1st Regalia making Injury in my life!

[WocusWoman]

So, the threads on this website have become a bit on the bland side. I have nothing new to talk about, but to relay the condition I was recently diagnosed with. Five weeks ago, I finished my daughter's 1st Jingle dress. I was so proud and happy to see it done; and when she had her "coming out" at her great-grandma's memorial in late August I was all choked up with pride.

Well, as soon as I had finished the dress, I knew something was wrong with my hands, especially the left one. I thought, oh the old hands will feel good in a couple of days. They had become all roughed up and slighty cut after working with more than 300 gifted copenhagen lids. I was excited to get them, but they sure were alot of work. They had to be trimmed, edges sanded, lids polished, and then of course rolled. It was the rolling that caused all the pain in my stronger left hand.

So... 2 days went by; I took tylenol, then 1 week, I changed to Ibuprofin. Then for the next several weeks, it was geting to be routine, wake up, try and move my thumb, experience excruciating pain running down my hand. Get to the bathroom, gently wash my hands together under warm water, and deal with the clicking of my left thumb for the rest of the day, while on my choice of pain killer.

WELL, last weekend was the last draw; I was jarring up a couple batches of Alaska Low-bush Cranberry Jam, MY FAVORITE... My thumb gave out and I almost dropped my precious jam in the kitchen floor. I called Chief Andrew Isaac Clinic right away and actually found out an orthopedist could look at my hand the next day. That is the first time I've been to my local IHS and they actually helped me out. She diagnosed me with a "TRIGGER THUMB" and injected the lower part of the joints with Cortisone. I thought, and probably said outloud, what, there's a name for my problem. To say the least, I've never been happier, to have an IHS doctor actually know what they are doing...

IT'S A MIRICLE; my thumb still clicks slightly, but I'm not in the pain I was for the past 5 weeks. I'm excited to go back for another injection next month, even though it was a very painful one. As most sewers, beaders, and craftspeople will tell you; as soon as it's healed or just feeling a little better, I'll probably want to make another jingle dress or something to injure or create more havoc in my life.

If I make another jingle dress; the pre-rolled jingle cones are looking pretty good to me at this point. I cannot think back to ever being seriously injured before from doing craft-work...
OK, then....there was the time I almost stuck needle-nose plyers in my forehead...when I was making that christmas gift for mom... Guess I kinds of forgot about that one, cuz I was so thankful to have missed my eyeball. Well, good day! WW

[Mato Winyan]

Hate to hear you had to have all the pain you had. Glad it's not hurting now and you have the dress finished and coming out went so well. You have any pics?

My daughter is coming back out in jingle. She took sometime off and now it's time to come back to the circle. We have all that to plan. It really is overwhelming I know.

Enjoy being pain free!! yay!!

[Blackbear]

My hands get like that when using a leather punch... just all sore and bruised feeling. I've got trigger finger on my right hand... I'm not sure what trigger thumb is...that's new to me. Trigger finger is where I can bend my index finger or any other finger on my right hand and all the other fingers automatically curl with it. That includes my thumb. I can't straighten them at all if one of the other fingers is curled. Makes for one heck of a grip but it's not a good thing so I'l probably have to have it operated on.. just scared to have my hands operated on for anything though.

[Blackbear]

OH, and congradulations on finishing the dress!

[middle of the sky]

thats great your hand is better and you...that happened to my mom also...cant remember what she did....but ill let her know if it happens again.....im gonna watch her make a dress so i can possibly try some day...
my little second cousin thought he was putting eye drops in his eyes and it was some kinda craft glue...he was ok..his eyelashes were stuck down for awhile....

[wyo_rose]

Man, that's terrible. I don't think I'll plan on rolling any jingles in the near future, even though I've got scads sitting around.

I'm glad you're better, too. And waiting to see a pic.

