My Orthpedic Challenges- Hand and Wrist

Getting older is never without health challenges, and we all have them.
Thankfully, our friend Susan recommended an Orthopedic doctor to me (Rob) for a couple of issues I've been dealing with, and the doctor knew what he was doing. That's a far cry from the previous doctor I went to see- here's the story:
 - In the summer of 2011, the cartilage in my wrist was damaged while I was walking all three dogs, and had the leashes wrapped around my left wrist, when a squirrel ran across the street and all of the dogs pulled to chase it!  That's about 120 pounds of sudden pressure, and the wrist went "pop."  So, after months of constant pain that felt like a hot poker on the side of my wrist (and I wrapped it, iced it, and took ibuprofen), I saw an Orthopedic doctor, who, so happened to be near retirement, but was covered by my health plan. He took MRIs and' said the cartilage was damaged, and even fragmented. I asked what I could do to relieve the pain. He replied, "After about a year, you'll get used to it."Then he showed me out. Yeah, I PAID for that.  

Trigger finger... mine is a thumb!

   So I continued to self treat until I developed "Trigger finger" on my left thumb three weeks ago. That's when the tendons in your hand tighten and your finger joints get "stuck," then pop out painfully. I mentioned this to our friend Susan and she recommended a great Ortho doc in Annapolis, who told me what was happening, and gave me cortisone injections in the thumb and wrist, both of which now feel better! BTW- 10 years ago, cortisone shots were Painful. Now, they include novacaine in them. Smart!  No pain in the injections, just a little when the novacaine wore off.
   If the wrist doesn't improve, minor surgery to remove the fragments of cartilage will need to be done. The wrist is actually almost pain free now, three days later, while the thumb keeps locking. Regardless, I feel MUCH better than I have in about a year. Yay for cortisone. :)