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slobmonster
Trad climber
OAK (nee NH)
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It's been well over a year, and my Dupuytrens Contracture (aka "Viking's Disease") has progressed significantly. So this morning my hand was injected (more like jabbed repeatedly) with Xiaflex
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiaflex
into the little finger and ring finger of my Right hand.
This is what my hand looked like a few hours ago:
Right now those little swollen piggies are even phatter, and man do they feel weird. Tomorrow the doc will yank my fingers, probably somewhat violently, and break up all that dissolved collagen. After that I get a splint for 2 weeks or so. Best case scenario: my fingers are straight. Worst case: they are not.
Will update with video of finger yanking procedure if I can convince the office assistant to film.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Tomorrow the doc will yank my fingers,
You're just setting that doctor up for one of those "pull my finger" fart jokes, right?
But seriously, good luck.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Yup....srarted about the same time as you and I'm now 68. Only surgery I've ever had was on my left hand when the little finger started to interfere with crack climbing-I was climbing again 10 days after surgery.
Still have a bit on the right hand that has bent my little finger in, but progression has stopped and I haven't done anything.
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slobmonster
Trad climber
OAK (nee NH)
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This morning, my doc (Lamont Cardon MD, in Berkeley CA) gave my fingers the dreaded yank. Wow. Now THAT made an uncomfortable noise. (Video to follow, when I receive it.)
Anyway, here are the results:
Little and ring finger are now, for the most part, straight. A little swollen and with some edema, but hey, that one little piggie ain't crooked permanently at 70°.
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slobmonster
Trad climber
OAK (nee NH)
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For future reference, and also b/c I know many climbers with this issue...
Before:
And After:
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mucci
Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
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Glad to see that worked slob..
Of all of the hand/wrist ailments I have, thankfully this is not one of them.
Good luck to those afflicted. Looks like big wall crab hands.
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chez
Social climber
chicago ill
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Mar 18, 2012 - 04:26pm PT
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Slob,
Good job, looks like your finger didn't crack, mine did. I got mine done the same day here in Mammoth. I did not hear the dreaded POP!
The anesthetic injection hurt the most. I ended up kicking the Surgeon on accident.
He replied " Don't kick the guy with the needle in his hands".
Still rehabing doing stretches and back to work in a few days.
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chez
Social climber
chicago ill
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Mar 18, 2012 - 04:41pm PT
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[photoid=241351]
couple of shots, before and after.
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chez
Social climber
chicago ill
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Mar 18, 2012 - 04:43pm PT
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Mar 18, 2012 - 06:36pm PT
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huh, my right hand pinky seems to be perpetually slightly bent. wonder if I have this to look forward to.
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Fish Finder
Social climber
THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART
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Mar 21, 2012 - 11:48am PT
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Way to go chaz,
its good to see you are straightening things out .
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darkmagus
Mountain climber
San Jose, CA
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Mar 21, 2012 - 12:41pm PT
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Hi everyone, this is my first post here! I'm a chiropractor and rock climber, and wanted to add to the already excellent information contained within this thread. I wanted to mention Graston Technique as a possible treatment option. It's an 'instrument assisted soft tissue technique" which can be used for a variety of conditions in which adhesions are present. It should be pretty easy to find information about it online. There isn't any specific literature relating this particular treatment with dupuytren's contracture (that I know of), but may be worth looking into as an option before committing to the surgery. Hope that helps, and good luck!
-Dr. Michael Lagueux II, D.C.
Positive Edge Chiropractic
San Diego, CA
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darkmagus
Mountain climber
San Jose, CA
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Mar 21, 2012 - 12:44pm PT
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Oh man, looks like I showed up way too late to this thread! Glad to see you're doing well!!
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Fish Finder
Social climber
THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART
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Mar 21, 2012 - 12:50pm PT
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Welcome darkmagus,
Its always great when professionals share their knowledge here .
