[Closed] Doctors/Orthopaedics/Hand models (Squiffy pictures and house update)

Greetings from further west in W Yorks! Oh dear I hope it heals quickly

"Throbbing Digit" ... Now that's a great name for your first album!!

When I had a similarly swollen digit like that  - rather than anything mechanical / joints / tendons being knackered it turned out to be an almost microscopically small splinter causing some sort of reaction / infection  - starting off in my thumb which got huge and immobile and hot and then my whole  hand getting stiff, it  was starting to reach my elbow before it all subsided by itself

Looks to me like a bit of a strain and will probably be OK 😉

Disclosure: I am a doctor, but I'm not a hand doctor. I have, however, had a tendon sheath infection that looked very similar to your first couple of pictures. I'm working on the assumption that you don't have diabetes or some sort of weird syndrome that makes you immunosuppressed. If you are medically complicated, speak to someone who has access to your healthcare record.

When I had a similarly swollen digit like that – rather than anything mechanical / joints / tendons being knackered it turned out to be an almost microscopically small splinter

Yeah that's what's most likely. You can get a form of dactylitis from splinters (it's not uncommon with rose thorns) although the differential diagnosis includes a tendon sheath infection which has the potential to be nasty.

If it's getting better than it's probably OK to watch it for a few days, but I would have a low threshold for seeking attention quickly (an emergency department, not a GP in a week) if it gets more swollen/more painful or if you feel systemically unwell.

disclosure: I am not a doctor, or more specifically not a hand doctor.

I diagnose elephantiasis.

Would you like a sack for your head for when it spreads a bit?

Bitten by a radioactive spider from within the log sack ?

I predict you'll be climbing onto the roof later this evening and saving the world by, ooh, maybe Tuesday

Yeah that’s what’s most likely. You can get a form of dactylitis from splinters (it’s not uncommon with rose thorns) although the differential diagnosis includes a tendon sheath infection which has the potential to be nasty.

If it’s getting better than it’s probably OK to watch it for a few days, but I would have a low threshold for seeking attention quickly (an emergency department, not a GP in a week) if it gets more swollen/more painful or if you feel systemically unwell.

Thanks for all the well wishes 🙂 I have no medical issues that I'm aware of, and there are no cuts/abrasions. I also feel fine, so I'm hopeful I've not got septicaemia making a merry way up my arm.

It's just worryingly 'bendy-shaped' and wondered if I may have done something that requires some rehab. To be clear, I feel enough of a dickhead as it is and don't want to waste anyone's time, but I'd rather not end up with arthritis/amputation for something that I could sort out now.

I’ve had tendon sheath ops (x3) due to infection from a dog bite and now have a very wonky little finger.

Ianad but as it happens I've bust/dislocated several over the years due to a former life as a wicketkeeper and goalkeeper. And if it was proper bust you'd know.

Also as it happens I was at the minor injuries unit last week with child 1 who'd got a very swollen very bruised digit due to a ball - finger incident at netball. They said unless it's clearly fu**ed (ie bent, very painful, doesn't work) they don't generally even x-ray now as treatment would be the same for a hairline crack or a strain

[edit, sorry hit post too soon]

the one thing they did check carefully for is mallet finger....isolate each joint in turn and ensure they can move the bit of finger beyond it, and also compare strength of each against the same finger on the other side. If they are significantly odd / don't work then you may need a special splint to allow tendons to repair.

https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/mallet-finger-baseball-finger/

Just spat coffee over keyboard. thank you mr hutch.
I reckon you've been bitten by an insect. If it were me I'd have a antihistamine tab and a stiff drink. If there is a splinter ,dip your mitts in some dettol.
House looking good though. 🙂

Where are you in the UK, I'll have a sofa going spare within a few weeks.....

Looks nasty!

What is it you are looking for in the lounge?

I have some stuff you could gladly have!
(Also a van that can move big things around if it helps)

Let me know!

Heh 🙂 I was being fliipant about furniture but thank you for the offers! (Van sounds interesting though Alastair, I may end up taking you up on that!)

