Recovery Time

[TB Roye]

2 Weeks ago our youngest son lost part of his middle finger in an work accident. Last Friday he had surgery to finish the job. The took in down to near his second knuckle and cleaned up did some work on the Tenon, Ligaments and Muscle so he would have movement in what is left of the finger. Being woodworks and some of you have lost finger or parts there of. How long did take you for the pain to go away and Phantom finger thing to stop. The put on some pretty strong pain meds which he quit today. his a recovering addict and want no part of becoming addicted again. So just wonder how long can he expect the severe pain? He is expecting withdrawal symptoms today so it has been pretty quiet on his end so far today his kids will be staying with us Tonight so has not to see him in this condition if it is bad. Just got a text feeling crappy may have to get him some meds for Nausea, he has been through this before but he hasn't been on these meds long.

Tom

[JimD]

Tom,

Sorry to hear about your son. I've cut my hands twice with power tools and several more times with hand tools. The last time was with a compound miter saw. I nicked the bone which freaked out the first doctor to treat me. I had a reaction to the morphine they gave me and got transported by ambulance to a hospital where they told me the first surgeon over reacted. I got referenced to a hand surgeon for follow up. I went for a few months but he basically told me I didn't need him.

My worst injury was not as bad. I lost about 1/4 the tissue in the end of my right index finger. That was July 5, 2013 if I remember right. It was definitely the July 4 weekend in 2013. It still feels a bit funny. It doesn't exactly hurt, it kind of feels like the skin is tight. I also don't have normal sensation in it. I can feel some pressure but that's about all. Maybe half the tissue I lost has grown back. Progress is very slow. In terms of pain medicine I don't remember very clearly the initial days. It's just too long ago. I hurt it working on my new wife's house we wanted to sell and I hurt the previous hand the previous day. So I had two injured hands and couldn't do much on the house for at least a week. But I was up and around. I'm sure I took pain medicine to sleep. I probably also took it during the day for at least a day or two. I've had surgery several times and that is my normal pattern. For a few days, less than a week, I take the medicine they prescribe. But I don't like feeling a bit out of it and stop taking it during the day as soon as possible. It still hurts but not bad enough I can't move around. But I take it before going to bed for probably a week or two. I can tolerate it much better until I try and sleep and I can't sleep when it hurts significantly.

So I don't know how much of this translates but I would think your son shouldn't feel bad about taking the medicine but should consider skipping one during the day after a few days and see how bad the pain is. If it is really bad, go a few more days. Plan on taking it at night until you are fairly comfortable during the day. Plan on it feeling funny for a long time, potentially years, but not really hurting for more than a few weeks.

Jim

[TB Roye]

They gave him some pretty heavy pain meds, don't know what they, he threw them out Monday afternoon and is now going through withdrawal. He just feel crappy the pains they but he said he deal with like he does his neck which has fused vertebrae. He got hung up on Oxytocin on that one and really relapsed into addiction for a while went through rehab and has been clean for the past 5 years that is on reason he quit these before something happened. He sees the Doctor Friday so he/we will know more of what to expect.

Tom

[cwsmith]

It's been forever ago when my Dad lost two fingers (1958)... but I do remember he was in the hospital for about a week and on some form of pain-killer for a couple of weeks after. That was back in the day when being in the hospital didn't cost you thousands of dollars, and getting back to work ASAP was essential if you wanted to get paid.

My Dad was never one to complain, and I imagine as a 14 year old, I probably didn't pay a lot of attention to that anyway. But IIRC he did get back to work in a few weeks (probably about three or four). However, the "phantom" discomfort, lasted for more than a year. I can't remember him saying it was pain, but he would feel and itching or a numbness down in his fingers, that were no longer there. I remember him saying one night at supper (after a Doctor's visit) that the the "Doc" said to just pretend that he was scratching the itch. Sounded dumb then and still does today. I don't recall Dad ever saying that it worked. I do know that he had trouble with the cold in winter and would often come home and soak that hand in warm water.

CWS