Then & Now: Aesthetic Insights on My Two Hand-Related Surgeries' Healing Journeys – 1981 vs. 2024
- Brainz Magazine
- May 14
- 20 min read
Updated: Jun 5
Ida is a certified aesthetician (graduate of Marvel School of Beauty), offering home-based services since 1994. Ida provides various holistic services; she graduated from Zanqara’s Holistica Skin Care’s Dermatician course in 1994, which required her to understand homeopathic remedies.
Our most difficult experiences often hold the most valuable lessons. As I reflect on my two similarly challenging hand-related injuries and surgical procedures (the first, in 1981 and the second, in 2024), it is significant to share and compare the steps and the subsequent treatments and therapies taken after both my diagnoses that proved to be the most beneficial; sometimes, we lose the "art" of medicine as we are all unique individuals who are not simply "textbook cases" and do not always respond to standard medications that can cause harmful and serious side effects that can impact us negatively in the long run.
There are more options for healing and optimal health if we are in tune with our bodies and take charge to educate ourselves. Incorporating the wisdom gained from my knowledge as a holistic aesthetician proved critical in my second healing journey and highlights how Western and Alternative medicine can work together for a brilliant outcome! As you read my article, you can also explore the previous article links provided and videos for more clarity and to give some more detailed information.
First hand-related injury – 1981
In June 1981, as a young woman in her twenties, I had only worked as a medical laboratory technologist at a hospital microbiology laboratory for six months. I was responsible for plating specimens for identification the next day; "Plating" refers to a technique where the sample is streaked across a nutrient-rich agar-filled petri dish to isolate the bacteria so the technologist can identify it.
It was 3:50 pm, and as the day shift was about to leave, some of the hospital staff brought a large syringe filled with a pleural fluid sample from a patient deemed positive for tuberculosis. Tuberculosis (referred to here as TB) is an infectious bacterial disease contracted by airborne bacteria and characterized by tubercle growth (nodular lesion) in tissues, especially in the lungs. Before the discovery of antibiotics as a cure for it, people often referred to TB as "Consumption" since the person afflicted with it was literally "consumed" by the disease, making them progressively weaker and more emaciated before they died. In hindsight, the more experienced staff who should have dealt with it left it for me without giving me any specific directions or advice since this was something I had never done or dealt with before.
Since the laboratory was not equipped with a fume hood to handle airborne bacteria, I cautiously removed the plunger's syringe cap, but instead of the needle coming off with the cap, it pierced my gloved right ring finger. Even though I was worried about the possibility of my exposure to infection, I diligently dispensed droplets from the needle onto the agar-filled Petri dishes, streaked the pleural fluid sample with the loop on the plate to isolate any bacteria, and then placed it in the incubator for growth. I recapped the syringe and immediately reported the incident to the head of the microbiology department. He assured me that I had nothing to worry about since TB could only live in areas with high oxygen content. I filled out the necessary work-related papers and felt reassured that I was safe from harm.
First hand-related injury operation - 1981
Within the week of my work-related injury, my right ring finger began to swell. I went to the emergency clinic and received an antibiotic, but it did not relieve the pain or the swelling. Fortunately, I had scheduled a physical with a new family physician that week. During the examination, my new doctor referred me to a plastic surgeon at the teaching hospital where I worked. After the plastic surgeon and her team saw the condition of my finger, they all concurred that I needed surgery; thereby, I was admitted to the hospital and prepped right away for surgery. The surgeon successfully removed the site of the infection from my right ring finger and sent it to pathology for it to be analyzed. I had an incision along the side of my ring finger, which connected to a crease in my hand. The palm does not scar as quickly because it has an extra layer of skin, and because of that, plastic surgeons take advantage of areas that flow with the patient's body movement to reduce interference with scarring. The "Mantoux Test" - a tool for screening for TB and for a TB diagnosis that recognizes exposure but not an active infection - was also performed on me by injecting my lower arm with purified tuberculin protein. My arm gave a positive reaction to TB, and the plastic surgeon discharged me a few days later with an antibiotic that was not specific for TB.
