The Epic Story of Jeremy's Finger

A few months ago (quite a few now!) at the stake turkey bowl flag football game on Thanksgiving morning, Jeremy jammed his finger playing football. He said it was a really bad jam and it hurt quite a bit, but he did finish out the game. He, nor I thought much more about it for a while. Then during December, he was still unable to move it. I was still pretty sure he was being a baby, but, I did tell him that if he was thinking it was something else that he should go to the doctor sooner rather than later. Alas, it was the holidays and time slipped away... it was near the end of January before an actual doctor visit was planned. Jeremy went to the doctor, and we were both surprised to learn that he needed surgery that next Wednesday to fix the tendon which had been snapped during the game two months prior. The doctor was hopeful to reattach the tendon and fix Jeremy's finger good as new, but since it had been so long since it happened, he warned he may have to just sever the tendon and put a screw in the top knuckle, never to be bent again. As everyone knows, the screw had to be put in place as the tendon was dead and couldn't be stretched.

So, unfortunate, but glad to be on the way to feeling better. Jeremy had to wait almost two weeks to get the stitches off (and his gigantic bandage) but that was supposed to be the end. He was trying to move it more each day, but seeing no progress. He was sent to a physical therapist to work it out, but after a few sessions, it was decided that the remaining tendon attached to the second knuckle of that finger, had gotten stuck in all the scar tissue and was no longer free to move. So, surgery number two was planned.

Two days ago, surgery number two happened... we were both sort of dreading it since the first one was such a huge ordeal, and this time I had to take the kids, and yaddayaddayadda... It's been two days now since the surgery, and can I just say... Hallelujah! They gave him less sedation this time, so the initial waking up was unbelievably better (the first time he was very grumpy and tired for a long time), and going home, instead of going straight to bed like last time, he was able to stay up for a long time and even do a fair bit of moving around. He is taking no pain meds this time, and is in no pain either! That in itself is a miracle, and one we're both thankful for! He went to the doctor today to get his big bandage off and to try and move it. He was sort of scared to do this since it would most likely hurt, but he called me and said that it didn't hurt all that much, and he already, two days after surgery, has so much more range of motion in his finger than before. He is a happy camper, and I am amazed at the difference this time around. We are very thankful to have this all figured out, and lesson learned: if you think you should go to the doctor... GO! Now Jeremy just needs to be diligent in moving his finger often so that the tendon isn't caught in the healing process again.

Here are some pictures... they are yucky.