As people who’ve read my previous journal entries know, I have recently had surgery on my left middle finger. The surgery went very well, with a minor infection scare. In the end, the scar healed nicely. I started going to physical therapy right after the surgery and have been amazed by my results. While it was extremely painful at first, I am extremely pleased by the results. My hand has improved its mobility incredibly. It is already better than it was before! I can now grasp pens and bars with my middle finger better than I could have ever dreamed!
I have become a huge fan of physical therapy, but I think a big part of my recovery has been due to what I’ve been doing while outside of therapy. I have made sure to keep constantly moving my finger. Whether at a football game, driving my car, watching TV, running at the gym, reading, etc. I always am doing exercised, and I did so from the very beginning.
I was told by my hand surgeon and physical therapists that it is important to keep the joint moving in the first few weeks after the surgery because that is when all the scar tissue forms. if the joint isn’t moving, scar tissue can grow in such a way as to prevent the joint from ever moving and ANOTHER surgery would have to be performed to remove the scar tissue, and then you’d be back at ground zero. Doesn’t sound like too appealing, does it? So I figured doing the exercises required by my doctors would be a better alternative to more surgery. And they hurt a lot at first to do, but slowly they got easier. Then of course the physical therapists would come up with more difficult exercises!
Right now I have almost gained back my full range of motion. Only the last little but that would allow me to make it into a complete fist isn’t back. There is also still a little swelling and pain in the finger, especially after really pushing myself with exercises. But I know that if i keep working on it, I can get that last bit back.
I am just so pleased at what I’ve accomplished so far. And can’t wait till I can start lifting weight with the hand and have my full mobility back. It’s been five years!!!!! I can’t believe I lived without it for so long.
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