Allergic reaction to medication
A few weeks after taking the antibiotic, a red rash and hot and cold sweats suddenly covered my whole body. I soaked in my bathtub, hoping to relieve some of my symptoms, and although I felt a little better the next day, my skin was still red. Shortly thereafter, I attended my scheduled follow-up appointment at the clinic, and the plastic surgeon who examined me quickly readmitted me to the hospital to address my severe allergic reaction to the first antibiotic administered to me. The nurse also wrapped my whole body with a corticosteroid cream and plastic wrap daily for three days to calm the reaction.
Persistent infection required more surgery
For the next two months, I lay in a hospital bed with my hand in a moulded cradle to keep it in an elevated position. The doctors prescribed another antibiotic and then monitored the situation, but in the end, they had to schedule more surgery to remove the persistent infection from my finger. After the second surgery, the doctors monitored the situation again, but they found it necessary to perform their third operation on my right ring finger. The third surgery revealed that the infection had permanently damaged a pulley that allowed my finger to bend. Internal scarring also had more time to develop during this time.
To offset my boredom, frustration, and the uncertainty surrounding my condition, the microbiology laboratory kindly purchased a TV rental and some magazines to keep my mind occupied. Two months later, the public health laboratory findings determined TB as the cause of my right finger infection, and I made medical history since they found TB in my finger (which was never heard of before) and not in my lungs. It is important to note that TB grows slowly for identification and can also become dormant in individuals for years.
This new diagnosis also brought a new fear to all the hospital employees, who discarded anything that I touched. Everyone who came into my room had to wear Hazmat-type clothing (a piece covering the entire body and other clothing to protect against dangerous substances such as poisonous chemicals or infectious viruses). They returned to their regular protocols once they determined that my infection was not contagious and only contained in my finger. I had also started the right course of treatment for TB, which was taking three different antibiotics simultaneously for one year. Since these medications were harsh on the liver, I chose not to consume any alcohol during my treatment for TB. Since my historical medical case, other unique TB infection cases have surfaced in different areas/parts of the body.
Pain medication during my recovery
I took the pain medication administered to me during my recovery for a few days. However, I discontinued their use since they were making me not only feel sleepy but exhausted throughout the day and proved to be more detrimental than beneficial during my recovery period.
Rehabilitative surgeries – 1983
Since my one-year contract at the microbiology lab had expired after my recovery, I received a full-time job at the clinical biochemistry department in another hospital. After a few years of employment there, it was determined in 1983, two years after my previous three surgeries in 1981, that I should have rehabilitative surgery to replace the damaged pulley in my right ring finger caused by the long-term presence of TB before they correctly diagnosed it. As previously mentioned, I had made medical history because the medical doctors did not know that TB could exist in another part of the human body outside of the lungs and only found that out after my third surgery in 1981. In 1983, the surgeon transplanted a portion of my Achilles tendon from my right leg to replace the damaged pulley in my right ring finger. After surgery and over six weeks, I began physiotherapy sessions. The physiotherapist provided exercises and frequently submerged my hand in water during ultrasound treatments to reduce scarring and increase movement in both my hand and finger. My physiotherapist was impressed with my progress as I had 80% of the function back in my right ring finger, and I could return to work. The physiotherapist's only suggestion was to wear the silicon tape on my right-angle scar.
Unfortunately, the transplanted pulley broke during my physiotherapy finger exercises at home. I ended up back in the hospital for another surgery where the plastic surgeon transplanted another portion of my Achilles tendon - this time from my left leg - to replace the damaged pulley in my right ring finger. During my rehabilitation, I did not do my physiotherapy exercises with as much effort as the first time, afraid that I might damage or break the transplanted pulley again in my right ring finger. Subsequently, my finger became rigid in its second joint. I often wonder if my current knowledge today would have improved my overall outcome.
Second hand-related injury – 2024
In late June of 2024, I was in my sixties, and I had been a practicing Holistic Aesthetician for a little over thirty years when I injured my left pinky finger while working with a client, but I could continue to work with some limitations. A month later, while handling a heavy wooden board outside, a splinter pierced my left hand in the palmer surface of the medial phalangeal joint of the fifth finger - also referred to as the "pinky knuckle" by the medical community. I initially did not feel any pain and soon forgot about it.
