My fingers don't work. Is it over for me? - Should I just throw myself into Mexico and get myself beheaded by the Cartels?

[Bofa Shekelstein]

I entered 2024 with only five functioning fingers and have entered 2025 with... two. My left pinky and my right ring finger. Every other finger is compromised in some way:
- completely torn and thus uncontrollable;
- In so much constant pain it's effectively useless;
- or ROM significantly reduced to an extent effectively turning it into a vegetable.

This has been a recurring issue for me due to a collagen deformation disorder, and the very unfortunate choice to become a goalkeeper when I was younger. That alone caused the death of four of my fingers, and the remaining ones have slowly deteriorated from various activities that just strain them beyond repair; lifting, typing, using a mouse, working with <18AWG wires, etc.

At this point am I just screwed? I will 100% have to get surgery on a few of the because their tendons are barely even attached to the joints. It's gotten so bad that typing this--let alone writing code, quite literally my job--is painful if not impossible. I got a trackball mouse to reduce finger strain, but even that failed.

I don't know what to do. Exercises? stretches? Surgery? Place a giant spear on the ground and impale myself? Hit me.

 

[rel=alternate]

I don't know what to do. Exercises? stretches? Surgery? Place a giant spear on the ground and impale myself? Hit me.

Get medical advice. Nobody here can really help I think.

I am not going to powerlevel, but there are daily exercises that can be done to help with or slow down progression of some issues. You just need to know what to do.

Or maybe your case requires something more radical, I can't say for sure. You say stuff about tendons that imply you had medical opinion, but the way you say it, I am not convinced it's not just your own assessment. Iirc, there are surgeries for tendons, but they are extremely painful and the convalescence is pretty long. Then again, I think that is for when they are severed and you need them to grow back (I am no doctor, I could be talking out of my ass).

 

[Bofa Shekelstein]

Get medical advice. Nobody here can really help I think.

Well I am 2 years overdue for a general physician's visit anyways.

 

[Fastest Hand In The East]

I entered 2024 with only five functioning fingers

Aren't you supposed to have 10 of those, not counting feet?

 

[rel=alternate]

Well I am 2 years overdue for a general physician's visit anyways.

I can relate. But the way you describe it, you should just ask for a referral to specialist. It does not feel like something a GP could help with. If anything for insurance purposes, they're not going to even want to give an opinion at all.

 

[ToroidalBoat]

"From the moment I understood the weakness of my flesh, it disgusted me..."?

 

[RollingRock2]

IDK anything about that but if only two of your fingers work right and you have a genetic problem shouldn't you have figured something out 5 years ago

 

[Bofa Shekelstein]

Aren't you supposed to have 10 of those, not counting feet?

All I'm saying is that I was a much better goalkeeper at the beginning of my career than at the end of it.

IDK anything about that but if only two of your fingers work right and you have a genetic problem shouldn't you have figured something out 5 years ago

Only in the past 6 months or so did I get past the total schizoid "all doctors are Jews", "all doctors are bad", "le self diagnosis" etc crap. I tried to figure something out on my own but all I came up with was to get a trackball mouse and an ergonomic keyboard, and, well, that didn't help in the slightest. Definitely gonna try to get specialist recs from my GP since I need a few other things anyways.

 

[Freshly Baked Socks]

I'm sorry things have turned to shit for you.

My only suggestions is to shift occupation to something that is less physically taxing and makes greater use of your remaining functions. You seem an adequate, if not skilled communicator.

For instance, at my local auto mechanics, I have noticed the older fellow who deals with me at customer intake - can't write, probably due to a stroke. As long as I take the time to write my own customer information on the intake form, he is comfortable speaking with me and doing everything else in the office (it would be embarrassing to spend minutes making him write my own name and phone number).

We all have our weaknesses, and must also find our own strengths. Good luck.

 

[Schwarzwald]

Why do you think God gave you toes, stupid?

Until you take the lemurpill, you will continue to exist in non-prehensile misery.

