Tuesday 27 May

Every day is different, one day my hand and fingers will be extremely stiff and sore, another they will be more supple and the pain will only be intermittent. Some days the pain goes up to the elbow and shoulder, some days it doesn’t. This is what makes it difficult, this unpredictability and lack of control.

However my strategy of constant mobility and deep massage seems to be working, my fingers are less hard to the touch, I think they are less swollen and I feel they are more flexible, freer in their movements (except for the middle finger which remains a big problem and still prevents full fist).

Yesterday I had shooting pains in my other wrist for the first time, I wonder if it’s just a coincidence or whether it is related to the CRPS in my right hand.  I read somewhere that the other limb can also become affected …

Tonight I can feel my fingers and palm seizing up and becoming like a piece of wood, every movement hurting. I hate this feeling but there is nothing I can do, even massaging deeply  doesn’t help much when my hand is flaring up.

Sunday 25 May

Friday was not a good day, extremely tired; hand needs to be massaged frequently to keep some suppleness and reduce pain. Is stiff and swollen. Could only manage a few exercises.

Saturday: did some gardening, not too bad but clumsy. Burning skin and some shooting pains in wrist, and up to the elbow and shoulder.  Dribbled ball and threw it against wall, threw darts. Fingers swollen and sore.

Sunday: long walk in the morning to Maroubra beach, wore cotton ’sock’ on hand and wrist, can’t stand the wind on skin. Saw dolphins frolicking in the ocean, great view, sunny day, went to the garden in the afternoon and used hand OK.  

Am in quite a lot of pain at night, extreme skin sensitivity (I put the silicon sheet on the scar and this helped a bit) and electric pains in thumb and wrist, elbow and shoulder are better though.  I had to deep massage the palm, fingers and forearm almost continually to get a bit of relief.

Sunday 18 May

Did a lot of gardening on Saturday, tried to use my right hand to grab soil, plant seedlings and pull up plants. Hand was OK at night.

Today though hand is not good, maybe did too much yesterday. I am extremely tired, no energy, am in quite a lot of pain, back of hand swollen, sides of scar raised, red and extremely sore to the touch. Hand feels wooden, have lost a lot of flexibility.