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I'm weighing up surgery on my thumb joints

Posted , 148 users are following.

caringbah
caringbah

I have osteo arthritis of both thumb joints. I'm 70, still very active ( currently on a skiing holiday) and work full time in my business. My condition is getting increasingly painful. I get by with painkillers. I have seen a surgeon but I'm really concerned about the long recovery time. 

Has anyone here had basal thumb surgery and if so would you mind describing...briefly...what the surgery and recovery like and any complication. I would be most grateful.

Cheers. 

10 likes, 917 replies

917 Replies

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  • peter34761
    peter34761 caringbah

    Posted

    As you know I have been trying the Gelatin for a couple of months now and honestly it has done absolutely nothing to ease the pain in my left thumb.  The right is now damn good after 3 months, still some residual pain, but nothing like the left thumb. I can move the right thumb pretty well as it used to be before the arthritis, that is an excellent result in my opinion, still have to build up strength, but that will come.  Once it is up to full operational strength, I will get the left done.
    • askmichelle
      askmichelle peter34761

      Posted

      Mine are both on the mend. Pretty good. August and December surgeries. Glad I did it and got it done.
    • caringbah
      caringbah peter34761

      Posted

      I believe you Peter...glad you're on the mend. My sister is a nurse for an othopaedic surgeon. She has osteo worse than me but is refusing to have surgery...she's personally seen too many horror stories. 

      The gelatin is working for me so I'm sticking with it until it doesn't work anymore. I don't think that's unreasonable even if I do say so myself. 

    • peter34761
      peter34761 caringbah

      Posted

      No worries mate, if it works for you a good idea to stick with it.  Unfortunately it has not done a thing for me, so I really do not have any other choice, definitely do not want to destroy my gut and liver taking nsaids.  They are lethal.
    • Devonia
      Devonia askmichelle

      Posted

      Good to hear this.

      I had cortisone injections under X ray guidance last year but didn't really give much relief & I also got bad cortisone flare up, so pain was even worse after fir coupon review of days! Not on the agenda again.

      I'm coming round to the fact that I need to get this surgery done. I was holding out as I'm a music teacher ( piano & woodwind) plus a knitter/sewer/crochet fan but as all these things are getting so hard to do correctly will opt for my worst side first (left). It was the thought of reduced thumb length & dexterity that was putting me off going for surgery, plus the possible long recovery but had enough now of pain & unable to use my hands correctly.

      Hoping for surgery end of June/ beginning of July as that will give me the school summer break to recuperate in

    • Devonia
      Devonia

      Posted

      Sorry, predictive text on phone coupled with dodgy thumbs!

      so pain was even worse after fir coupon review of days! Not on the agenda again.

      That should say " so pain was even worse after for a couple of days!"

    • Devonia
      Devonia caringbah

      Posted

      Not heard of this alternative, but as a vegetarian then gelatin would not be on the menu for me!
    • Hecate
      Hecate Devonia

      Posted

      I also had a love of embroidery ...which I thought would be wonderful in retirement ...since retirement arthritis has crept around me 😕 I also have spinal problems and arthritic hip ...a great surgeon did a big shoulder op for me last September which I made an almost miraculous recovery from (his words !) ...he also has been treating me for arthritic thumbs but says no way can he say I will be as good with this op ...I will have to be in a plaster cast for 4 weeks, then a simpler one ...I need my hands to help protect my back, getting up , using walking sticks etc ....I cannot risk getting a really bad flare off my back which is usually horrendous for a while   I have just had the guided injections once again in my thumbs ...they don't really give me much relief ...but I have read my reviews on folk who have had the thumb op and there are far too many who have ended up worse off so I have decided not to have this done ....I will just carry on using various braces and the voltarol gel ...unfortunately I cannot now do embroidery 😥

      Val ......

    • Jules76
      Jules76 Devonia

      Posted

      Hi Devonia --

      Have you had the surgery and what do you think? I am a candidate for this as well -- and tried cortisone but it's hard to get it in the right spot for it to be effective.  -- j. 

    • Devonia
      Devonia Hecate

      Posted

      Sorry to hear that you cannot do your embroidery any more. I am still trying to crochet off/on but using larger hooks/yarn. I have weeks when I don't do it and then try again. I'm hoping that once I've recovered form my surgery it will get easier. Hope so as I like to knit, sew etc as well as play/teach music! I do know that this is just one of my hands and both need surgery, but it's a step at a time. I've had hip problems in the past as well and now had FAI surgery on both. 

       

    • Devonia
      Devonia Jules76

      Posted

      Hi Jules 76. I'm scheduled for surgery on first hand on JUly 20th! 

    • Guest
      Guest Jules76

      Posted

      Not yet. Sept oct. prob

      Still need to go for a consult with this new tech will keep you informed.

    • Hecate
      Hecate Jules76

      Posted

      Jules, the surgeon I see in UK gives these injections under x ray so he can place them exactly. He puts anaesthetic in with the steroid so by the time I have had both done there is no pain. But need to take strong painkillers for the steroid flare 😬 After 10 days the injections seem to have worked this time plus I am using voltarol gel and bought a Push thumb brace. Worth every penny and I am now able to stitch again. Definitely NOT doing the surgery. Too many complications and at 71 I am not happy to do it x

  • caringbah
    caringbah

    Posted

    4 month report on my use of gelatin for pain relief. 

    4 months now since starting Gelatin. All good now after the turf laying incident. No painkillers but use the arthritis cream as well when needed. 

    Ive learnt the hard way that painkillers can mask your condition and make you think that you can do more than you can. All you do is further damage the joint because you place unacceptable loads on it because youre not feelng pain. 

    • Hecate
      Hecate caringbah

      Posted

      I know that well ....having a spinal problem and arthritic hip I have learned over the years what I can and cannot do and know what happens when I go ahead anyway 😳

      Val .....

       

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