Therapy Visit #2: A Thumbs Down

For visit #2, Physical Therapist Jill was fully booked, so Matt worked on my wrist and hand. I decided that sometimes two perspectives can be better than one. After heat treatment and spreading lotion on my arm and hand, he paid special attention to my thumb and particularly the webbing between the thumb and index finger. "This is soooo tight" he commented.

"Yes," I replied, "For some reason the cast really bothered my thumb."

With the second cast, I whined to my doctor about my thumb. I was persistent enough that he cooperatively cut the cast material narrower between the thumb and finger, the thumb's webbing. He did it reluctantly, because it took extra time and meticulous work.

Mom's 1959 Easter brimmed-hat
Not as wide as Melania's April 2018 brim

Some of the exercises Matt and Jill have prescribed require proper thumb and index finger form. One deformed index finger, one tight and calloused thumb because of the cast, plus narrower than normal webbing are causing exercise issues. I compared Righty's webbing with Lefty's when I arrived home. There is a noticeable difference, and I suspect one of many reasons why.

It is confession time... I sucked my fingers, big time. Not only that, the unusual and creative form used was like no other child's on the planet. Now, it is finally coming back to bite. Visualize two pipe cleaners twisted into one; that is how I overlapped and crammed a then-pliable index finger and a thumb into my mouth. At the same time. And most of the time. To self-soothe (there were issues), probably 'til I was 40! Childhood is aiming a well-timed nudge or horse-buck at me.

Wrist exercises done at the ballpark?
Of course!

Milestone or marker #1: Last night at the Springfield Cardinals game I clapped; gingerly. Many times. And the clapping sounds were faint and heard by no one else, but I did it.Take away an endearing expression or skill, and when it returns, the feeling is unimaginable (surprise, joy, even soothing).

....and, take away for 25 years a sibling that is still living, and an impossible reunion seeming even remotely possible ...