Hands Down

Healing & Humor as I Recover From Hand Surgery

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Baby Steps!  Learning to use my hands again! I think I cheated a bit I was to pick up each peg and insert it into the proper socket. I think I was supposed to put them back in a straight line-oops!

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Recovery Week 6 - Baby Steps

Casts are finally off and now the physical therapy begins. It is important not to go to just any general physical therapist. Make sure that your therapist specializes in the hands and upper extremities. The tendons in my hands stretch all the way up my forearms to my elbows so I am getting a serious workout. Months of work ahead-but first let's see how many of these little spongy blocks I can pick up!

Nice scar riiight????

Lesson Learned:

When you get the cast off - you feel a wonderful sense of freedom. Don't over do it. I learned the hard way. Simple things like putting on a t-shirt or holding your toothbrush the wrong way can  put you in a world of hurt.

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July Surgery Post-Op

Since the tendons in both of my hands were damaged I had the option of having the worst hand (my left) repaired first, go through rehab and then do the right hand six months later or I could have them done at the same time. Call me cray but I opted to have both hands done at the same time. I mean I know people who have had both of their knees done at the same time, their hips done at the same time. How hard can it be....

Finally home! Nice nails riiight!???

So first off all-I have to give major props to my husband. We had to drive to Atlanta for my 10 a.m. surgery. I was hungry and cranky-just the type of person you want to be trapped in a car with for 4 hours.

The staff at the surgery center was wonderful! They got me in, they got me out and I was back home on the couch by 9. 

So this is me for the next few weeks until I have my sutures removed and my splints put on. It really feels like I have two oven mitts on my hands.

Lessons Learned: 

Being cooped up in a vehicle for 4 hours after surgery is not the best way to start the recuperation process. Really-post operative blood clots are no joke. It was not my smartest move. We made frequent stops to keep my circulation going and my hands were pretty well propped up  with pillows in the car. Always remember keep it above heart level!

Knowledge is power. Having this surgery is not for the faint of heart. I underwent a lot of testing before having this done. I was evaluated at The Mayo Clinic and Emory University  to rule out any connective tissue diseases. It was a long and arduous process but eventually I got the all clear to have the surgery.

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How I Spent My Summer!

Believe it or not, this all started with a sinus infection.  My general practitioner prescribed me the antibiotic Levaquin, (I was given the generic equivalent levofloxacin 500 mg). This type of antibiotic is a fluoroquinolone, a broad spectrum antibiotic that is great if you have been exposed to anthrax or zombies BUT if you have a minor sinus infection you may want to rethink your options!

Shortly after finishing the 10 day cycle, I experienced excruciating pain in my hands. Eventually over the course of 3 months I ended up with multiple subluxations of the extensor tendons in both of my hands. That’s just a fancy pants way of saying that I have several dislocated tendons in my fingers, two on my right hand and three on my left hand.

These rope-like tendons are located on the back the hand. They glide back and forth and allow you to straighten your fingers. My tendons snapped in the areas right above my knuckles. So every time I made a fist or tried to type, the tendons would slide all over the place and scrape across the bones. Yes-it is as painful as it sounds!

The damage to my hands was so extensive that the only option was surgery to relocate, reattach and stabilize the tendons. This would be followed by months of extensive physical therapy to regain strength and full functionality in my fingers and wrists. But on the upside...my sinus infection totally cleared up!

I admit that the extent of my tendon damage is on the extreme side and I am not a doctor. I am just a woman who started with a sinus infection and ended up having significant collateral damage done to my body after I took an antibiotic. So, if you find yourself facing this type of surgery or are having issues with fluoroquinolones, I hope you can find something here that’s  useful. Take any information that works for you, leave the rest and if you are like me and are recovering from tendon surgery OR fluoroquinolone toxicity- HEAL WELL!