Hello

I had my yearly review last December with my lovely OT Rachel. Thought it would be a waste of time really now that things are good. Went in and told all that had been happening the last year. I needed some new wrist splints so she gave me them. The year previous I had turned down her offer of a raised toiled seat and mentioned that I really regretted refusing it last October when things were really bad, so she told me that she could organise one for me when I came back off my Christmas Holiday so I had one in case I have a bad flare in future. Knowing how much I needed one when bad I agreed this time and one was delivered last week.

She asked if the swelling in my fingers had gone. I told her that I could now get my engagement ring on, (I had my wedding ring made bigger). I could now more or less make a fist with my right hand, but the fingers on my left hand still would not bend very good. She looked and to my horror she told me I was developing Swan Neck deformity on two of my fingers, index and ring finger. http://www.eorthopod.com...n-neck-deformity-finger

Went on to explain that this happens when the fingers have constantly swelled and then the ligaments or tendons (Can't remember which) go like a piece of over stretched elastic and they can't hold the middle joint of the finger in the right place. The end joint of the finger then bends down to compensate for the lack of movement in the middle joint. She got me to hold my finger out straight and then asked my to try to bend it. Difficult to do, she then with the side of her finger placed underneath the joint to support it, or like she said to aline the two joints to where they should be asked me to bend again. This time much easier. If I look at my fingers when out straight the middle joint is how she described it..... dips down, looks like I've got subsidence in my finger!

She gave me some finger splints to wear. I was told to wear them all the time. So after nearly five years with RA I have now some visible signs of the illness.

So the message in my post is....... Always go to your yearly reviews, they are not a waste of time.

Paula xx

Hi Paula - great to hear from you and have time to reply - I've been silly busy for a couple of weeks - hope to have a bit more time from now on. You've reminded me that I had to cancel my OT visit recently - I must go see her because I think I need splints for my thumbs. I also reckon that I'm developing swan neck deformity - when I straighten my fingers they dip down in the middle joint just like you described. The wierd thing is that they don't hurt, but quite often they do lock straight and I have to help them to bend - very annoying when I try to sew a button on!! Good excuse to get my daughters to sew their own buttons on!

Thanks for link - I had a quick scan but would like to read in more detail. Looks very useful

Hi Jenni - hope you're a bit better atm - I'll have a proper catch up and read all your news later, but just to say thanks for link and advice about ring splints. I saw an article in the NRAS newsletter ages ago and I thought they looked good then - practical but stylish too. Probably a good idea to protect the joints before the damage gets any worse. I was very naughty yesterday and had to move some heavy furniture around at work - I had help but I still probably did more than was good for me. Hands ache a bit today, so that's telling me that I should be more careful. I work at the university of exeter, and they are very good employers, and I now know that I can book portering services to help move furniture - they actually employ big hefty lads to do that job - pretty necessary I guess when you have to set up 1000 chairs for events and such like!

Anyway - have a good day - love and hugs - Sylvia xx