First trip after life changing medical issue

[aviatoreb]

Glad you are ok and on the mend Tom!

I know a fellow who almost died from a case of athletes foot that then turned into an aggressive infection that became a bit more advanced before they realized something was terribly wrong and by then it was very difficult to pull him back from the edge.

[Guitarmaster]

That's CRAZY, Tom! I can't count the number of times I cut myself working on planes and think nothing of it!

Glad you are back flying again.

 

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[Bob_Belville]

9 hours ago, Guitarmaster said:

That's CRAZY, Tom! I can't count the number of times I cut myself working on planes and think nothing of it!

I just finished my "owner assist" annual. I used 4 or 5 band-aids from the first aid kit I keep in the plane.

[tigers2007]

I just finished my "owner assist" annual. I used 4 or 5 band-aids from the first aid kit I keep in the plane.

New disclaimer, “Owners assisted annuals may result in loss of life or limb”




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[Yooper Rocketman]

13 hours ago, Guitarmaster said:

That's CRAZY, Tom! I can't count the number of times I cut myself working on planes and think nothing of it!

Glad you are back flying again.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

That's part of the reason I posted the event.  Had I not experienced it I would likely found it hard to believe.  Several have asked so I will respond on therapy.  Yes, I've been going to Occupational Therapy for 5 or 6 weeks now, 3 times a week (can't remember when I started).  In addition, I replicate the therapy regimen 3-5 times every day on my own.  Although there's improvement, it's excruciatingly slow!!!  I am still not convinced I will get full finger function back without further treatment, but I'm working my tail off trying through hand exercises.

Finally, thanks for all the supporting comments.  That contributes to the motivation in pushing the exercises to the limit.

Tom

 

[steingar]

Remember Tom, recovery from an injury like this is two days forward, one back.  Mrs. Steingar is just getting over the flu, and I had to tell her likewise.  Patience, time will tell.

[Hank]

2 hours ago, Yooper Rocketman said:

That's part of the reason I posted the event.  Had I not experienced it I would likely found it hard to believe.  Several have asked so I will respond on therapy.  Yes, I've been going to Occupational Therapy for 5 or 6 weeks now, 3 times a week (can't remember when I started).  In addition, I replicate the therapy regimen 3-5 times every day on my own.  Although there's improvement, it's excruciatingly slow!!!  I am still not convinced I will get full finger function back without further treatment, but I'm working my tail off trying through hand exercises.

Finally, thanks for all the supporting comments.  That contributes to the motivation in pushing the exercises to the limit.

Tom

I've done that, also on my left hand. My wrist would barely move, and I couldn't close my fist enough to hold an egg, or squeeze hard enough to break one. PT was excruciating, and I lived, worked and sometimes slept with resistive putty to squeeze and pull, to regain mobility and strength. They will track your progress on a chart, but don't expect to notice much yourself until your next evaluation of strength and motion is compared against your last one. Just keep chugging along like the little engine, "I think I can! I think I can!"

[Yooper Rocketman]

On 3/13/2019 at 1:27 PM, Kris_Adams said:

glad you are back in the air...fingers crossed for no more surgeries!

 

On 3/13/2019 at 1:41 PM, ilovecornfields said:

Glad @Yooper Rocketman is recovering well. I believe his post said this was a strep infection.

What he described sounds more like flexor tenosynovitis which is a purulent infection that travels along the flexor tendon sheath and can be quite damaging. Sounds like he was lucky that they found it quickly and intervened aggressively. Usually not caused by a simple prick to the skin, but something that punctures  the flexor tendon sheath. 

I agree with physical therapy being your best friend now. It’s a combination of working hard and taking it easy that will help your recovery. Keep at it!

So, a little follow up on this medical challenge.  I completed 40 therapy sessions, and personally duplicated the therapy workouts 3-4 times a day on my own, and never got full finger function back (essentially, I couldn't close my fingers into a fist, making gripping actions impossible).  On August 1st, just after Air Adventure, I had a consult with the Hand to Shoulder Center in Appleton, WI.  It was determined my tendons had adhered to both my skin and the carpal tunnel passage (and/or each other).  I needed a left wrist "Flexor Synovectomy" procedure (my third surgery now).  I went in Monday afternoon (this week) for the surgery.  This time I was not put under, they numbed the area so the surgeon could determine how much finger function I was getting back as he was doing the procedure.  When he was done, he let me look at a fist closure (I could squeeze but with the lack of feeling, had no idea how much the fingers were moving).  I was able to make a fist.  YAHOO!!

So now I'm on 10 consecutive days of Occupational Hand Therapy, and on an EVERY HOUR, ON THE HOUR, 10-15 minute hand and finger exercise routine, keeping the hand above my heart probably 90% of my day, and on ice 20 minutes out of every hour.  I guess this is to prevent the tendons from losing motion again and keeping the swelling in check.  A real PITA, but I'm gaining motion and have virtually no swelling.  Recovery has been amazingly fast.  Should be flying again shortly!!

Tom

 

[Hank]

Glad you're on the mend! Unknown hand issues are not fun. Neither are "known" problems--I've experienced both, fortunately not requiring surgery, but they made me a believer in physical therapy (even when it made no sense to me). Anything you can do to get your hand function back is worth it!

I believe at one point I told the doc I'd walk naked through downtown at lunch if it made my hand work again. Sadly, PT was much more unpleasant but was certainly effective.

[carusoam]

Great detailed pilot report, with pics!

Thanks for sharing all the details, Bionic-Tom... 

Hoping this recovery works 100% better than the last one...

The LIVPT isn’t a sidestick is it?

That would make some things extra complicated...

+1 on the PT... look for things you can measure if possible... always looking for improvements, or something not healing as expected...

Best regards,

-a-

[RogueOne]

OMG Tom!  I missed this whole thread until now.   So glad you found a diagnosis and have “squeeze” again. Just an inconceivable ordeal. You are fighting like who you are to recover...again. Keep it up!  I expect a firm handshake when we meet

Health is life and life is health. Walking all over Bavaria down over 20 pounds feels awesome!  I look forward to shedding another bowling ball and keeping it off...for life. 

Glad you were proactive on initial treatment. Terrifying stuff indeed. 

[Danb]

Tom terrific, sounds like your finally on the road to recovery, keep up the work  you will be squeezing that beast again, hang in

dB

[kris_adams]

Fingers crossed for a speedy recovery.  Sounds like a tough regimen but the results will be worth it.  Glad to hear it's working

[Yooper Rocketman]

10 hours ago, carusoam said:

The LIVPT isn’t a sidestick is it?

That would make some things extra complicated...

Best regards,

-a-

Yes, it IS a side-stick.  After the last round of surgeries, we had not been to our Florida home in 2 1/2 months (since January 2nd), during the winter when we usually go down, so I went out to the hangar and tried to grip the stick to see if I could fly it.  I could, but not with enough grip to ensure turbulence wouldn't pull it out of my hand.  So, I tried an Ace Wrap around the hand to ensure it wouldn't fall off.  I went home and told the wife "We can fly to Florida now"!  She replied how can you hang on to the stick?  I showed her a picture of my hand wrapped with an Ace Wrap to the stick.  She responded quite clearly  "not with me in the plane"!  I did three flights that next week, wrapping the hand to the stick for take-off and landing.  She finally relented and we went to Florida in late March.

Tom

[orionflt]

glad your back in the air!

Bob had rotater cuff surgery just after Osh, last week he flew the legacy. It was fun watching him in the cockpit trying to figure out how to position everything so he could fly. 

Brian