explinations on how to measure but am still a bit foggy on it. I understand that you lay your hand palm up on a flat surface and measure from the fingertip to table top. My question is...do you allow your hands to rest on the table in a relaxed possition or try to make them lay as flat as you possibly can? Once you have the measurement how do you figure the degree? My husbad can place his hand palm up in a relaxed position on the table and it is absolutely flat however when I place my hands in the same relaxed position they look as though i am holding an invisible ball though i still have full mobility in most of my fingers.

Is there a possibility that Dups can travel or affect other tendons in the body or does it only affect the three specific areas of the body? I know that it is associated with the hands & feet and in men the penile area sometimes. I have also read that it has been known (though rarely) to be found in the wrist of some patients.


I have rambled on long enough. I am just so excited to find a place where answers are in layman terms and from personal experiences.

Thanks for your help!
Kaye

Thank you so much for pointint me to your March post. After reading it I feel much better about the contracture that i do have. I will now be able to relax a bit until we see the doctor.

Thanks again

Kaye