Tendon issues

jenzie06

I have had my tendon which runs over my knuckle repaired before as it had over stretched. I've also had a little op on it earlier this year as it was causing me pain and my surgeon said it was due to the stitches from the earlier op.

Three weeks after this last little op I accidentally banged it on the edge of a table and it blew up like a balloon and was extremely bruised (the bang wasn't that bad but it looked awful). The docs thought I'd broken it but xray disproved this.

It has become increasingly painful so I went back to my hand surgeon who said to wait to go back on the meds after pregnancy to see if it helps. The tendon now slips on and off the joint and it gets stuck then flicks back on the joint which is unbelievably painful. My ot made me a splint which helped. It also bruises continually and swells up.

Yesterday I went back to the surgeon to ask for help as I can't cope anymore. He wants me to wait again and said that it would fail as my body hasn't recovered from pregnancy, my hand would be out of action for 3 months and I wouldn't be able to lift my child. He also wants to wait for my drugs to be effective, I have had RA for 16 years and I'm still waiting for effective drugs!!!!!
I have a carer to help me with my child and my care package could be increased temporarily so I could have someone with me full time while my hand recovered.

I can understand his point of view but its hard when its causing daily if not hourly pain. Also if he is waiting for my baby to be more independent I will have to wait a couple of years as he is delayed in his development due to his prematurity and is yet to even hold his head up.

My ot is going to write to him and plead my case (i.e better to do it while baby is small and not heavy and while I have my care package in place). What else can I do?

P.s sorry for epic post

stickywicket

I'm sorry you've had the tendon trouble in your finger. I don't know much about tendons but I can see that, if you banged the site soon after surgery, problems might well result. I can also see that, if the surgeon says another operation would fail right now, there's no point in wasting time and effort on it. I don't altogether see where pregnancy and meds come into the equation but maybe the pregnancy hormones have a role to play and maybe he feels the joint will alter once you're back on your meds.

Is there some reason why you can't go back on your meds yet? I remember trying to care for a young baby while flaring horrendously and I couldn't get back to meds quick enough. All idealistic ideas about breastfeeding for weeks went right out of the window.

I doubt your hand surgeon is waiting for your baby to become more independent. I think the reasons he's given sound quite valid. I also think that, when he speaks of waiting for your meds 'to be effective', he's talking in terms of inflammatory levels rather than pain levels. We all know the two bear little resemblance to each other but it does make sense that a second (or, actually third) repair on an inflamed joint is going to be a dodgy proposition.

I'm sorry, but I don't really see what else you can do. I'm sorry the baby is a bit slow to hold his head up. That will make things a bit more difficult. How old is he now?

barbara12

Jen don't apologise..you have so much going on and with the baby to look after, but you should not be left like this ,and I am glad your OT is wring to them..it sounds so painful to have the tendons slipping like that :shock: I hope you can get something done about it sooner rather then later ...will be thinking about you ((())) xx

jenzie06

Thanks for the replies.

I can appreciate the surgeon's view. There is no point in doing it if its not going to work. However, the amount of pain is unliveable.

I'm back on the meds but waiting for them to work.

The surgeon said the problem is picking the baby up while my hand is out of action. My baby is 4 months old.

stickywicket

I don't think surgeons go by pain at all, only x-rays, MRIs etc. I think pain is the province of your GP.

Many of us on here have had really tough times post-pregnancy. I developed all sorts of ways of dealing with my younger son, many of which terrified my mother-in-law I picked him up by folding him over my forearm. I left him in the cot with just a nappy underneath him when my fingers couldn't attach one. If he fell asleep in my arms we both had a rest as no way could I stand up while holding him that way. It was a very painful time, but I did come out the other end, as I hope yo will.