Four days later, a possible infection had developed in my pinky knuckle. I assumed that it was from the June injury while working with a client, and I sought help from my massage therapist, two chiropractors, and my family doctor, the latter of whom prescribed an antibiotic for me. Three days after I completed the first round of antibiotics, I immediately went in to see my doctor again because the swelling had returned, my doctor, who was worried about a bone infection, sent me to get more testing done. Even though they prescribed another round of the same antibiotics, as soon as I completed them, the swelling came back again. After being prescribed the same antibiotic for a third time, I added some beet crystals to my daily regime because they contained a high amount of nitric oxide. I did this to improve the antibiotic's effectiveness by increasing the blood flow to the affected area. I also added garlic pills because they have antibiotic properties and are suitable for collagen production. After the swelling and hot pain had subsided, I assumed that if there was any infection, it had to be gone.
Allergic reaction to medication
A day after I completed my third round of antibiotics, I experienced a hot, itchy, hive-like allergic reaction developed on the front and back of my torso area. I realized that the prescribed antibiotic was in the same family as the antibiotic medication I had received back in 1981, which had also given me a similar reaction. While speaking to my Zanqara skincare line representative since I purchase their holistic line for my clients, she suggested using the Zanqara "Psoriaderm Cream Balm" and the "Try Me Cream" that I already had in stock to relieve and reduce some of the red rash and itchiness that accompanied my reaction. I only needed to use a tiny amount of each, and I was amazed to see that fifty percent of the itchiness resolved itself on the first day of use, and ninety-nine percent of the rash disappeared after only the second day of use.
Information about these Zanqara skincare products is in one of my former articles: see here.
For swelling
For the swelling in my pinky knuckle and the palm of my hand, I wrapped my hand in a castor oil pack—a lymphatic system stimulant—for two weeks to reduce the swelling and pain. It was very effective as long as I continued using it.
Diagnosis of ailment
Although my left hand and pinky knuckle felt fine, I still went to an MRI that my doctor had scheduled to rule out any further issues. Since the MRI indicated a possible bone infection, my doctor referred me to a hand and upper limb plastic surgeon who recommended that I have surgery. The plastic surgeon and his team, who expected to see an infection that needed draining, were surprised that my hand did not indicate any sign of infection. However, after the head plastic surgeon pressed down on my pinky knuckle and it hurt, he looked at the MRI image of that area, and he determined that I still had something in my palm that needed surgical attention. They also confirmed a growth on the side of my index finger that was causing me pain that needed to be analyzed. They told me to stop any treatments I was doing with my hand that would prevent them from properly diagnosing my condition. I stopped using the castor oil pack at night, and the pain and swelling returned to my pinky knuckle. However, when my surgery day arrived, I felt better prepared this time, and I was also more hopeful of a successful outcome.
Second hand-related injury operation
The plastic surgeon performed a Z-shaped incision on my left hand called a "Z-plasty," a plastic surgery technique to improve the appearance of scars, enhance skin mobility, and reduce scar "contractures." Contractures happen when the skin is damaged and lost during surgery, and scars that form in the surrounding skin can cause contractures-- this means that scarring can pull the skin's edges together, tightening areas of the skin. The decrease in the skin's size directly reduces the movement of muscles, joints, and tendons.
The plastic surgeon removed a large mass in my hand via an insertion point (the scab created from it is visible in my accompanying video). The plastic surgeon determined I didn't have a bone infection; the splinter had penetrated my hand deeper than I thought, and my body encased this intrusive object in an enlarged cyst-like formation. The worrisome mass on the side of my hand causing discomfort visible on the MRI wasn't a concern; it was merely fluid caused by inflammation. The swelling and pain stopped after I recovered from surgery. Whew!!!
Pain medication during my recovery – alternative
The local anesthetic administered in my arm during my surgery lasted 16 hours post-surgery. I chose to monitor the pain before I purchased any of my prescribed pain medication. I didn't end up buying any of them.
The post-surgical bandages covered the first bend of each finger to the middle of my lower arm. Immediately after my discharge from the hospital, and still with the bandages on, I used two techniques to help in my recovery. I treated the front and back of my arms with a lengthy and flexible Near Infrared (NIR) LED light therapy daily (its light ranges from 700 to 900nm on the invisible light spectrum). Its ability to penetrate deep into the skin and tissues helps to improve circulation, which helps to release nitric oxide from the body's cells to send enriched blood flow to the affected area - in this case, my palm area - and because of that, it speeds up the healing of muscles, tendons and bones, and reduces pain. Since I also had limited movement, I utilized the Dolphin Neurostim MPS - a handheld device that uses microcurrent electrical stimulation to relieve pain, reduce stress, and improve healing. Its versatility allows it to be used on acupuncture points to help with chronic pain, and it can also be used directly on muscles to release tension and scar tissue. I used it to stimulate my Jing Well points (the first points on the fingers, aka the tips of my fingers) to increase healing blood flow to those areas.
