Well, the Veterans Administration finally took action on the Dupuytrens disease crippling my hands, performing surgery on the left in January and the right three weeks ago. Although my right hand is still in quite a bit of pain, and is still healing because the surgical wound ripped open, I can move my fingers to their natural extension. Yay!

I learned something that is a terrible blow though, and wonder if anyone else here has any experience with this. I have epilepsy; the drugs which are usually given in the USA for that either do not work on me, or are terrible allergens. The Navy (the big E was diagnosed while I was in the service) went to the "fallback" drug here, phenobarbital. Big doses.

And it worked. Since 1996 my epilepsy has been stable, and my state a few months ago finally issued me a driver's license.

But here is the problem: I have found that for a person prone to Dupuytrens disease, phenobarbital horribly accellerates and aggrevates it.

That leaves me a question that the orthopedic surgeon and my doctor could not answer for me: with the surgeries completed, will my medication cause it to come back? Or make it worse if it does?

I really don't like to have to choose between being able to use my hands and being seizure-free. Has anyone else run into this problem, and what did you do?

In the meantime, the US National Hammered Dulcimer competition looms in September, I am competing, and with my hands in order I am on to make up for lost time on practice. I would hate to think my epilepsy med might wind up robbing me of my chance to compete.

James

Well, I never did get a response to that. I'm left scratching my head over whether the problem will return, or whether the phenobarbital will continue to aggravate it.

Concerning that hammered dulcimer competition: the elbow surgery I had to try and restore feeling to my left hand damaged after its Dupuytrens surgery was a dramatic failure. Nevertheless, with precious little time to prepare for the Nationals, the surgeon recommended against competing. The cast came off only a few days before the competition. Phooey on him, I went anyway. Of thirteen contestants in the finals, I finished seventh.

Now my elbow and arm are always in pain as well, and I have lost feeling in my left arm. But I am preparing for next year's competition.

James

Edited 10/05/11 07:36