Guest Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 I smashed my radial head in 2006 and it was pinned back together. Once it was healed they said the pins could come out but I had such a horrible time in hospital I refused and they're still in there. Every now and again my hand really hurts, it seems to happen when it's really hot or really cold. Someone told me that surgical metal doesn't expand or contract so it can't be the pins causing the problem. I know there was some nerve and tendon damage so does the heat/cold affect your nerves and tendons? My hand is really sore at the moment but I don't want to go back to hospital!!!! I can put up with it, I just wanted to know what was causing it. these are a cple of pics of my x rays- don't look if you're squeamish! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 Hi Why dont you ask to go to another hospital? There are some good ones out there? If they need to be removed you need to get it done, they are probably aggravating your skin etc etc just explain to the GP and ask for a referrel somewhere else, most GPs have choose and book now? Good luck indie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 Maybe they aren't contracting/expanding but still cooling down and heating up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drcara Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 Poet Where exactly is your hand hurting? Thumb and 1st,2nd and half of 3rd or little finger and half of third. Any tingling and are you waking in the morning/night from the pain? Also what is the pain like? would help to know a bit more about the pain! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 hi Cara, it's the base of my thumb, is it called the heel of the hand? where the joint is. It hurts when I move the joint, which is virtually when I do anything, as we don't have opposable thumbs for nothing eh? If I just relax it, it doesn't hurt, just when I move it. I've downloaded a photo from the net and drawn a line around where it's painful, hope this helps. It's also my dominant hand. (left) http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2664455&l=01bdfb4d59&id=568396756 the pain only happens during the day if it's sort of extremes of temperature. It hasn't woken me up so far but this is the most painful it's ever been. No tingling by the way. thanks for all the replies by the way xxxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 p.s. I forgot to mention, I have Marfan syndrome, which probably doesn't help the situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 I'm afraid Poet bones are not my speciality, changes in temp can affect bones so probably the pins are affected by this. I think you should see your GP and ask for referral elsewhere. You are within your rights. I would never go back to a hosp I didnt feel at ease with and nor should you. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 The weather affects joints. Why don't you ask GP next time and take his/her advice about whether it needs investigating? I believe pins can be left in the elbow but often are removed. However, they also can eject themselves as bone heals and appear through the skin. As your pain is only in extremes of weather it probably isn't the case. If it was compressing a nerve as drcara says you might expect your thumb and fingers to feel different. So the answer is I haven't really any idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drcara Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 Hi OK so no cutaneous tingling or numbness in fingers or thumb. Like plum says it does not sound especially like median nerve compression, which can be a cause of your thumb muscles not being able to oppose and feel weak. This compression could be at your wrist level even. It could simply be that you are using your hand repetitively in a particular way ; ie painting or pincer movement of your thumbs. Regarding the changes of temperature, Orthopods say this does not happen, however many people say they can predict changes in weather because of their joints! Really you probably need a rereferral! However check out pronator teres syndrome in wiki, it may be the very beginning of your pins causing some inflammation in the surrounding tissues. Hope this helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 thanks very much indeed for the advice. I hope they don't have to come out, it fills me with dread thinking about having another op. I was in BUPA (via my employer) at the time but my ortho specialist wouldn't let me move hospitals because he said BUPA don't have intensive care. They were concerned in case there was a problem with my heart during the op. There's only 2 hospitals near me and I've bad experiences with both of them, gulp! Maybe I should leave the computer mouse alone for a while! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 No Poet, the forum is very therapeutic Guess you are more likely to have had a bad experience because of all your problems. Hospitals have different wards that can be worlds apart in terms of quality of care and that shouldn't be but sometimes it's down to the experience of the manager or senior clinical staff. If you have to go back just remember it will probably be different people supervising your stay. So how do you know you can't have the pins out as a day case? I've got a pair of pliers. Shall I have a go? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 oh plum, don't get me started! The A&E doc said I'd dislocated my elbow and they sent to maternity for a gas and air cylinder, when it turned up it was broken so they couldn't use it. Then they checked my x ray again and decided the arm was actually broken! I dread to think what damage they could have done if that cylinder had been working! I had to have an echo cardiagram before the op but that took a week, so I was left with a broken arm for a week! At one point they ran out of morphine too! When you pressed the buzzer, "Ooops, word censored!"ody came and the woman in the next bed to me started fitting and so I had to shout at the top of my voice to get a nurse to come. the toilets were covered in, erm, unmentionable stuff and I had to clean the seat before I could use it, every single time! That wasn't easy with only 1 arm. I could go on but best not! It was just horrendous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 No nightmare A couple of answers though. They would always xray before putting back a dislocated elbow so it would have been spotted. At one time there was a national shortage of Morphine or was it Diamorphine so something else should have been offered, hope it was. Don't know how long it takes to get an echo cardiogram so can't give an opinion. Don't blame you being upset about the lack of response to buzzers that is very poor and very scarey for you. Lucky you have good lungs. The hygiene in the toilets was unforgivable but hope with the push for cleaner hospitals that has been addressed. Yuk!! Ugh, Yuk. As a nurse I am the worse critic of hospitals. When my dad was in I'm afraid he was very embarrased because I could not see something I knew was wrong and not say. If you ever go in again contact PALS (patient and liaison service) at the hospital and offer to be a secret patient. i.e. one who reports back on all that happens. Then inadvertantly let it slip you are and you will get treated like a queen. Or just ask me to visit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 thanks plum They were actually about to manipulate my elbow there and then! But because the valve where the mask joins the cylinder was broken they couldn't give me the gas and air so they couldn't do it but they would have if the cylinder had been working! Thank heavens it was broken! It was only after they plastered it and I'd been in for a few hours that they came back and said it was actually broken. I'll definitely bear that PALS info in mind, thanks! Or, I'll give you a shout Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 Blimey lucky escape. You would have grabbed the cylinder with or without a mask. Weathers getting a bit cooler soon so hope it settles and you can forget it for a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 thank you xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 Hope you feel better soon. My mum had her shoulder pinned last year and still has quite a lot of pain. She has a large plate in hers too which is only just below the surface. I have quite stiff knee joints and have found that they have been worse in this hot weather. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
