My sincere Thanks to all of Our GMT Nation Folks who were checking up on me over the last three months. But I’ve had some very serious problems with both of my hands when dealing with a combination of “Trigger Fingers” and “
Dupuytren's Contracture” aka "The Viking's Disease" that set in with a vengeance and required progressively more serious medical interventions. This WIKI tells the tale of this dreadful problem that gets progressively worse over time.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dupuytren's_contracture
Once it grabs hold of the Finger Tendons inside and underneath your Palms and Finger, it forms Collagen Nodes and Cords that gradually knit themselves and contract around the Tendons and “guides” or pulley-like structures ...and then Draws them in
Tighter than the Ropes Wrapped around the Captain’s Doomed Daughter on the Ship Mast in Poem “The Wreck of the Hesperus” .
This Damned Thing can manage to cripple us all; mostly Men with Far Northern European Ancestry. Folks of African and Oriental descent should NOT have to worry about getting this illness as illustrated in these images:
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Dupuytren's+contracture&atb=v346-1&iax=images&ia=images
My father was born in Kvinesdal, Norway, so his Nordic Heritage and mine genetically lands
ME along with nearly one third of the entire Scandinavian Male Population around the world, right smack dab in the center of all those who will eventually suffer with this disease. Just know that once it takes hold, it will ruin practically every single endeavor you can think of that requires using your hands for all things; from the most delicate to those requiring great hand strength for performing hard manual labor. Probably the most difficult issue with me right now is knowing that that I must heal up a whole lot more in order to be able to use my all of my Hand Tools again.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kvinesdal
If you have similar symptoms, please read the linked WIKI and Don’t Wait Too Long to seek out a decent, skilled Hand Surgeon and if possible. In lieu of Open Palm Hand Surgery (Aponeurotomy)
opt instead to get the “Collagenase from Clostridium Histolyticum” Enzyme Extract Shots placed directly into the Nodes and Cords arrayed around the Palms of your hands. This stuff literally eats away at the Collagen Bonds and breaks it all down very quickly:
Clostridium Histolyticum WIKI:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collagenase
In my case, my first hurdle was having to deal with the added and extremely painful “Trigger Fingers” problem that forced me to wear splice bracing and being unable to do things even as simple as using a Keyboard and Mouse… or as basic as reaching inside my pockets for my Car Keys. I’ve endured multiple Lidocaine - ACTH Cortical-Steroid Injections now and have had excellent follow up care and Physical Therapy allowing me to gradually make progress. I may not be able to “Beat” this Disease…
But I’m trying very hard to “Beat it Back”.
There is No Cure for this Progressive Illness… But if you find yourself in this situation and you have the option to get th
e Shots of the CCH Treatment as path that will work, then avoid having that radical Open Palm Surgery. If you can… Take THAT Injections route first... because it can be repeated if the disabling collagen returns and builds itself back inside your palms and PIP Finger Joints. Once they operate on your palms and Joints with Aponeurotomy, your chances for repeat surgeries with success greatly diminish. There are plenty of YouTube Videos showing
exactly how these Injection Treatments (and Open Palm Surgeries) are applied.
So to Close…
Here’s a Gentle
“High Five” to all who were looking out for me in the recent past… :>)
I'm pushing 74 now.... But I'll be around here from time to time... for as long as Grass is Green and Skies are Blue...
In Spirit... if and when I eventually have to take that Long Dirt Nap ;>)
“Watson..., Rumors of my Death… Have Been GREATLY Exaggerated…” Sherlock Holmes