At the dinner table the other night we were talking about my wrist pain that comes and goes…initially I got tendinitis at age 16 from the violin and it has flared up with different seasons of music, knitting and nursing babies. I asked “Is a knitting injury really less cool than a violin injury??” I looked around at my family’s vigorously nodding heads and laughed. Thankfully I’m cool with my uncool status.
The pain this time though, is different, and my brother’s best friend is a med student. When I described it he had me do what’s called the Finkelstein test and when that brought on some rather spicy pain he suggested that it could actually be De Quervain’s. After I got home I did some research and this seems to be the issue this time! It’s definitely more tender than the normal tendinitis that I get but it’s nice to know what the heck is going on.
Fast forward to yesterday. I’ve been wearing a brace with thumb support and trying to use compression gloves while working (it’s pumpkin season and my hands are busy!)…but while reaching for a toddler shoe under the couch I felt a definite “pop” and searing pain at definitely a level 6-7 on the pain scale. I waited a few minutes to see if the pain would subside and noticed my hand wasn’t able to flex as easily. A quick Google search with “de quervain’s pop” came up with results of “ruptured tendon” and “permanent damage”…so I freaked a bit.
Since it was Sunday, I called urgent cares in the area to see if they could do anything for a potential ruptured tendon and the general consensus was “nah, go to the ER”. (With this, I could hear my bank account beginning to cry softly in the distance.)
Off to the ER I went, where miracles of miracles, I was the only patient and the doctor arrived within 10 minutes of arriving. It felt like alternate reality! He confirmed De Quervain’s, thankfully didn’t scoff at me taking a med student’s advice, and then ordered an x-ray to make sure there aren’t any bone fragments causing issues in there (there aren’t). Now I have a giant splint, rx for intense-ish anti-inflammatory meds and am currently trying to figure out how to get my pumpkin orders done with only one hand. Wish me luck?
