Hello. I've started an interesting journey with Rheumatoid Arthritis. I was officially diagnosed in December of '09 (not that long ago). Let me tell you, its been the classic mourning senario: http://https//health.google.com/health/ref/Grief . Right now I'm doing my darnest to be accepting of the fact that this is my new life.
Today, let us say, early this morning after noc shift, I saw my hand therapist. I told her the little story of Walmart. It goes like this: I was pushing a shopping cart with my husband in tow, when WHAM! my left index finger and its buddy finger cramped up and bent the opposite direction that its supposed to. Kinda like a bow (as in bow and arrow) shape, bending up. My husband had to separate my fingers and put them in a more natural position (uh, not what it was doing). Two and a half interesting things happened there. One, it scared the pants off me because my fingers have never done that before (half my left hand has been relatively unscathed (RA is a bilateral disease)). Secondly, it was a visual kick in the pants to my husband 'cause I don't think he really got the RA thing until then. He then took the cart from me and we walked into the store. I proceeded to go to the sunscreen isle holding onto a can of sunblock with my left hand to keep my fingers from going freakazoidal on me again.
My hand therapist looked at my hands and told me I had started swan neck deformity (arrggghhh! deformity) and she would recommend ring splints to me. She showed me some plastic ones that reminded me of small versions of 6-pack plastic rings but with only 2 rings that attatch to each other like this http://www.amazon.com/Oval-8-Splint-Point-Products-Individual/dp/B000ITJT6O/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1278720394&sr=1-5 and a spiral metal type splint like this http://www.braceamerica.com/murphy-ring-finger-splint-p-203.html which I guess is a Murphy ring splint and a more "jewelry" like splint http://rheumatic.org/ring.htm . The plastic ones were under $20 a piece the metal ones were more like $70 - 90 per each. Of course, insurance doesn't pay for such things... So, being the nice hand therapist that she is, she plastic molded some temporary splints for a couple of my fingers to see how I liked them. Let me say, I'm for anything that keeps deformity at bay. And she ordered the plastic six-pack versions for me. She measured my circumfrence of my fingers bottom, joint and top and voila! I will have another splint to add to my list!
Let me underline a thought I have been having, that after doing some research on the net, I am one lucky girl. "WTF?!?" you say? "You have RA, how is that lucky?" Well, I have found that 15 - 20 years ago, those that were diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, didn't get meds until after the deformities. Now, after following those poor unfortunate souls and realizing that is NOT the way to treat RA, the rheumatologists say, symptoms? looking like RA? Start meds now!!! Now, I say! Because even though the deformity isn't showing, the bone lesions are (seen under MRI and ultrasound). Treat hard and fast with biologics and DMARDS and guess what? More folks with RA have less deformities, less joint surgeries, less disability time, less time off work, less pain, less agony. Now, let me clarify! RA folks still have these things going on 'cause sometimes the meds don't work, or cause side effects, or the rheumatologist just is a dunder head (and lets just say C's get degrees or have backwards thinking philosophies (you know those docs)) we still get swollen and misformed. But at least there are lots more options for us... My lucky thing is, because I'm treated earlier, maybe my hands won't be like my little lady patients that I see all cramped up and uncomfortable. I hope....
So, on to the ring splints - I currently have these homemade splints on my third and ring finger that look like magic plastic. And because my right hand was angry during work and wanting to be spastic, I got the neutralizing gauntlet of doom for my right hand to wear at sleep/rest (i.e. resting splint). I already had custom plastic neutral splints for my hands, but my new one I got today holds the fingers and the thumb in place while I sleep (don't try to scratch my face! OUCH!). So, the ring splints seem fine. When I get my low profile ones it'll will be much better.
For all those who suffer chronic pain, like RA - peace and find a small way to make your life more liveable, on your terms.
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