Interesting day at VA

[Sailorsong]

I love it when I get seen by someone that actually cares at the VA. The Occupation Therapist that I saw today was one of those. I spent almost 1 hour talking with her today about my (R) index finger pain and a lot of other stuff that she asked about. I was there only for the finger.

After explaining everything that was going on with my index finger and all of my other MS symptoms she came to the conclusion that the pain is probably a combination of a nerve being pinched when I move a certain way, arthritis, and that I use my cane in my right hand that is adding stress to the finger.  So again I have homework in the way of an exercise (called Radial Nerve Glide) to see if that will get things back to the way the should be.  I'll be seeing her in a few weeks once the things she ordered for me have come in.

I was shocked to find out just how weak my (R) hand is. Most of the strength test she did show that my dominate (R) hand was about 50% less than my left. But the index finger is only about 20% of the strength of my left index finger. I had figured the right side was weaker since that is where most of my MS symptoms are. But 50% almost floored me with shock.

She also tested me with a task of picking up  peg and placing them in holes and then taking the pegs out of the holes and putting them back in the tray. Again using my left hand was twice the speed of my right hand. While doing this she noticed my hand tremors very easily.

So the end result is that she is ordering weighted spoon, fork, mug, and a wrist weight,  in order to help calm the tremors when I eat.  A new extended reach thingy to pick things up that takes less pressure  than the one I already have. Some arthritis gloves,  There were some other items but I can't remember them right now.

We also talked about how I can't wear my current AFOs due to over heating and she is sending a note to prosthetics about it and recommending that they try the WalkAid with me for my foot drop. I'm not really expecting they Prosthetics will do that, but at least she was asking them to.

All in all this was a good VA visit.

Dennis

[cramp_n_mystyle]

Dennis,
I can imagine what you've been going through with that finger! This morning,I felt a zap go through my arm into my middle finger;I nearly jumped out of bed! I have all kinds of neurologic things going on with this back problem.

I'm really glad you had the good experience of having someone care enough to help you!

[Sailorsong]

Sarah,

  I thought so too, especially that I use my cane in my right hand. When I am walking my index finger isn't wrapped around the handle but out stretched along the handle so it is getting a lot of stress with each step.  

I'm now trying to remember when I can to hold my cane with the index finger wrapped around the handle.  All I do know is that I don't like getting the pain especially since a few times it has been so bad that it has brought me to my knees. With my bad legs that is the last place I want to be as it is difficult to get up from there.

Cann,

   Yes nice people do make a difference, especially with all of the losers I have seen lately at the VA. :) To bad more of the people that work at the VA are not like this woman.

Dennis

[Cann1980]

Glad you had a good experience today :) nice people make a difference in life!

[SarahL2491]

finally someone who cares!  Interesting theory about the finger, she might be onto something there.

You might like the arthritic gloves, sometimes quilters use them.