The Family Doctor and my Hands

For two years prior to my skiing episode I had been complaining of sore hands.  I had been involved in Tai Kwon Do, had achieved my blue stripe and was going to try out for my blue belt.  My hands began to bother me.  I found I could no longer punch at the targets.  They ached at night and in the mornings.  They ached at work.  Being an accountant and keying either at a computer or a calculator constantly, my hands were essential to my job.  Some days I would tape them up.  Other days they were fine.  I found I could no longer play golf.  I couldn't hold on to the club.  It felt like my middle finger would dislocate when I tried to swing the club.  John loves to golf and I hated to not participate in this part of his life.  I gave up Tai Kwon Do and concentrated on aerobic classes at our local fitness centre near the office.  This I did at lunch time a couple of times a week.  I went to our family doctor to find out what was wrong with my hands.  He didn't know.  He did some blood tests, everything was fine.  They began to keep me awake at nights, they throbbed with pain.  I did some research on the Internet and came to the conclusion it must be arthritis.  I bought some infra ray gloves that I wore to bed at night hoping for some relief.  I rubbed arthritic cream on them, nothing helped.  I bought a therma bath to dip my hands in wax.  I found that gave me instant relief only while the wax remained hot, about 20 minutes if I wrapped them in plastic and put them in oven mitts.  I finally went back to the family doctor and asked him to make an appointment for me to see a Rheumatologist.  My family doctor did so against his better judgement, after all, nothing was wrong with me.  It hurt to turn a key, I melted if someone shook my hand, cried if I accidentally banged or dropped anything on my hands.  I had to keep them warm or they ached.   I gave up my piano lessons.  I loved playing the piano.  Thinking the movement and stretching of my fingers would help, found it made them worse.  I waited 3 or 4 months but I finally saw a Rheumatologist.