Off this am for hand surgery. Got another case of trigger finger on the last finger left on my hands. All the others, thumbs included, except for my pinkies, which will likely never need it. Release #8.
Should take longer to get prepped than to do the surgery. Scheduled to have the stitches removed in the 22nd. Wish it was a little bit sooner. But that’s the schedule.
It was really starting to weaken my grip, so it was time. I know what to do for PT so it shouldn’t take long to recover. What I will miss is our hot tub & doing the PT with a jet hitting my hand! But at least it’s during the cold, wintery months when nothing is going on, except skiing!
It should be easier to work with tools again once this is healed up! Victor
Good luck with the operation, and I hope you get back at it quickly, the Hodaka world will miss your post,s. You have a loyal following. Get it done and get back to working on those bike,s . Bruce Young
Bob. I’ve been losing my grip for a while now! Thanks for noticing.
Pulling the trigger? Well I feel lucky that Paul Schwarting has been so generous to me. I’ve bought 2 Aces & 1 Road Toad from him for $400 each. He thru in a second Toad frame, tank & tranny with the first one.
Then I got 5 more frames from him this go around with about 8 boxes of parts, including the Reeded CW motor.
I bought the 03 in Albuquerque 5 1/2 years ago for $250, and the first CW I bought from a fellow on FB for $800.
I will end up with 7 bikes in my own stable. 4 of them going to my grand kids, 2 more which go or have gone to nephews. All & all, quite an undertaking! Victor
Victor, Looking at your overall Hodaka experience and where you are now, you have used your $$$ wisely and time more wisely, keep it up. You did not go out and buy first bike available, you watched and listened to the Hodaka World (friends) and for little investment, you have wisely invested in the future for your family and the future Hodaka team riders and etc. Thanks for pointing this all out and putting it down in paper. You are what those at Hodaka in the early years, said its a bike to enjoy and ride. Not store in collections and garages or barns for future use, its not a future investment $$, but an investment into the fun time for the family. Great Job. You have come so far. PS hand looks good. Bruce Young
One belief is that Dupuytren's contracture first appeared around 800 among Nordic people. It IS more common among North Europeans and British but somehow occurred in my family which was entirely Italian. It is genetic and sex-linked. It affected all of the male members of my family.
I had the same surgery on the same finger at around 2000.
You were wise to choose surgery. One of my uncles did not and could hardly use either hand at the end.
Although the little finger is somewhat more common, contracture can affect any finger. My father had it on a patch in the center of his right palm and it pulled thumb and every finger together before surgery. Sometimes the affected area is too large to just free up by cutting and (as in his case) had to be replaced with a skin transplant. Again early surgery MAY result in less long-term need.
Contracture can be triggered by injury or overuse. In my case, it was specific to one part of one tendon. An injury in 2018 re-activated the contracture on a different part of the same finger and I had repeat surgery in 2019.
I should not have waited that long. As a finger is contracted, the extensor muscles tend to become weaker. My finger is no longer contracted but I cannot fully straiten it voluntarily.
Well, it’s been 3 months since surgery. This is the net result.
The surgery point has healed with little scaring. The A-1 pulley was released. My index finger now extends to about 95% extension, even after 6 weeks of PT. I was supposed to go once a week for 3 additional weeks, but canceled the appointment due to social distancing.
The Physical Therapist stated the tendons and ligaments were still extremely tightened on the sides of the base of my finger and to continue to massage it regularly to try stretching them back out.
But I still don’t have the ability to make a tight grip with my left hand. Victor
Well it’s as stated. I’m able to ride and work, but I’m still restricted by what I can do with my left grip. Don’t know what I’ll do about it other than keep working on it myself. Not much else I can do. I’ve all but used up my physical therapy and it appears ligaments have become foreshortened. Victor
Victor