[Birdbrain]

... that will always be relevant for the next guitarist facing this surgery. I'm certainly happy I had my radius arthroplasty several years ago. Besides making that pain at the thumb/wrist joint a distant memory, it serves as a dry run for the shoulder replacement I'm doing late this month.

Here's one trick from recovery therapy that might prove useful. I found it very enjoyable, and will use it again when hand issues flare up. Fill both sides of a double kitchen sink with water, one side at 40 degrees and one at 110 degrees (measure with a thermometer: it matters, and if you overshoot on the hot side, you could hurt yourself). I believe the routine was, three minutes in the hot water, and one minute in the cold. This creates a pumping action as blood vessels dialate in the hot water and contract in the cold, and that enhanced circulation is just what a post-op hand needs. Try it, it feels good- especially the changes.

This may be harder to do for my whole shoulder...