She did the mallet joint test that’s mentioned thanks, so guess I’ll just continue to monitor it and scare small children. Ta, all.

Please add some colour to that nice new lounge - we had an estate agent round yesterday to value our house and he said: "I'm sick of looking round grey houses"!

Dull post because I can't sleep. Finger has got less movement than yesterday, which is pants - I'm now wrapping in frozen stuff as suggested by nursey....and how dare you accuse me of following fashion globalti - it's not grey - it's boring old Dulux Egyptian cotton (but I admit that last picture does look grey). Colour will be added with furnishings and scatter cushions - one day 🙂

Anyhow, happy with house - pissed off at hurty finger. And can't sleep. Or change gear properly. Or paint. Grrr, etc.

Get yourself to A&E where someone who knows what they are doing can look at it. Hands are important things to not have working properly.

Is the pain spreading/ swelling spreading ?

I'd echo that - if it's getting worse at this stage, probably time to get it looked at properly.

😱 I would not, I repeat, not enter a thumb war with that man. Could totally beat him at paper, scissors, Stone though.

Healing vibes Mr Bear

Did you manage to fix the damp around the hearth? I missed that if so. Just intrigued, what was the cause? It was a mystery.

Hope finger her better.

Is it now that bad you can’t type on here ?

have you got gout in your finger

Can type. No gout 🙂

It's not getting any worse thanks, but doesn't appear to be in any rush to get better  - same size and movement seems to fluctuate. Nurse said could take a few days to go down - when I mentioned it had been a few days she changed it to "take a few weeks". Guess I'll just keep icing it and popping ibuprofen (which I'd rather not, but I'll do what I'm told)

Damp -  after checking every avenue for penetrating  & checking airflow beneath the house and realising the joists were totally fine, I came to the conclusion that it was the water table, (not that I know much about them) and when it rises, it just finds its way up the bricks a bit (and therefore into that wooden surround that touched the hearth bricks, and could then occasionally bleed into a few cm of the floorboards that touched it) -  and up the first few inches of that wall and show through the dots of the dot & dab (the house is built in a mining area and the clay soil is slow too drain anyhow).

So I just drilled a DPC in (it's the only wall that doesn't have one, and the only wall that gave me problems) lifted the joists and popped some visqueen under there and the hearth for good measure -  and it's all been fine. I'm guessing that original lime render that the house would have been built with, and the lack of houses/improved drainage opportunities in the area 100 years ago means it wouldn't have been as noticeable.

I'm not worried about where any damp will go to now it's had that avenue  blocked off, because the house has had a DPC everywhere else for over 30 years, and all the bricks under the floor are fine (bit of salts to be expected) - there has never been a smell of damp and the joists as mentioned are all bone dry.

So my own conclusion is that rising damp, although often quoted incorrectly, is actually a thing.

If only I'd done this years ago, instead of spending ££££s on roof, chimney, wasted plasterboard, drain inspections etc - but at least everything is all in tip top shape now 🙂

Well according to the irritatingly charming hand surgeon I saw today, its a volar plate avulsion fracture. Will take months yet to go down apparently, but he's pretty pleased with range of movement and doesn't want surgery looking at the risk v reward.

"It'll never be the finger it was" still ringing in my head!

Could be worse 🙂

I ruptured my middle finger snowboarding on a dry slope years ago and bent it. Slowly over the years it has got straighter and cycling is very good for it. I aches a bit in cold weather, other than that it's just as good as it was. Doctors aren't always right and tend to look at the worst case scenerio so it may be fine soon.

Just updating in case anyone is googling the various terms, as it's a pretty rare injury from such an activity by all accounts 🙄

Swelling is taking a long time to go down, so at week 7 I've got some werid bandage (vet tape apparently) which I have to put on. Also 15 mins of exercises every 2 hours, for the next two weeks.

<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">Healing time is estimated at 6 months, possibility more. With potential for an element of permanent wonk and scar tissue.</span>

I can't believe that such an innocuous injury is such a cluster**** to sort out.

So be careful out there. Being as un-STW as to buy netted logs can seriously damage your health.

Also 15 mins of exercises every 2 hours, for the next two weeks.