[WocusWoman]

Here's the backside of my daughter's outfit. Never mind that she's taller than me. I did more applique on the back shoulder area, than I did on the front of dress. Those flowers on there are "Wocus Blooms."

-Trigger finger even has it's own pamplet. Amazing what you learn. Here's the defintion:

{Trigger finger is an inflammation of tissue indide your finger or thumb. It is also called tenosynovitis(ten-oh-sin-oh VY-tis). Tendons(cordlike fibers that attach muscle to bone and allow you to bend the joints: become swollen. So does the synovium(a slick membrane that allows the tendons to move easily). This makes it difficult to straighten the finger or thumb.}

-treatment one: taking oral anti-inflammatory medications.
-treatment two: getting injections of cortisone in the base of the finger or thumb.
-treatment three: Surgery, the sheath that surrounds the tendon is cut open to enlarge the space and release the swollen tendon. OUCH!

[Blackbear]

Hmm... that's not what I have... but that's what the doctor called it. Interesting.

Very pretty! I love the colors especially!

[between2worlds]

She diagnosed me with a "TRIGGER THUMB" and injected the lower part of the joints with Cortisone.

Tainee, our PCA was diagnosed with that about a month ago. She works at a local women's clothing store part time (health insurance is a good thing) and her's came from removing sensors from clothing.

She showed me the clicking bit and I said "Get a thumb brace, take ibuprofen, let the thumb rest. But make an appointment with the doc just to be sure." Which she did - an x-ray, a referral to a specialist and three weeks later the orthopedist said "Wear a thumb brace and take ibuprofen for flare ups. You have Trigger Thumb."

Ok, so the only part I didn't have right was the Trigger Thumb name :-P

The specialist also gave her a cortisone injection and I was pleased to hear that he also gave her the warning that goes with it "Cortisone injections if given repeatedly over time will dissolve the cartilege in your joints. So wear the thumb brace at work to keep from aggravating your thumb."

So if you didn't hear it from -your- doc take it from a veteran of numerous Cortisone shots to the knee joints over the last 35 years - stuff works but over the long run it isn't good for ya.

[WocusWoman]

It should heal with just a couple of treatments. If it doesn't, I'll probably have the surgery although, not even thinking to that point yet. Thanx for the advice.

[Czechy]

Good job on the dress! Turned out nicely!
I have a musician friend who has trigger thumbs and fingers in both hands. He had surgery to release one finger and it took him forever to heal. But in your case, I think plenty of rest and stretching exercises should do the trick. Parceling out the jingle rolling over a longer time frame isn't a bad idea either. Hope you heal fast!

[middle of the sky]

wow..i like that dress...good job...kinda reminds me of real ol ojibway style....

[WocusWoman]

wow..i like that dress...good job...kinda reminds me of real ol ojibway style....

Thankyou, it took a long time thinking about and dreaming about my daughters first jingle dress. Because she came out at my grandmother's memorial, all the colors and items were directly related to my grandma as a person.

As for my trigger thumb, I chickened out of the surgery my DR. wanted me to have this month, and its still really bothering me. I'm constantly having to ice it, when swelling developes around the joint. I had cortisone injections done twice this fall, and it was good for about a month or so. I have the feeling that I will need surgery on it down the road, if I want to continue doing sewing and craft work though. WW

[wyo_rose]

Very pretty dress!! And I hope your thumb gets better soon. What kind of surgery would they have to do?

Before Christmas I was beading alot, and trying to play the guitar for the first time in decades, and my hands got really sore.. Then I was washing veggies in icy water and my hand cramped up like a claw. Kinda scary.

I was scared I was getting carpal tunnel cuz I dropped a cup right after that. My mom has crippling rheumatoid arthritis adn I'm very worried about getting that.

[WocusWoman]

They cut the little band that surrounds the thumb joint and then let it heal up with some scar tissue on it. After it's healed, the "band" of tissue will have been made looser, allowing the joint to move with ease. -So this is what the IHS Doctor has promised...-