Thumbs, surgery, and bacteria

I never realized how important our thumbs are until I temporarily lost the use of one of them.  Thumbs are vital!  Think about it; if we didn't have thumbs, how could we text each?  How could we hold our eating utensils?  Horrifying! 
About seven years ago, I noticed that the joint at the bottom of my right thumb had grown a huge bump; it was a bone spur.  It wasn't particularly painful, just ugly and deformed.  I went to a hand surgeon.  At his office, an x-ray confirmed that I had osteoarthritis.  Weird, especially since I am left-handed, and, at that point, I was still sort of young.  I asked the doctor about treatment.  "There's surgery, but we can try a cortisone shot and see if that helps," he said.  I asked if the shot would hurt.  "It won't hurt me," he replied.  Ha ha, what a smart ass. The damned shot hurt like hell, and the thumb lump laughed at its impotence.  So, surgery; I trusted this doctor, despite his questionable sense of humor.  The surgery was successful and the  bump was vanquished.  I had a cast on my hand while the joint healed.  That's when I realized how much I depended on my thumb.  I missed it when it was immobile.  When the cast came off, I regained full use of this adorable digit.  Happy ending.

Fast forward to a couple of months ago.  That same thumb joint started acting up; this time, there was no bone spur, just a lot of pain.  I learned that the cartilage and fluid that prevent the bones in our joints from rubbing against each other wears down as we age.  My thumb bones were in a fist fight with gloves off.  

 Today is Friday and my surgery is on Monday.  At this morning's pre-op appointment, they weighed me, took my blood pressure and some of my blood, and gave me lots of instructions about what I can and cannot do prior to the surgery.  I've had a couple of surgeries in years past, but never so many instructions about avoiding bacterial infections.  Yikes!  On the night before surgery, I must put clean linens on my bed, take a shower, apply Chlorhexidine wipes two hours after my shower, and wear clean pajamas to bed.  I am going to be super duper anti-bacterial.  

 I will report on the outcome, but typing will take a bit longer with the temporary loss of my right thumb.  I'll miss it, but I am confident that my thumb and I will have a full recovery.  Meanwhile, appreciate your thumbs!  Thumbs up!!!

Comments

  1. Marian BeamanFebruary 23, 2020 at 11:16 AM

    Remember father-in-law Robert De Niro (?) in Meet the Fockers? I remember his character talking about opposable thumbs. Don't ask me why/how I remember trivia like this - I just do!

    Best wishes on your surgery tomorrow. I am familiar with the pre-surgery routine, including Chlorhexidine wipes for a lump on my head (benign, thank God!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VictoriaFebruary 24, 2020 at 5:19 AM

      Marian, thank you, and thank God the lump was benign. We need wonderful, supportive friends like you in our world.

      Delete
  2. BillFebruary 24, 2020 at 3:27 PM

    Hope the surgery has gone well. Thumbs and other parts matter but won't last forever. Glad to see a blog post.

    ReplyDelete

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