Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Finger Splints
This is what my fingers normally look like. Embroidery work makes my thumb hurt. Writing anything lengthy has always caused pain and almost illegible handwriting. Cutting is no fun either. And yet I have made art my whole life. Friday my kids and I went to see a hand surgeon to get help with the joints of our fingers that have a tendency to bend backwards with these tasks. By fortunate coincidence the doctor we saw also had Elhers Danlos syndrome, ( I wonder if that's why he ended up in that field) so he knew exactly the problems we were dealing with. We got these finger splints to keep our fingers straight. What amazing relief.
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Again, you are in the right place to receive. Those splints look wonderful.
ReplyDeleteJudy, OMG, I thought that was MY hand! Are they commercially available? My thumbs are the worst, they completely go to 90* backwards. These splints would be terrific! I've just considered myself "double-jointed"...I've used bandaids and moleskin to straighten them out when they hurt!
ReplyDeleteI don't think they are commercially available. You need to see someone who specializes with hands like a surgeon. They cost $18 each, and insurance should cover some of that. if you think you are double jointed, you have Ehlers Danlos syndrome. Most doctors have never heard of it, try to see a geneticist and get diagnosed.
ReplyDeleteCurious....my fingers used to do that a lot...as in almost to the 90 degree point, but the older I get the less flexible they are...and the lumpier the knuckles are.
ReplyDeleteThere is this thing I call the Kirkpatrick fingers.... the tip of the index and middle fingers of the right hand diverge with age. The index finger begins to veer off to the left, the middle finger goes to the right. Gramma had it. Then Mom got it. Now I do....looks like a sharp "V" from the end knuckle to the tip! My index knuckle looks swollen the calcium deposits (or whatever) are so big... Gee.... if they start to bug me more than the usual minor nuisance, I'll have to remember it was you or write down "Ehlers Danlos Syndrome somewhere that I can find it.... like maybe in my address book next to my doctors' name????
THANKS for giving it a name.... Sarah
PS---love the quilt, and thoroughly expect to see it in Houston this November!
Those before and after pictures are amazing! Great news for you. I'm thrilled
ReplyDeleteJudy, the splints look great. I have another suggestion, look at the newer rotary cutter handles by Olfa, you might be able to hold it in a different fashion than having to stress your index finger that much. Fiskars makes one too that might work for you. I can't think right now exactly how you hold them. If you could use something more ergonomic, AND the splints, would that make things better?
ReplyDeleteRobbi
Here is a place where you can get similar splints made of silver.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.silverringsplint.com/