Lamisil was the OTC that she recommended to me. Good to have confirmation, thanks. I'll get that in stock. (No, she didn't do a culture, that I recall. We know that this seems to be somewhat resistant to miconazole; I had been using a 2% paste. Which is why she prescribed 2 Rx creams, plus a 50% vinegar application before either. I'm lucky if I can muster up the energy just to wash and do the creams, never mind the extra vinegar step.)

Ihave read that mioconazole and tioconazole, while effective for vaginal yeast infections aren't very effective against the usual external fungal skin infections. I tried Terbenafine for under-boob intertrigo (it hits me in the summer as soon as it gets hot), and it did not work for me. clotrimazole is quickly getting rid of it.

See this comparison at Drugs.com:

https://www.drugs.com/compare/...

Thanks so much for all the information. I'll add that one to the list (and I ordered the Lamisil in case I run out of the Rx).

I have a question for you.... The dermatologist also said that once I get these things beaten back, to (forever) do the vinegar application and then also use an antifungal powder, as a preventative. To be honest I have issues with the powder - it's a mess (it gets all over the place), it gets in the air so I am breathing it (which can't be good)... so I have to wonder if just an OTC cream (which is messy in its own way) is a better option.

Marilyn, thanks for the acorn!

I have found that twice a day washing with distilled white vinegar, and then blotting dry does help, because it acidifies the skin, which fungus doesn't like. There are also bar soaps and shampoes with ketonazole, which kills fungus instead of simply slowing its growth. Try Amazon. Some require a prescription, some don't. I think a multi-pronged approach is good. But I wouldn't like the powder either.

And if it's under-boob intertrigo, I think that 100% cotton tee shirts, tucked up under the boobs to absorb sweat in hot weather are very helpful. I just ordered a bunch of pretty ones from Amazon.

I don't want to do TMI, but that's not my problem area(s). And I do wear cotton.

I'm trying to find soap with ketonazole, but not having much success. I did find bathing wipes with it, but only for pets. I have to say I am tempted, though...

@Polymerous
Shampoo with Ketoconazole is easier to find than soap - eg.
Nizoral Anti-Dandruff Shampoo with 1% Ketoconazole.
Tea tree oil is a powerful antifungal, but isn't good for open sores. It can be diluted with a little olive oil or coconut oil if it's too strong for you. Oil of Oregano also has antifungal properties.

Here's the soap: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CG8RGZB8/

Thanks! Ordered...

(Still wish they had antifungal wipes for humans... easier to use for quick cleanups.)

Yes, I noticed that Amazon had wipes containing ketoconazole for pets but not for humans. Wonder why.

I had PT Wednesday, and saw the surgeon's PA today.

News is so-so.

The PT is piling on more exercises. "Embrace the suck." I am making good progress in most areas, but lagging behind in one direction in one exercise (and another one, I've been told, is the last that any patients make any progress on). These are all range-of-motion exercises. We can't start any stretching for a week or two more (to extend that range of motion) and adding weights is another 2 weeks or more after that.

The PA thinks I am doing well too, but there is concern from the X-rays the surgeon here did. (We never got the X-rays from the TX hospital.) They don't know if it is an artifact of the bad angle one of the X-rays had, but the plate in my wrist may cause some problems downstream with my tendons. They will be doing another X-ray June 6 to hopefully get a better look at this. (My bones are screwed into this plate at 6 points, to hold everything together.) It may be that the plate (once the bones have healed sufficiently) will have to be removed. I can't say that I'm at all happy about that possibility. (The PA tried to reassure me that if this was necessary, the recovery would be quick, "2 weeks", but I can't help help but think about more pain, more disability, and more scarring.... and as I'm already looking at more surgeries after this wrist is up to snuff, I dread the thought. )

There is also mixed news on healing time. I still am not allowed to lift anything over 1-2 lbs. It may take until 3-4 months post-op until we build me back up enough that I will be able to use (grip and lean heavily on) a walker. So there's that. (My knee surgeon thought it would be 2 months... )

"Full healing" is something like 6 months (quoted previously), but it could be 12 months. (12 months is in line with my previous ortho surgeries, more or less, but then why didn't they just say that, instead of 6 months?!! Mealy mouthed doctors... reminds me of the false expectations I was also given for the previous surgeries! (Apologies to the doctors here... I know that there are no absolute timetables for things but it does get frustrating to be told one thing, but the reality turns out to be rather different. Never mind my feelings, just tell it to me straight. )

At least she (the PA) also seemed happy with my progress thus far. (She said it was a bad sign when patients came in at my point who couldn't move their fingers, or not much. My limitations on that score all have to do with my arthritis, not this injury; I can move them to the same extent as before.)

