Originally Posted by Jenny3244

I suffered in pain for about 5 years (thumb side of wrist, already had sucessful carpal tunnel surgery on the inside of wrist). Trip after trip to the doctors for pain management. A few shots of corticosteriod, which helped for a little while, then it would come back...I had enough and asked why/ can't it be fixed instead of treated...sent me for MRI & x-ray, and therapy. After 4 weeks of therapy & ultrasound and $$$co-payments I was better. Then of course after a quilting retreat doing a mini paperpeicing project, It flared it up again.
At therapy I found out it was called DeQuervain tenosynovitis (similar to carpal tunnel just in another area), so I started researching. I even found an actual surgery video! But I now know it's fixable. I called my surgeon and after a referral from my doctor had surgery withing a couple of weeks. The surgeon asked why I hadn't come sooner!!!! BECAUSE NO ONE told me, just shots and pain reliver that rotted my stomach. Yes I did try rest, and even had a special wrist splint that imobolized the thumb and wore it faithfully every night and all the time w/ flair ups. Surgery was a complete success, not any pain for 2 years. Well not in the wrist anyway...I now have some trouble with the opposite elbow now. Does inflamation just go somewhere else when you physically correct narrow passageways?
In summay, if it's interupting the quality of life and treatment offer no relief, look into surgery (any risk was worth it to me to get out of pain and do the things I love)