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We All Need Helping Hands . . .

. . . Hand Surgery Update

It's been a year since the surgery on my hands. One doctor said don't do it and another said do. The conflict was the timing. I continued without surgery for three additional years, and then the time came that seemed right to me. I didn't lose much time in my work following my procedures (both hands), and the surgery was far less invasive than I thought it would be. I chose subsequent work to avoid certain pressure and stress on the insides of my palms; just for a short season, a few days. It was a matter of days before I could work as before.

The splint created for my hand needed changes as the fingers straightened by stretches ensured by the splints. This was done by immersing the splints in hot water and then reshaping the thermoplastic to my new hand shape.

For six months, I wore rigid splints with Velcro straps to stop my hands from balling up into a fist. They woke me several times every night for six months, which showed me that they were both needed and were working. After four months, the waking lessened and at six months I slept peacefully with them on. I wore them this week for two nights, and I never woke in the eight hours I normally sleep for.

The needle that numbed my hand was the same needle that severed the build up of "chord" causing the contraction, and when the work was completed this was the only protection I needed. The grey dot in the middle was the only blood. What an amazing thing, hand surgery is.

Dupytrens contraction is a common-enough disease. The surgeon took five minutes or less per hand. She discussed every step as she went and told me that this or that might be a little uncomfortable or that I might hear and feel some crunching. Surgery was at 9 AM, and post-op-physio and splint fitment took another hour. The splints were only for non-work time, and I could use my hands for lightweight work in my hand tool woodworking without hindrance when I went back to work. The freedom I have gained from my hands was something I hadn't altogether expected to the degree that it has.

My hands are both doing fine, thank you. What an amazing improvement. As you can imagine, I rely so much on my hands for everything I do.

So this is a big thank you to the Pulvertaft Hand Clinic in the NHS Royal Derby Hospital and Miss Kate Brown, the orthopaedic surgeon who gave me back the whole use of my hands.

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