Anybody Care For An Update on my Finger?

Remember this? I injured my finger playing volleyball in April. Yeah, APRIL. That was, like, forever ago. Anyway, I thought I'd just jammed it at first, then realized hmm it's been 2 months and the swelling has only gone down slightly and the pain hasn't subsided. Plus, I couldn't wear my ring because OF COURSE, just my luck, it was my left ring finger.

I went to a hand surgeon at the recommendation of my primary doc. He said, "Well, I hate to tell you this, but it's probably going to be like this forever." So I uncomfortably laughed because, you know, when doctors joke it's not really funny because they could be serious. Turns out he wasn't joking! He was like, "No, I'm serious." He told me the pain would go away but could take up to a year, but that I had torn a ligament in my finger and the scarred tissue from it trying to heal was what was making my finger swell up so much. He sent me to the Orthopedic area (it was all in one hospital) to get a consultation from a physical therapist just to see if there was anything I could do to relieve the pain or anything else that could need relieving, really. She gave me some buddy straps I have to wear when I play now, and some tapish stuff to wrap the finger in, which would hopefully bring a bit of the swelling down. It did, slightly, but as soon as I'd take the wrap off it would balloon back up. People started telling me I should get a second opinion. I should probably tell you I'm a rookie at this. I've never really injured myself before apart from sprains - and the only thing I've ever had to go to a doctor for was the only bone I've ever broken - the very tip of my left middle finger - and that was in a car accident when I was 6. I had to walk around with a ginormous splint on my finger. Yeah, so basically I had a ginormous middle finger for a couple weeks. Pretty funny actually. When I was younger I always secretly wanted to break my arm or something. Don't ask me why. I guess I thought it was cool in the way I thought everyone else getting to have braces but me was cool. (I know, people with braces are like WHAT?!)

But I digress. My point is that I don't know what to do with injuries. Second opinions? Huh? I can do that? Will the other doctor get mad at me for not believing him?! Lol. So I was told I should have a doctor that specializes in sports medicine look at it. You wouldn't believe how hard it was to find one - who does hands!! Um, hands are injured in sports, too, ya know! I could not believe it when I heard "Oh, Dr. So and So doesn't do hands!" (I'd also like to point out that this was said with QUITE a snobby tone, like how dare I think that he would sink so low as to do HANDS!) I finally found one, about a 40 minute drive from here. Went out to see him on July 26th. He basically told me the same thing (that it might be like that forever) BUT then was like here let me give you a shot of Cortizone and Lidocain and see if it does anything. He was not hopeful, like not even a little bit. I think he just felt bad that I came all the way out there and he told me the same thing as the other doc. Let me tell you that shot directly into my knuckle was NOT fun! He numbed me but the pressure I felt made me almost pass out (plus it took a long time because the area it had to go in was so small). Yeah, I don't do so well with (non tattoo) needles.

Buuuuuttttt... guess what! It worked! It really truly worked! I couldn't believe it. Just a few days later the swelling went down, and now my ring fits just as well as it did before - and is even loose! Not so loose that it'll fall off, but I had this problem last fall, went and got it sized (the reason for my diamond getting loose!), and yet when it got cold in the office my ring would still spin and drive me nuts. I'm not ready to really start complaining just yet (although it is really annoying when the diamond end ends up on the inside if your finger when you're typing), seeing as how a month ago I couldn't even wear my ring on the right finger, but I've now gone from one extreme the other other. One sausage of a finger to a skinny little toothpick. But at least I don't have to resize either of my rings before the wedding! Well, maybe a tiny bit, since the band didn't fit right in the first place, but not up a whole size like I would've had to with my sausage finger! :)

(I'm pushing it up for emphasis, but still! It wouldn't even go over my knuckle a month ago!)

-C
xxx