Interesting experience Del,
My Lesson: if you tear a ligament, go to the doctor straight away.
I went to a surgeon after tearing my ligament in my thumb (right hand): it
just wouldn't get better after two months. This condition is known as
'gamekeepers' thumb' as it was common for gamekeepers using a shotgun. I
read about it, and the prognosis was bad! You see, they just don't heal
unless set within two weeks - and much better outcome is if set within two
days - they are set with a splint that covers the hand. THat's because of
the particular structure of the thumb and its articulation, plus the way we
use it all the time. So, using it after tearing it means a build up of scar
tissue occurs in the healing process, but is constantly being torn away,
and this compromises all further healing of the end of the ligament, which
then becomes too short as well. The thumb develops a bump.
The surgeon was in no hurry and soaked up my dismay. I could not properly
use mind the pain. I was debilitated from everything. Oh my god. He told me
the the operation which would get back use of the hand would be to remove
some of my arm ligament to sew the thumb in place. Shock!! We discussed
prognosis, which wasn't great for arm or thumb. I put it to him, that if I
had a splint now, perhaps I could get the thing to grow back? He said yes,
but the chances are that it would rip again, it would always be weak, too.
I put it to him he didn't like doing these particular operations, and he
admitted he didn't because of the problems and suffering the patients have,
either way. DId it always work I asked. No he said.
If I were to delay with a splint, the success of the operation would
decline. I pressed him, and he said, a splint at this time was worth a
shot, but the chances are slim. I decided to give it two months in a splint
I told him. Inwardly I was crying. I visualised metabolic process undoing
the scar tissue and extraordinarily extending the ligament after attaching
it.
We reviewed progress, before and after removing the splint. On follow up,
having decided after about four months I could use the hand, though the
thumb would weaken , that things were OK now, I looked forward to further
healing. The doctor said well, it will never be the same thumb god gave me.
He was right. It got stronger over two years, but It does weaken when doing
carpentry especially, and I must take care. BUt overall, I am happy.
The surgeon was very empathetic, considerate and helpful in making a
decision which was not easy for him either.
JOhn.
--On 21 October 2007 21:15:51 -0400 Del <[email protected]> wrote:
With doctors you have to pick and choose.
They can do some good things and some very bad things.
For instance, a window once fell on my middle finger (yes, that one) just
above the top knuckle. The pain was so intense it almost wasn't pain any
more. My left hand was pinned by the window so I had quite a struggle
getting the window to open with my right hand so I could get out from
under it. The finger was gashed clear across and the bone in the tip of
the finger was broken in two. Made a fast trip to the emergency room,
and the doctor on call did an absolutely great job of sewing the finger
back together again (with appropriate local anesthetic). However, weeks
went by and the bone refused to knit. The hand specialist I was referred
to recommended that I have a pin inserted. He very reasonably explained
that I would not be able to bend the knuckle any more. I said no thanks,
went home, and started to type on my computer keyboard and play the piano
again. Hurt at first, but four months later the finger was as strong as
ever - just needed to start using it.
The point is, you can consult doctors but make your own determination
about whether or not to go ahead with their recommendations - and, based
on my experiences, most of the time you do not need to do what they
recommend.
Another example: many years ago (about twenty?) after a ten mile run, I
noticed blood in my urine. Went to the HMO and the docs there insisted
on shooting me up with a dye and taking x-rays. I said no thanks, and
have been fine ever since. No recurrence. If there had been more than
one such event, maybe I would have done as they said, but I wanted
confirmation that there was a problem serious enough to warrant such
action.
Another example: my mother had heart problems in her early eighties.
Doctors told her to have bypass surgery. I said nothing because I didn't
know anything about that stuff, and a lot of people seemed to do ok with
it. She was dead within three months after the surgery due to multiple
strokes that left her a vegetable before she died. Turns out many people
get strokes after such surgery, but I did not know that then. She would
have lived several more years, I believe, if she had ignored the doctors.
You need to research what the doctor is telling you before you do it,
find out the odds of success or failure so you can make your own
judgment. Sometimes they are right, many times they are dead wrong!
There is no substitute for information.
That's why I read every message that appears on this list.
Del
----- Original Message ----- From: "Ode Coyote" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, October 19, 2007 6:08 AM
Subject: Re: CS>Doctors...
Of course, doctors know everything possible under the sun and every
single one of millions of human variations and combinations.
Fat chance.
Your belief in doctors is infallible and when it's unrealistic, that's
their fault.
Yea, that'll work...and you aren't evil.
Mental illness never made a body sick.
Ode
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