A while back I posted about the relief I experienced at having seen a new physician, and the hope I was feeling that my hand would be dealt with in a better way. Well, I am still waiting for my referral to go through, after two weeks. I called the county health department to check on the status of the referral, and learned that St. Vincent's Orthopedic and Fracture Clinic was not accepting new patients who were covered on the Oregon Health Plan (OHP). Instead, they had referred me to an Orthotic and Prosthetic Clinic in Lincoln City, and that clinic has not returned my calls - not to mention, that "orthotics and prosthetics" didn't sound quite right to me. So, I decided to keep my follow-up appointment with Dr. Vu, and she suggested that I see an Occupational Hand Therapist. I think I have found a good one, Hand Therapy Specialists. One of their therapists is a pianist. I don't know if this is going to be covered under the OHP, but I needed to be proactive. I hope I hear from them soon.
In the meantime, I am going without my brace for longer periods, and am gaining some flexibility and a tiny bit of strength in my thumb. I've found some exercises online, and am doing some of them daily. I can't find them now, though.