ontheedgeofeverything

I managed to fracture the tip of my left pinky and tear the tendon clean off the bone of my finger back in December. I jammed my pinky off of a rugby ball, and while it hurt like a bitch at the moment, I really did not think this injury would be worthy of much attention and care.

As it turns out, I was wrong, as I often am when it comes to personal injuries. I tend to downplay the severity of an injury in an attempt to convince myself everything is fine; sometimes this tactic is effective, and other times, it’s plain stupid.

I was told that the actual name for the injury I have is mallet finger, meaning when this particular tendon is injured, the tip of your finger is stuck in a bent position right at the tip. I was fortunate that I tore the tendon as opposed to rupturing it entirely, in which case I would have needed surgery.

I recently saw the specialist and he told me he is pleased with how my finger is healing. I’ve had my pinky in a splint since it happened, and he told me that I’m now at the point at which I can slowly start weaning myself off of the splint over a four-week period. He advised that I continue to wear the splint when I sleep, which is arguably a good idea because I’m a bit of a violent sleeper, and to do my own physio to get some strength back into the finger.

I can almost bend it entirely, which is a good sign, and he told me the more I manipulate it, respectfully, the more movement I will gain. He did suggest that I tape my fingers from now on when I play rugby because they are more prone to snapping again, so that is likely the method of attack I will be following.

Photo by Ryan Franco on Unsplash