Alert: There’s a gross picture farther down the page!
Back on February 3, I had surgery on my finger. I’m sure you remember because I whined and complained about it for weeks months. I had a ganglion cyst. It started probably back in 2008. The doctor in Missouri wouldn’t touch it but wanted me to see a joint specialist in Springfield which was a couple of hours away and I just never took the time to go. At some point, the cyst moved from the first joint in my middle finger, to just at the edge of the fingernail and then it caused my nail to be deformed.
Once we got here, I showed it to the doctor and he sent me to an orthopedic surgeon who happens to be here in town and I really like both those guys.
So, in February, I had surgery and they had to make a fairly big “V” shaped incision because the doctor didn’t want to cut straight across the joint.
The doctor told me there was a chance the cyst might return and within three weeks of the surgery, it was back but so far, it’s staying on the joint. He also said that if it returns, there’s not much use in trying to remove it again. So, I have it probably forever now but the good news is that the deformed fingernail has grown out. The doctor wasn’t sure that removing the cyst would fix the nail because he said the nail bed might have been damaged. Four months and six days and if I cut the nail all the way back to where it grows out, the weird part would be gone! My nail is close to normal again!
For me, that made the surgery worth it, even though the cyst is back but who would have thought it would take over four months for a nail to grow out from way back at the nail bed to where you could cut it?
Bev in NC says
I used to have a ganglion on my wrist (as did my sister and grandmother) and it went away all by itself and hasn’t yet come back, so don’t give up hope.
Bev in NC
Penny Hankey says
Me too! Mine was quite large but then it just disappeared never to return. (touch wood!)
shirley bruner says
WOW…that’s a long recovery time. but it looks prettier now. hope it doesn’t impair your quilting and sewing abilities. isn’t it funny how our bodies do weird things? hope eventually it all just goes away for you.
Diane says
When I was about 11 or 12 I got my hand mashed very bad and it damaged the nail bed. For years, about 20, my nail was all deformed. I was so upset because it is my left hand and I knew my ugly finger would be in my wedding pictures. Funny what we obsess about. Now that I am 49, the nail is beautiful and flat and stronger than any of my other nails. I still have the scar on the finger but like you I am proud of my nail. 🙂
Clare says
My 95 year old MIL had a ganglion cyst on her wrist and couldnt wear her watch. She went to our doctor and he said the same as your doctor but also said to take a heavy book like her bible and whack it real hard,
I think my husband did that for her and it went down and right now I think its been at least 6 years its not there anymore. But maybe because of age it hasnt come back.
Clare
Judy says
Caught my thumb in a friend’s car door one recent December, and the nail finally fell off and grew back just before DD’s wedding the following April. I’ll bet that surgery slowed your knitting down a bit?
Marie says
Years ago I had a double ganglin cyst on my left wrist. When I lost use of the hand, had to have it removed. Because of the growth of the leaders inside, dr had to remove part of the wrist tissue. Took forever for that to heal, too. The cyst hasn’t come back, Thank God, but I lost alot of the bending and usage in that wrist. They are definately a pain!!!
Pat says
After reading your “ALERT”, I was a bit hesitant to look down the page but I don’t think the photo is gross at all. I’m glad the nail is now grown out for you. Someone on here mentioned hitting such cysts with a book. I read up on that once and years back, people would take the family Bible and smash those cysts…..so they were called “Bible cysts” (or Bible bumps) for awhile after that.