What happens after the OP? |
|
1 2 3
|
1 2 3
|
04/06/2008 12:44
IanMc55not registered
|
04/06/2008 12:44
IanMc55not registered
|
Re: What happens after the OP?
From Ian55 Hi Folks, sorry about the password confusion. Thanks for the comments which prepared me for seeing the surgeon the following day. Here are some details in case they are useful to other people. Firstly I was almost 2 weeks late with my first appointment due to first my fault and then his holiday.I was not too worried about the delay as the stitches came out later than they should have normally and the wound was a long way from being healed and had possibly become slightly infected ,anti-biotic cream and dressings put on by the local doctor took care of it. I had been putting Marigold extract cream with Vit E. on my hand away from the wound area.
The surgeon was concerned that my small finger was still 90 deg to the palm and prescribed immediate physio and ergo- therapy. Ergo -therapy concentrated on how I should handle it myself - 1. 2x bathing per day with camomile (can use tea bags or extract from the drugstore) in warm water while exercising the fingers 2. massage hard areas next to the wound in small circles with pressure, using for example milking grease (in german - Melkfett) mine also contains marigold extract. 3. massage rest of palm with a spiky massage ball 4. Continue sleeping with the hand elevated 5. regularly extending/stretching the fingers. 6. Heat therapy
I asked about why no splint and he said that was an old philosophy and can put too much tension on the hand at the beginning (I have my doubts considering what you all wrote).
Then came the physio which was 20 mins of so called lymphatic drainage, somehow trying to force the swollen areas away from your hand towards your elbow and then basically 30 mins of hard massage and stretching the good fingers flat. This now runs every second day for 2 weeks so will let you know if there is any improvement.
As a footnote I would like to say I used this hand specialist because he did a very good job on my wifes thumb last November and possibly I have myself to blame in leaving it too late. On the other side when I discussed it with my local doctor 4 years ago after the first signs appeared, he said it will need operating eventually (no other alternative was mentioned) and to leave it as long as possible. So if there is a message here and you are going with surgery don't leave it too late.
|
|
|
04/06/2008 13:11
Wolfgangnot registered
|
04/06/2008 13:11
Wolfgangnot registered
|
Re: What happens after the OP?
Hi Ian,
and did the physio do your finger any good or is it too early to ask?
Wolfgang
|
|
|
04/07/2008 10:34
IanMc55not registered
|
04/07/2008 10:34
IanMc55not registered
|
Re: What happens after the OP?
Hi, Wolfgang After 2 sessions of Ergotherapy and one session of Physiotherapy it is too early to tell so I will report in 2 weeks.
|
|
|
04/08/2008 13:33
wach  Administrator
|
04/08/2008 13:33
wach  Administrator
|
Re: What happens after the OP?
Colleen, I hope we now fixed the password bug. Can you give it another try? If your old pw doesn't work anymore, please try the lost password function. It now ought to return the correct password. At least I hope so ...
Sorry about that!
Wolfgang
Quote:
I clicked on lost password and it sent me not my password but a nonsense mixture of upper and lower case letters and numbers that is 32 charactures long!! With my poor typing skills I'd never get it entered correctly.
Colleen
|
|
|
04/08/2008 19:13
Issleib
|
04/08/2008 19:13
Issleib
|
Re: What happens after the OP?
It let me in and let me post!!
Colleen
|
|
|
04/21/2008 13:16
Ian55
|
04/21/2008 13:16
Ian55
|
Re: What happens after the OP?
Hi, It is now over 2 weeks since the beginning of therapy (8 weeks since the Op) and I have a slight improvement on the angle and movement of my finger but it looks like it is going to take some time as Diane_S said. I have physio 3 times per week mornings with a 45 min massage evenings plus mornings on the weekend plus hand exercises of my own in between. The area of hardness has decreased to around the bottom of my little finger and up to the first joint and until this loosens up I think progress will be limited.
The surgeon now approved the use of a splint and I obtained one from Bort medical (Digisoft Finger orthosis -Art 112770).This is a padded flat aluminium support with 3 retaining straps (wrist,hand and finger) and I wear it upside down (not as shown in the catalogue) so that the retaining strap puts gentle pressure on my finger forcing it towards the aluminium strip running up the back of my hand.This splint can be used on any finger or even 2 at the same time.
The so called Ergotherapy I gave up as I felt I was not getting value for money in comparison to the physiotherapy. regards Ian55
|
|
|
05/07/2008 06:11
jimbo1not registered
|
05/07/2008 06:11
jimbo1not registered
|
Re: What happens after the OP?
I see others are having the same problem as I with log on. It just does not work.
|
|
|
05/07/2008 06:40
Wolfgangnot registered
|
05/07/2008 06:40
Wolfgangnot registered
|
problem with login?
You might try below.
1. click on "Login" 2. enter you user name, do not enter you password 3. click on "Lost password" 4. the Forum will e-mail you password to you. Try this password. It ought to work. 5. If you have a working password and want to change it, login with the current password, then click on "My profile" and change the password.
Good luck!
Wollfgang
Quote:
I see others are having the same problem as I with log on. It just does not work.
|
|
|
05/07/2008 07:23
Ian55
|
05/07/2008 07:23
Ian55
|
What happens after the OP? -Costs
Hi Folks,
As I have received the bills for my operation and aftercare I wanted to inform anybody who is concerned about costs, because as we know not everybody has a national health system or private insurance. I was charged 1131 Euros for my 1 pre-op visit, the operation plus 2 post-op visits to the surgeon and from my local doctor I was charged 293 Euros fot 10 visits including the pre-op blood test.I was treated as an out-patient in a clinic near Munich ,Germany.
|
|
|
05/07/2008 15:03
callie
|
05/07/2008 15:03
callie
|
Re: What happens after the OP?
Ian55, I am very surprised that a splint was not recommended for you. I considered the splint to be an essential part of therapy. My situation was 90 degrees contraction in little finger (45 degrees in adjacent ring finger). It has now been six years since surgery with no hint of Dupuytren's remaining. I did all of the therapy on my own. I wore a splint for a month and then at nights for another month. I messaged a cream into the wounded area several times a day and NEVER let the incision area dry out. I continually flexed the hand all day whenever I thought about it. The best thing I found (for therapy) was putting 10 minute elastic bandage wraps on the hand while making a fist. Each day I would try to make it a little tighter than the day before.
My hand has full strength, total flex and scar tissue that is very minimal and no sign of Dupuytren's.
|
|
|
|
1 2 3
|
1 2 3
|