The first day after the anesthetic wore off, I felt minor pain, but not enough to send me running to the drugstore. From the second day onward, I was without pain throughout my recovery. Even though the LED light therapy was not directly touching the skin under my bandaged area, it improved the pain via the exposed upper arm skin area. Ostensibly, the upper area blood vessels send energized blood to the surgical wound; Jing-well points also reduce pain.
Other alternative treatments for recovery
To prevent blood clots, I followed the hospital-prescribed exercises for my bandaged hand. I also used arnica gel topically on the exposed fingers daily to help with pain, and I felt the immediate benefits of this on my pinky finger. I did not require any blood thinners.
To learn more, please read my former article on the benefits of topical arnica: see here.
I also consumed a blood-stimulating tea with turmeric, cayenne powder, ginger, honey, and cinnamon to increase circulation and enhance healing. Most of these ingredients are natural blood thinners.
I also made a collagen-rich homemade turkey soup and included other collagen-rich sources and a healthy diet to support my healing.
Check out the article I wrote to help with healing after surgery: see here.
My home therapy
I was mindfully following directions to keep my arm elevated. During a follow-up appointment six days later, the hospital nurses removed my bandages, and my hand had minimal swelling. They warned me that I was still prone to infection since the stitched area in my palm hadn't completely healed. The plastic surgeon examined the side of my finger for nerve damage, but the nerves were intact. The plastic surgeon also examined my ability to move my fingers slowly and determined that I would make a full recovery with some physiotherapy, and referred me to an in-hospital physiotherapist.
I still had a great deal of stiffness in my left hand, and bending my fingers toward my palm was very hard. The hospital physiotherapist gave me hand exercises to start my rehabilitation and cautioned me on certain types of physical activity. Later, at home, to advance my healing and to prevent any infection, I utilized the Dolphin Neurostim MPS for over an hour daily since it is known to improve the rejuvenation of five body systems (skeletal, muscular, lymphatic, circulatory, and nervous) with microcurrent. I also utilized the NIR LED light daily on both sides of my arm for ten minutes and the high-frequency machine (which is an ozone-generating device) intermittently.
The area of my affected hand did not impair my ability to function at home, and ten days after surgery, I was back to scheduling moderate aesthetic services with gloves.
Three weeks after my operation, I had another follow-up appointment at the hospital, and the nurse removed my stitches. The surgeon was impressed with my ability to make a fist slowly and suggested that I no longer needed physiotherapy. The resident plastic surgeon inquired whether an infection had set in my stitches over the previous two weeks. I was happy to report that it did not.
At night, I focused on removing excess dead skin cell buildup and continued using my scar reduction devices (the Dolphin Neurostim MPS, the NIR LED light therapy, and the high-frequency machine). I also reduced subnormal surgical scar tissue with the Dolphin Neurostim MPS scar release treatment, as it imitates the same microcurrent as our bodies to speed up the healing process. The insertion point of the surgeon's instrument that created the scab became visible after removing the excess dead skin. It had dense scar tissue deep within my pinky-palm area, which decreased flexibility. I focused on healing that area with the Dolphin Neurostim MPS, and within twenty days, I witnessed the scab fall off with minimal scarring. It was easier to bend my hand. The images of its transformation are visible in my video below.
I sporadically used silicon tape coated with Vitamin E to help flatten, heal, and protect the stitched area. Silicon is a precursor of collagen, and the tape simulates a top layer of skin. Vitamin E increases the healing of the skin. I also applied the Zanqara "Try Me Cream" - the same cream I used for my allergic reaction before my recent second-hand-related surgery. After five weeks, when I allowed my hand to air dry without any bandages or tape, the top layer of my skin healed, and I began to offer my massage and reflexology services again in my business. The internal and external scarring also felt less dense every day. I had my second physiotherapy session after six weeks of healing and utilizing my therapies. The physiotherapist gave me an exercise to strengthen my pinky finger and silicon pads with tension wraps to wear at night to help flatten some bothersome bulging caused by the stitches. The tensor bandages restricted my movement and made my hand stiff in the morning.
