After you and your doctor have decided that your trigger finger is severe enough to necessitate surgery, you may wonder how you will cope with taking care of your needs in the days after. If so, use one or more of the following tips for making your morning routine easier after hand surgery for your trigger finger.
Use Flip-Top Toiletries
Before you have your hand surgery, make sure all of your toiletries have flip-up tops. During the first few days when you have a large bandage covering your hand, it will be almost impossible to unscrew a tiny lid off of a shampoo bottle with one hand. Add to that the moisture of the shower and slickness of the shampoo, and you may never get the top off.
If you are unable to switch out all of your toiletries with flip-top bottles, take the screw tops off before you leave for your surgery. This way, the bottles will already be opened. However, make sure you do not leave them where they will easily get knocked off. You do not want to have to try to clean up the mess with one hand.
Cover Your Bandage with a Bread Bag
While you still have your bandage on after surgery, you will need to cover the bandage with plastic while you take a shower. If you get the bandage wet, the excess moisture and dirt could breed bacteria underneath the wrapping, possibly leading to an infection of the surgical site.
Although you could use plastic grocery bags for this task, they are often too large to fit securely around your hand and arm. Plus, the holes for the handles can let water in, negating the whole purpose of having the plastic over your bandage.
Instead of using a plastic grocery bag, save the plastic bags your loaves of bread come in. They are already long and do not have holes, so they provide a tighter fit around your hand and arm.
To use the bread bag, simply turn it inside out, and place your bandaged hand inside. Then, use foam tape to seal and secure the bag to your forearm.
Wash Your Armpit with a Bottle Sponge
Since the hand on which you had the surgery will be unusable while you are in the shower, you may have some trouble washing the armpit of the opposite arm. Since you probably do not want to go a couple of weeks without thoroughly washing your armpit, use a bottle sponge to do the job.
A bottle sponge has a long handle that allows it to reach the bottom of bottles. On the other end, there is a soft sponge, unlike a regular bottle brush that has stiff, hard bristles.
When you take a shower, use your good hand to pour a little bit of body wash onto the sponge. Then, grab the end of the handle, and position the sponge portion under your armpit. You may need to lift your arm as if you were mimicking a bird to fully clean the area.
You can also use the bottle sponge to clean the rest of your good arm. Simple grab the handle closer to the sponge and bend your wrist to position it on your arm where you want to scrub.
Using the above tips while performing your morning personal care can help make your life a little easier. For more advice on how to function with one hand while recuperating from surgery to fix your trigger finger, discuss your concerns with a hand surgery specialist, like one from Town Center Orthopaedic Associates, P.C., so they can give you tips that are specific to your situation.
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