Trapeziumectomy for a person with only one hand.

amytan

Hi

The condition of my left hand has deteriorated to the point where my consultant is advising a trapeziumectomy.

The trouble is I am an amputee - I lost my right arm nearly thirty years ago. (Overuse of my remaining hand is the cause of my osteoarthiritis.)

Is there anyone out there with only one hand who has had this surgery? If so - how did you cope during the rehabilitation/recovery period? And was the procedure beneficial?

Thank you.

[Deleted User]

Welcome to Arthritis Care Forums amytan from the moderation team

As mods we are here to help with any problems you may have on the message boards.

There are lots of lovely people here with a wide range of experiences with arthritis and the problems of living with the condition. Just join in wherever you like you will be made very welcome.

I look forward to seeing you posting on the boards.

Best wishes

John

dreamdaisy

Hello, it's lovely to meet you but I am so sorry you have had to find us. In all the years I have been a member here I cannot recall one person in your situation, the only amputee I can recall had lost her lower left leg. There are some threads on the boards about this procedure, doing a search using the term should bring them up - I will bump up the most recent on this bit for you to have a look at (although we haven't heard from the posters for a little while).

The closest I can come to your potential experience was when I had a double carpal tunnel operation, thus losing the use of both hands for a comparatively short period of time ( a fortnight or so) but I had my husband around to help me with the necessaries. I think if I was in your situation I would be questioning the consultant about time scales for recovery (I know, just how long is a piece of string? ) and, if you are on your own, the GP about the possibility of setting up a temporary care package. I happily admit I am not familiar with the processes involved with the latter but I am sure he could set the ball rolling.

I wish you well. DD

amytan

Hello there DD - lovely to meet you, too, and thank you for replying to my post.

It's interesting that you were without the use of your hands and that your husband helped you during this period. Yes, I do have a husband, but he's pretty squeamish (!) and I can't see him at all coping with my 'personal care'! He also works very long hours. No - I think I would need to buy in a personal carer during the recovery period. That in itself would be very expensive. (Wouldn't qualify for any help from social services.)

I have now posted on several amputee forums as well in the hope that someone else has experience of this procedure. (I've read the other threads on this forum). My consultant is very aware of my concerns and cannot guarantee that my situation won't deteriorate post procedure. As I rely on one hand that is a huge fear for me.

I didn't say this before but I use British Sign Language as my youngest son is Deaf and a BSL user. If anything happened to my hand and I could no longer communicate in sign with him - well, I just couldn't cope with that.

I'll let you know if I do hear back from a fellow amputee but thank you so much for your reply.

AT

P.S. I think at the moment I will put the procedure off until I hear positive news from another amputee.

stickywicket

Oh dear! What a pickle! You do sound like the sort of person who will manage to sort something out though.

Like DD, I've been here a long time and never come across someone with your problem. I do think, from what I've read from others, that some sort of personal care will be essential. Even if you can get no financial assistance your local government's Adult Social Care Dept. might be able to point you in the direction of where to find trustworthy private help. I have used mine purely for advice on different matters because I know they have no axe to grind and only my interests at heart. I do wish you well with it all.

dreamdaisy

Hello again, I have been thinking about you and your complex situation. I cannot conceive that in this day and age some kind of help would not be available to you but finding it might be the challenge.

My husband too worked long hours but was able to work from home for a week: to ensure that he didn't have to cope with anything too 'messy' I took more cocodamol than usual to 'block my drains' but when the inevitable had to happen we made a joke of it, which broke the tension.

Does your son lip read? DD

amytan

dreamdaisy wrote:

Hello again, I have been thinking about you and your complex situation. I cannot conceive that in this day and age some kind of help would not be available to you but finding it might be the challenge.

My husband too worked long hours but was able to work from home for a week: to ensure that he didn't have to cope with anything too 'messy' I took more cocodamol than usual to 'block my drains' but when the inevitable had to happen we made a joke of it, which broke the tension.

Does your son lip read? DD

Thanks Stickywicket and DD!

No, DD, my son does not lip-read he was born with a total loss but is fully literate. And my consultant said I would need assistance for several weeks if I went ahead so I'd rather not be on anything constipating for that long although I appreciate you sense of humour

I've been involved with adult social care for several years as both my parents have dementia. I've actually had to involve the CQC and LGO over neglectful care given by two companies recommended by them so I'll be staying well clear of Adult Social Care! Besides - they are grossly overworked - in our area anyway.

The more I think about this procedure, and from chatting with amputees on other forums (none of whom have had the procedure) there is no way I could go ahead for a good while anyway due to family commitments.

I'll leave the post open just in case someone who's in a similar boat does notice it.

Thank you for your help!

AT