Meet my "mallet finger". I woke up with it like this on Thursday morning. No trauma, no injury, no good story, just a painful, crooked finger with no explanation. A trip to the orthopedic on Saturday am confirmed a ruptured tendon. What the heck???? Tomorrow I will be fit for a splint that has to be worn 24/7 for 8 (count 'em, 8) weeks. UGH. With only 6 weeks until my first race of the season, my concern is swimming. The trick to this kind of injury is not to let the digit bend at all. If it bends and the tendon moves again, the clock starts again and it is back to another 8 weeks. If this doesn't work, surgery is the answer or a crooked finger that eventually effects the lower joints and moves into the hand.I asked the doctor how this could happen. He said perhaps moving the sheet in bed at night or putting on your coat. REALLY? I am pretty hard core. How could THAT be possible? He assured me that my hard core-ness was not in question and that this is a common injury. I repeat, REALLY? I don't know anyone who has ever had this.
So patient I must be. Swimming will be tricky. The first race will be interesting. But hey, look on the bright side. It is my right hand; I am a lefty. It is my little finger; any other digit would be worse. It is winter and should only affect one of my races, she said with the other 9 fingers crossed. Craziness!