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slobmonster
Trad climber
OAK (nee NH)
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Hey all. My doc just sent me a VIDEO of my manipulation after being injected with Xiaflex. Not really all that traumatic, but if you listen carefully you'll hear the crack/rip.
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Chaz
Trad climber
greater Boss Angeles area
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May 26, 2012 - 02:17pm PT
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I was hanging out with the family yesterday ( my aunt and two ( four? Maria is heavy with twins ) cousins went to Joshua Tree - screaming nice weather - got some bouldering in, and even got the kite in the air )
Aerial TR:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30901290@N03/7274342810/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30901290@N03/7274322546/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30901290@N03/7274244116/in/photostream/
We're on our way home when Maria asks me "Do you have pain running down the middle of your hand?"
"How on earth did you know that? I've never mentioned that to anybody". Right out of the blue she asks me about the one ( minor as it is - at present ) physical challenge I'm occasionally dealing with.
It just cropped up in the last year or so. ( I'm 49 ) I wrote it off to use-and-abuse, climbing, work, etc.
It runs in the family. My dad and one of my uncles have it. None of the females - at least right now.
My uncle told me his information said the problem is hereditary, and could be traced back to a small population in Eastern Europe.
My uncle couldn't remember the name of it - which is good, because I couldn't have remembered it if he had told me. He suggested I look around for some sort of "trigger finger" affliction.
The info I found says Dupuytrens came from Scandanavia - not Eastern Europe. And I'm not sure how small the original pool of afflicted was.
The BEST info I've found, however, has been right here, on Supertopo. Reading everyone's accounts, and what the Pros are saying, gives me better idea of what's going on.
Good luck to everyone living with this.
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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May 26, 2012 - 04:43pm PT
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Interesting info. Hope your hand stays healthy!
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storer
Trad climber
Golden, Colorado
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Jun 18, 2012 - 09:32pm PT
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I have it in my pinky, right hand, although I'm left handed. Said to be genetically disposed as the only risk factor (ok, guilty here, alcohol). But I had my share of face climbs, rubber donut squeezes and general abuse of the guns. So I have my theories too.
So at age 68, like Donini, I couldn't flatten my hand on the rock let alone shake hands without attemping to disguise it with a secret handshake.
I opted for the needling treatment; a small needle with local numbing is used to sever the cord at two places, on the palm and in the first joint, said to be less intrusive and less downtime. I too heard the pop as the cord broke ( the "release") but the skin broke too. I wish the doc had just switched to the radical zig- zag cut and pulled that sucker (the cord) out because two years later it's back at 90 degrees again and the scar tissue on the palm and first joint hurt.
So after my bike ride in August I'm going back to the first doc who told me all this and getting the radical, zig-zag, cut. Gotta admit, I'm an old retro-grouch and doubt that a $3800 per shot, up to three required, on Medicare is to my liking. But I am happy to hear that some of you are happy to be climbing again as I hope to be.
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bahboric
climber
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I have Dupuytrens and am trying to decide between surgery and the Xiaflex injection; my insurance will cover either, so the cost is not an issue. Through google I see that with Xiaflex a possible side effect is a ruptured tendon. Since we climbers put a lot of stress on our hand, I was wondering if anyone had information about whether Xiaflex is, or is not, recommended for climbers. The Xiaflex seems to have a much quicker recover, which is nice, but I don't want to end up with an even more serious problem than Dupuytrens. Thanks.
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slobmonster
Trad climber
OAK (nee NH)
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Wow. Crazy timing. I've actually been meaning to find this thread again and add a comment.
So. I had my Xiaflex injection + procedure in March 2012. It's now, what, like 18 months later? Although not as bad as it was before, the contracture in my R pinkie has come back. Not as weird/"painful" as before, and not as bad, but it's back. Just FYI.
If you have the time (for recovery), your insurance covers it, etc., you may do well to consider the surgical option. (Ask your Dr. though!)
(And tell us what s/he says!)
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