Tangible progress from my point-of-view (things I can see, not numbers measured on their gadgets)... I am typing (for several days now) pretty much pain free with both hands (which the PT thought helped me with one aspect of my range of motion - he was pleased), as well as using the mouse with my right hand. I can ALMOST comb my hair right-handed now (I can't really do the back of my head, yet). I can brush my teeth with my right hand. I can cut my meat. (I still can't eat from a fork or spoon right-handed, though... the twist angle is still too much and hurts. But I'll get there. And I still have to wait for the weight-bearing exercises before I can drink right-handed.)

Infuriatingly slow, but I'll get there... maybe in time to divide a few irises late this summer, or early autumn.

Wonderfully positive attitude, Marilyn; I really admire that.

Marilyn ~ I admire your bravery regarding the hand surgery. This has to be really frustrating to have to not do many things that need to be done.
🙏🙏🙏

Marilyn, I'm so glad you have more use of your hands. What a terrible time you have had. And more healing to do before you can even contemplate your knee surgery. That fall was really a disaster.

Thanks, guys, but I'm really not brave at all, and positive attitudes are not my thing (in general).

But I have had the (arguable) benefit of having two previous ortho surgeries (a rotator cuff repair and a torn knee meniscus), so I've learned from those that full healing and functionality (or as most of it as you can get back) is a LONG process, much longer than the docs/literature lead you to believe. I had that knee surgery first and it took FOREVER to recover (to the extent that I did - the knee was never the same) from that. When I had to do the shoulder, I had to demand from the (same) surgeon that he give me a straight answer (when progress was similarly slower than projected).

Really, why can't they just set realistic expectations from the start?

So I am resigned that things are going to take quite a while, no matter who says what about the matter. But it IS infuriating and frustrating, and yeah, it's been something of a disaster.

But I thank God because it could have been so much worse... And there may be some reason or meaning behind it all...

Polymerous said: I had PT Wednesday, and saw the surgeon's PA today.

News is so-so.

The PT is piling on more exercises. "Embrace the suck." I am making good progress in most areas, but lagging behind in one direction in one exercise (and another one, I've been told, is the last that any patients make any progress on). These are all range-of-motion exercises. We can't start any stretching for a week or two more (to extend that range of motion) and adding weights is another 2 weeks or more after that.

The PA thinks I am doing well too, but there is concern from the X-rays the surgeon here did. (We never got the X-rays from the TX hospital.) They don't know if it is an artifact of the bad angle one of the X-rays had, but the plate in my wrist may cause some problems downstream with my tendons. They will be doing another X-ray June 6 to hopefully get a better look at this. (My bones are screwed into this plate at 6 points, to hold everything together.) It may be that the plate (once the bones have healed sufficiently) will have to be removed. I can't say that I'm at all happy about that possibility. (The PA tried to reassure me that if this was necessary, the recovery would be quick, "2 weeks", but I can't help help but think about more pain, more disability, and more scarring.... and as I'm already looking at more surgeries after this wrist is up to snuff, I dread the thought. )

There is also mixed news on healing time. I still am not allowed to lift anything over 1-2 lbs. It may take until 3-4 months post-op until we build me back up enough that I will be able to use (grip and lean heavily on) a walker. So there's that. (My knee surgeon thought it would be 2 months... )

"Full healing" is something like 6 months (quoted previously), but it could be 12 months. (12 months is in line with my previous ortho surgeries, more or less, but then why didn't they just say that, instead of 6 months?!! Mealy mouthed doctors... reminds me of the false expectations I was also given for the previous surgeries! (Apologies to the doctors here... I know that there are no absolute timetables for things but it does get frustrating to be told one thing, but the reality turns out to be rather different. Never mind my feelings, just tell it to me straight. )

At least she (the PA) also seemed happy with my progress thus far. (She said it was a bad sign when patients came in at my point who couldn't move their fingers, or not much. My limitations on that score all have to do with my arthritis, not this injury; I can move them to the same extent as before.)

