This is the second part to a two part guest blog post series from Laura Harrison. Last week we were able to share Laura’s story on how her company came about. This week, we are sharing her personal experience with Dr. Suzanne Elton in our office and the treatment she received here.
Since the age of sixteen I have had many different treatments, therapies and surgeries as a result of having Rheumatoid Arthritis. My most recent surgery was a fusion of the thumb joint by Dr. Suzanne Elton at KCBJ. I thought I’d share my experience with you to let patients know what to expect when experiencing a similar surgical situation.
First, a bit of background as to why I chose Dr. Elton and the reasoning behind this surgery. I attend the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota for the majority of my health care and surgeries. It is an outstanding facility with wonderful doctors. For my severe and chronic hand pain, I needed a doctor closer to my home and family in Kansas City. The Mayo clinic recommended and sang praise for Dr. Elton.
I made my first appointment with Elton and I couldn’t be happier. She completely understood the level of my pain and began proactive treatments. Unfortunately, my RA had progressed significantly and the thumb joints were compromised. The pain was horrible. Basic daily activities were excruciating. Elton explained and recommended thumb fusion surgery. At that point, I would have agreed to chop my thumbs off because of the pain. Fusion surgery sounded like a blessing so we set the date.
The surgery was a breeze. Dr. Elton met me during pre-op to answer questions and reassure my decision. Quickly I was knocked out; surgery took place; and then I woke up and the pain was gone. Hooray! Easy breezy. My hand was bandage wrapped like a prize-fighter and eventually I was sent home for the rest of the day. The hardest part was keeping the bandage dry, but Ziploc bags and rubber bands took that trouble away. After a week or so, Dr. Elton took the bandage off for a progress check. Look how clean the site is:
As I continued to heal with positive results I progressed and could have a waterproof hard cast. It made me smile to choose from the rainbow of available colors. I wore the cast for 8 weeks.
When it came off, the result was amazing. Thanks to Dr. Elton, the scar was minimal and my pain was eliminated. I would definitely do this surgery again. In fact, I did on my other hand. The only negative to this entire experience occurred when strangers confront you by trying to make a joke of your cast. I just turned the “funny” around to say, “I won the fist fight” or “I was hitchhiking” or “I got beat thumb wrestling.”
Today I am happy to report that I am still a patient of Dr. Elton and my thumbs continue to benefit from those surgeries.
Laura Harrison has Rheumatoid Arthritis and was diagnosed at age 16. She has had many hip surgeries/replacements, injection therapies, and hand surgeries. Her experience with RA led to the creation of her company, Crutch Caps, Inc. Together Harrison and her mother developed several products when they were unable to find padding for crutches that provided true pain-relief. Prior to that, Harrison was a local art teacher.