Fretting wrist tendinopathy—at (half)wit’s end

[Chicago Sandy]

Thanks! We're coming up with Plans A, B, C, D, etc. The dulcimer festival gig next weekend will be doable, as playing and teaching dulcimer workshops don't require the contortions (nor the grip strength) that guitar-playing does. Our mainstage set will likewise be vocal-and-dulcimer-heavy on my part. Same with Taste of Tippecanoe in IN the week after. The tricky thing will be our friends' son's wedding processional--as some of the critical chords (or even single notes) in the song he requested cannot be played on a diatonically-fretted dulcimer; and were I to play guitar instead, I would need to barre (still a no-go). I'm thinking of using my chromatic dulcimer (however ugly it looks) and tuning it to the top three strings of an acoustic guitar. Barring will be much easier that way.

[Chicago Sandy]

Well, got my MRI results tonight, not what I'd hoped. I didn't just inflame the TFCC--I tore the TFCC disc and part of the volar radial-ulnar ligament. Pronator muscle is also swollen, and there's diffuse swelling and signs of synovitis in the joint. There's a little blob of something floating around--a fragment of either the TFCC disc or aforementioned ligament. Arthritic changes (spurring) in both the basilar thumb joint and the triscaphe joint. The ulnar variance is likely congenital, but never manifested till the bone spurs developed and the fall caused them to abrade and tear the TFCC disc & ligament. At least nothing is broken or dislocated, the tendon is intact.

Of course, the results came in 1/2 hr after I talked to my singing partner, planned our mainstage set & co-workshop, and set up a couple of Skype rehearsals midweek--as he won't arrive at our festival home base early enough Fri. night to rehearse. I am hoping that if I'll need arthroscopic surgery (cortisone shot will be cutting it way too close) in late July, anything I do to my wrist while playing or practicing before then (assuming I stay splinted when not playing) won't alter my surgeon's game plan.

I will message him in the morning to find out if I can start physical therapy and practice, or if I need to get another shot, wear the splint 24/7, and cancel the gigs--it's our most lucrative and high-profile month in over two years. The conservative therapy we've tried for a presumptive tendinopathy is the same protocol recommended for a TFCC tear as a trial to see if surgery can be avoided. There's a chance that now that we know exactly where the injury is, the cortisone shot will work this time, and in time.

[Davis Webb]

You will improve alot over the next few months.

Do not lose hope, I have seen stuff like this heal up just fine.

I have contacts at the naturopathic medical university there in Chicago, do you want me to connect you with their best clinicians.

Finally, if you do lose mobility, which I suspect will not be severe, but if you do, the mini theramin is a powerful instrument now. Its not the theramin of old, it can control MIDI devices and has a ton of sounds, scales and features. The worst thing, therefore, is that you master the theramin. It can drive a MIDI dulcimer or guitar....

I have a minitheramin and it is the bomb!

But Sandy, for real, I think you will heal ALOT more over the next few months and then see what is up.

[Chicago Sandy]

Well, I really went & did it this time—while walking from the main hospital (killing time till ortho appt in prof. bldg.), the soft rubber sole of my shoe stuck to the hard terrazzo floor and I fell again. This time I fractured my R elbow, which is now in a sling. So there goes the therimin. And my L scaphoid bone appears to have a hairline fracture (can’t be sure till next week’s set of x-rays. So the TFCC cortisone shot will have to wait till the verdict is in. Meanwhile my L wrist is in the splint brace 24/7. Need help dressing, as I’m a righty.

Don’t it always seem to go.....