Steno what?

Stenosing tenosynovitis – apparently I got it.

About one month ago, I woke up from bed with this stiff middle finger on the left. It curled up and would not straightened. I am sure I can force it to straighten but then I am sure I will be in pain and agony. Being a regular with joint and muscle pain, I decided to leave it alone and see if it goes away. A couple of days later, the finger can straighten again and I did not give it a second thought. After a few days, the ailment came back again, same finger would not straighten.. and just as fast as it came, it went away.

Then one day, it jammed! The finger curled up and would not straighten after a few days. I gave it one week just in case. That one week dragged to 2 weeks and the finger still would not straighten.

A few things came to my mind. Is it gout? Since I have a very high uric acid content? Did I sprain some join when I was sleeping? Is this finger going to straighten again? I told my parents about this finger (since they are in the medical line) and my father straight away say that it is a “trigger finger”. I refused to hear him out because my finger is not “triggering”, it won’t straighten. Too many questions that needs answer.

As stubborn as I am, I know it is the time to see the doctor. The GP referred me to the Orthopedic Specialist and for the first time, I am in a specialist’s clinic.

I had expected a battery of X-Ray to be endured. The specialist hear out my problems and pressed at the correct spot in the palm. Pain? YEAH! It was a quick diagnosis but what happens next is something that I wanted to laugh in his office.

He said, normally Stenosing happens to women about 90% of the time. I told him I had to be the lucky rare 10%. He said that this is a common ailment and 10% is a lot of people.

He said my case is minor since I only have one finger curled, some people come to him after they have 3 curled fingers.  I wondered then should I wait till 3 fingers are curled before I commit to the cure and get a discount.

The solution is for a minor operating to untangle the tendons and the sheath. When would I want to do it, he asked, like maybe a lunch invitation.

He said it is a short operation. “Short?, like half an hour operation?”. I asked

He said less than an hour for him, 3 hours for me…

????

Apparently I will be under GA.

I asked if I can go for LA, unknown to him I have this fear of GA.

He said he would not want me to wiggle around while he is pulling my tendons around. So he assured me that I don’t have to worry too much on what he will be doing because when I wake up, it will be fixed.

Operating is schedule for next week after the in-laws leave for home. In the meantime, the pain and the inability to straighten the finger is ANNOYING more than anything else. Bathing is a chore and sometimes Gabriel grabs my hands accidentally and it hurts.