Tangible progress from my point-of-view (things I can see, not numbers measured on their gadgets)... I am typing (for several days now) pretty much pain free with both hands (which the PT thought helped me with one aspect of my range of motion - he was pleased), as well as using the mouse with my right hand. I can ALMOST comb my hair right-handed now (I can't really do the back of my head, yet). I can brush my teeth with my right hand. I can cut my meat. (I still can't eat from a fork or spoon right-handed, though... the twist angle is still too much and hurts. But I'll get there. And I still have to wait for the weight-bearing exercises before I can drink right-handed.)

Infuriatingly slow, but I'll get there... maybe in time to divide a few irises late this summer, or early autumn.

Sounds like you're doing a great job of "embracing the suck". The increasing functionality is your evidence.

Regarding "It may take until 3-4 months post-op until we build me back up enough that I will be able to use (grip and lean heavily on) a walker."...
I was released from hand therapy 6 months after my finger was crushed. A week later I broke 6 bones in the arch of my left and had to be "non-weightbearing" on that foot for 5 weeks. Using crutches and a walker really strengthened that hand and didn't seem to cause any problems.

Getting the pins and plate out of my finger made it feel better immediately afterwards. That amazed me, because my surgeon spent 3 hours on an area 2 inches long, separating all the layers from each other (skin from fascia, fascia from tendon sheath, tendon from tendon sheath, tendon sheath from bone). I expected a flare in pain and swelling, but had relief, instead. Every patient I can recall who had a plate removed, ankle, hand, etc., expressed relief. Fear your gophers - not the plate removal.😉

DraDiana said: Sounds like you're doing a great job of "embracing the suck". The increasing functionality is your evidence.

Thank you for that encouragement!

Regarding "It may take until 3-4 months post-op until we build me back up enough that I will be able to use (grip and lean heavily on) a walker."...
I was released from hand therapy 6 months after my finger was crushed. A week later I broke 6 bones in the arch of my left and had to be "non-weightbearing" on that foot for 5 weeks. Using crutches and a walker really strengthened that hand and didn't seem to cause any problems.

That is helpful to know, but at this point we are only 5 weeks post-op. (Sorry that you were double-whammied like that. )

Getting the pins and plate out of my finger made it feel better immediately afterwards. That amazed me, because my surgeon spent 3 hours on an area 2 inches long, separating all the layers from each other (skin from fascia, fascia from tendon sheath, tendon from tendon sheath, tendon sheath from bone). I expected a flare in pain and swelling, but had relief, instead. Every patient I can recall who had a plate removed, ankle, hand, etc., expressed relief. Fear your gophers - not the plate removal.😉

Really? Wow, that's great news!

As for "Fear your gophers"....

Bare stalks stand forlorn.
Three blooms yet stand, sentinels
Over season's end.

I feel a little sad yet poetic with the ending season.

So I thought of haiku, and looked up an article to make sure that I had it right.

I was surprised to find that (apart from the non-rhyming 5-7-5 syllable form), traditional haiku also requires a "cutting" word (which in English may be substituted for with punctuation), and usually also has to do with nature, and/or has a seasonal reference.

So, my feeble effort above.

Currently seen out the windows/patio doors, a forest of stalks needing cutting (because I'm not venturing out there alone, can't use a hand pruner yet, and DH is resisting the concept of garden maintenance ), and blooms on BALTIMORE, TRIPLE WHAMMY, and (what is supposed to be) PRETTY EYES. (There may or may not actually be a few more blooms to come, as seen from the house, but that's how things look today.)

Lovely poem. It's always sad when the season comes to an end. I have a few left to bloom.

Jumper2 said: Lovely poem. It's always sad when the season comes to an end.

When it is time to cut my spent stalks, I get melancholy and ponder the transience of life.