Thumb Update

It has been about two and a half months since my table saw accident that resulted in a bit of an amputation of my thumb including part of the bone so it is probably time for an update.  I know that most people think that no news is good news so are also assuming this injury is probably long behind me at this point since I haven't mentioned anything in about two months, but...   it is not behind me.  My thumb is indeed healing well but it is not behind me just yet.

It is still quite sensitive to the touch.  Trying to trim my nail is still very painful.  It's not that my nail is overly sensitive...  it is that area where the flesh meets the nail is still very sensitive and painful.  

I'm still dropping things.  I'm still slamming it into things which, naturally, results in even more pain.  And, I'm still having great difficulty picking small things up with that hand.  I think I have difficulty picking things up because the thumb is still rather flat on one side (side where it meets my index finger) so I can't get it underneath small things.  It is overly sensitive too so trying to get my thumbnail under the object is still out of the question.

I just took a photo of the thumb as it is today (photo, far right) and then measured it.  It is obvious by looking at the photo that it is still misshapen but it's looking far more "normal" than it had been since the accident.  I was absolutely certain that the thumb is still shorter than it used to be because I do not have the span on the piano that I used to have.  After measuring it this morning, I know it is still 3/16" shorter than it used to be before the accident.  That being said, much of what had been accidentally amputated has grown back.  

While I was measuring my thumb, I noticed that it is also still a little swollen.  That probably accounts for the bit of a pins and needles feeling whenever I lightly touch my thumb.  I suppose that with a trauma such as this, a bit of swelling remaining after almost three months might be normal.  I doubt it is infected since there is no redness.  It definitely has that swollen feeling though...  and the swelling is definitely visible when I compare to the uninjured thumb on my right hand.

In the photo, top left image, you can see the thumb when I was cleaning and rebandaging it a few days after the accident...  not a pretty sight.  Those daily cleanings and re-dressings were absolutely brutal.  The stitches were removed after only seven days and that was indescribably excruciating.  (It's funny how seeing an image can bring those memories flooding back instantly especially when it involves pain.)  

The image at the bottom left of the photo shows the bandaged thumb next to my good thumb.  There was a significant difference in size in the days immediately after the accident.  Fortunately, much of what was cut off has grown back over the past two and a half months.

You would think that just a mere 3/16" wouldn't be noticeable nor that it would make a difference but I can say with absolute certainty that it does make a very noticeable difference in dexterity, typical physical body mechanics and definitely for fine motor skills.  Being that I am a classical pianist, this seemingly insignificant difference makes a tremendous difference.  What was normal for me for five decades on the piano is now different.

Everyday tasks are still somewhat difficult and painful but this is improving over time.  Hopefully it will continue to grow and continue to heal.  I'm missing some bone so it might not ever be as solid as it used to be unless the bone grows back too.  Time will tell but, for now, it is still healing and slowly coming along.