After a week of doing the tensor bandages, I switched to applying castor oil on my hand at night with a non-latex glove. The Castor Oil penetrated deep to eliminate any lumps from the stitches, and my hand felt a bit looser in the morning, but the nurse informed me that it would most likely take a year before my hand felt less tight. After eight weeks of healing, an osteopathic student (where I go for other treatments) suggested more exercises to increase some movement in my pinky finger. I plan to improve my movement from eighty percent to a hundred percent because once I get my hand and finger moving and use them more as the day progresses, the stiffness disappears. It continues to improve with time and continued hand exercise therapy.
I have more information about the devices used in my healing in the previous articles I wrote below:
A quick comparison of my hand-related surgeries
1981/ 1983
1981 - Surgery Location:
Three surgeries in the crease line in the palm area & side of the right ring finger.
1983 - Two surgeries to repair the torn pulley of my right ring finger.
1981/1983 - Health & Age:
I was in my twenties & in reasonably good health.
1981/1983 - Pain Management Therapies:
Using the “Western Medicine” approach, I had constant Intravenous Therapy with prescribed pain killers that I had to stop due to side effects. I used a prescribed antibiotic which caused a severe allergic reaction resulting in the use of corticosteroid wraps around my whole body, and I also had physiotherapy treatments.
1981/1983 - Outcome:
After a total of 5 surgeries, I eventually healed, but had limited results & minimal use of my right finger.
2024
Surgery Location:
A Z-shaped scar on my left pinky knuckle/palm area (the palmar surface of the medial phalangeal joint of the fifth finger).
Health & Age:
I was in my sixties & in reasonably good health.
Pain Management & Therapies:
Using an "Alternative Medicine" approach after taking an antibiotic that was in the same ‘family’ that I had used for my very first surgery in 1981, because it caused another severe allergic reaction. I used two products from the Zangara holistic skin-care line that took only 2 days to heal. Instead of using prescribed pain killers, I used Near Infrared LED light therapy, the Dolphin Neurostim MPS, Jing Well acupuncture points, a high-frequency machine, arnica gel along with my physiotherapy treatments.
Outcome:
I healed quicker and I could perform my duties in a quicker time frame.
Cortical brain activity and the effects of injury or surgery
The motor cortex—the part of the brain responsible for voluntary movement—controls the hands and face through side-by-side nearby areas. Because of this proximity, injuries or surgeries involving the hand that do not heal properly can disrupt regular brain activity. This disruption may "spread" to neighbouring regions, affecting both hand function and facial movement or sensation. As a result, some individuals may experience changes in facial expressions or difficulty with fine motor skills involving the face, even though the original injury was in the hand. Understanding this connection underscores the importance of proper healing to prevent broader impacts on brain function.
Effects of hand injury or surgery based on reflexology beliefs
Reflexology is an alternative therapy that teaches that stimulating reflex points in the hands and feet can improve blood flow, reduce stress and tension, and place the body in temporary homeostasis. Some practitioners claim that poorly healed injuries at reflex points might weaken the corresponding organs or systems that they represent energetically—though again, this isn't confirmed by mainstream medical science.
Conclusion
The importance of functioning with our hands in everyday life is without question. Since hand injuries can affect cortical brain activity and possibly reflex points, the need for good recovery is much more important. It has now been five months since my second (and most recent) hand-related surgery. Age didn't seem to be a factor in my healing, even though I am now in my sixties, and the set of circumstances and treatments/therapies differed from my first hand-related surgery when I was in my twenties (and its subsequent surgeries). After both hand-related surgeries, I could not use the operated hand. Still, by not being able to use my hand and utilizing bandages to prevent any movement of the hand, my body had more time to produce scar tissue. The difference in my most recent hand-related surgery as compared with the first one was that along with the importance of a good diet, I introduced several new treatments/therapies to aid in my healing and for a faster recovery time. These included the Near Infrared (NIR) LED light therapy, the Dolphin Neurostim MPS, and the High Frequency machine; this extraordinary combination decreased the physiotherapy required to weaken the scar tissue, which in turn, reduced the possibility of doing damage from either physiotherapy exercises or from performing everyday household duties.
Since sharing my surgery and healing experience, many people, including my own clients, have been shocked to see the minimal scarring on my left hand. They are also impressed with the limberness of my hand, as the stiffness is completely gone.
My nurse's clients have all commented on how advanced my healing has been because they recognize how long healing from a surgery like this can take. Another client who had injured her finger and used a modern physical therapy device to keep her finger moving and to avoid scarring—even while she slept—is not happy with her results. She wished she had known about my therapies.
Other clients who have had complex shoulder operations have told me about their difficulties in healing from their surgeries. One gentleman informed me that his bone would not regenerate after his surgery. He was waiting for another operation, hoping that it would correct the problem from the first operation. Alternatively, another client that I treated six weeks after his reverse shoulder operation with the Dolphin MPS Neurostim was three weeks ahead of schedule with his recovery.
A friend of mine who accidentally severed some fingers with an electrical saw ended up losing a finger a little more than a year ago. Even though the surgeons reattached the other fingers to his hand, one finger was still not attached to its bone after three surgical attempts. Six months after his injury, I suggested that he try Near Infrared (NIR) LED light therapy daily so that, at the very least, it would help with his pain. He purchased one, and I am happy to report that he is pain-free. He stopped using the NIR LED Light therapy. A nurse who works with patients similar to my friend informed me that most people never eliminate the sensitivity to pain after such an accident.
I am grateful for the knowledge I have attained and happy to share my experiences so that others can also benefit from my knowledge and experiences. It saddens me that after my last surgery, the same doctors and nurses who took my bandages and stitches off and saw the results never questioned why I had such a quick recovery. I wonder if they had and if I had had the opportunity to share with them what I had done if it would have made any difference for their other patients. Would they have been more open to educating themselves in these treatments and therapies and sharing them for the sake of their patients? One off-duty nurse who took the time to listen suggested that my methods helped me heal better on my own this time. Forty-some years later, and with limited movement in my right-hand ring finger due to the treatments/therapies used after my first hand-related surgery and its subsequent surgeries, I question if my current knowledge could have changed the outcome that I had so long ago. The therapies I now utilize today may have reduced the scar tissue and strengthened the transplanted pulley back then so that I did not tear it during my physiotherapy exercise sessions; ostensibly, I may have more movement with my currently rigid second joint!
Things will change in a system that has become overburdened with methods and treatments that sometimes do not work and even prove to be detrimental to the overall health condition of patients owing to side effects and other factors. Wouldn't it be amazing to see the allopathic medical community embracing and connecting with holistic products and devices to enhance the healing of many surgical procedures for their patients? If the "art" of medicine - of questioning and genuinely listening and viewing a person/patient holistically - was fully implemented in our healthcare system, people from all walks of life, with or without extra medical coverage, could reduce their time off work and become more functional (and healthier!) sooner. In the long run, we should all be open to new ideas, treatments, and therapies in both Western and alternative medicines, including the opportunity to combine both to help people achieve optimum health--this, in turn, would only serve to move us forward toward the betterment and welfare of society for the common good of all.
Ida Fanelli, Aesthetician, Reflexologist, IPL Technician
Ida is a certified aesthetician (graduate of Marvel School of Beauty), offering home-based services since 1994. Ida provides various holistic services; she graduated from Zanqara’s Holistica Skin Care’s Dermatician course in 1994, which required her to understand homeopathic remedies. Ida has been a certified reflexologist since 1993 (graduate of D’Arcy Lane Institute). She has also been practicing Healing Energy since 1998 and has added the Ion Cleanse Foot Detox to her therapies. In 2012, Ida became a certified Sharplight Laser (IPL) Technician. She enjoys learning new techniques which can benefit her clients. In 2019, she received certification from the Center for Pain and Stress Research (CPSR.) She can now speed up the healing of scars and help with pain caused by surgical scars to her list of specialties.
She enjoys continuing her education in the complementary health field. Many can testify that Ida is committed to ensuring her clients access adequate and affordable quality service and treatment.
Beyond her many years of experience as a holistic practitioner, Ida draws on her 12 years of experience as a hospital laboratory technologist in Microbiology and Biochemistry.