 

[Dawdler]

You could just get everything reattached and also get collagen supplement.
That said I'm not a doctor.

 

[Fastest Hand In The East]

All I'm saying is that I was a much better goalkeeper at the beginning of my career than at the end of it.

I know football can be traumatic, but cutting off fingers?

 

[A Cardboard Box]

in the past 6 months or so did I get past the total schizoid "all doctors are Jews", "all doctors are bad", "le self diagnosis" etc crap. I tried to figure something out on my own but all I came up with was to get a trackball mouse and an ergonomic keyboard, and, well, that didn't help in the slightest. Definitely gonna try to get specialist recs from my GP since I need a few other things anyways.

So you fell for the retarded faggot grifters (who, by the way, all regularly go to the doctor) and decided that getting scam juice was better than getting a debilitating condition handled. That sucks. I'm glad you're willing to actually get help now.

Anyway, the obvious answer is to immediately get help from a specialist. You didn't specify which disorder you have, but there are broadly two categories, and each one has its own issues. Either you have an issue forming the collagen or the collagen is defective in some way (this covers stuff like EDS and MFS), or the collagen is fine, and degraded by some autoimmune disorder.

In the first case, depending on the exact disorder, treatment will either be supportive, or it can be controlled with medications. The first group is pretty nasty, because while the most obvious symptoms are issues in the joints and skin, you are at an extremely high risk of a sudden aortic dissection, where your aorta just does the big funny and splits open and you bleed out internally in about 10 seconds.

If it's the latter case, you're looking at some kind of rheumatoid arthritis or something similar, so your risk for suddenly fucking dying is much lower, but you get to deal with a chronic autoimmune disorder. The issue here is that you've ignored it for a long time, and most of these autoimmune diseases are progressive, so there is a possibility that some of the damage could be irreversible. That being said, all of the common ones and even most of the uncommon ones can be adequately controlled with modern medications and supportive care.

You used the term GP, so you're probably some kind of Anglo, in which case God help you while navigating the NHS. My best advice is that, while doctors are experts and most do want to genuinely help you, don't be afraid to speak up or change doctors. You know your body best.

 

[Shig O'nella]

GP and referral should be your priority. Get onto that first thing in the morning, cause it'll take several months to get anywhere.

While you are waiting, glucosamine suppliments and multivitamins - they've kept my arthritis in check (sort of, but it's better than nothing). You'll reduce the pain slightly, might see a slight improvement in a couple of relatively unbashed fingers, and more importantly maintain function in your last two fingers. The little hand heaters to loosen things up so you can move your fingers ... eh, they're bollocks but they do feel nice.
I use the vegan glucosamine tablets (allergic to shellfish so the cheaper option ain't an option) and a "hair, skin and nails" suppliment from Holland and Barrett.

 

[Bofa Shekelstein]

You could just get everything reattached and also get collagen supplement.
That said I'm not a doctor.

I've been on 30g of collagen a day ritualistically for 2 years, really hope I don't need to get shit reattached. I know someone 4x my age who had that, and it is PAINFUL. You're basically a vegetable writhing in pain for 4 weeks or more.

Either you have an issue forming the collagen or the collagen is defective in some way (this covers stuff like EDS and MFS),

It's "almost"-EDS, a broader condition that can best be described as having half of the symptoms needed to truly diagnose EDS. It does run in my family, fwiw.

You used the term GP, so you're probably some kind of Anglo, in which case God help you while navigating the NHS

I am White, yes, but I don't have to deal with the NHS as an American... instead I have to deal with the abysmally retarded health insurance "system".

My only suggestions is to shift occupation to something that is less physically taxing and makes greater use of your remaining functions. You seem an adequate, if not skilled communicator.

This would be a last resort for me. I've dedicated the past 10 years of my life almost exclusively to programming, I would like to avoid changing that as much as I can. If I have to give in and stop programming, so be it, I'm a pretty good communicator as you said if not an excellent orator.

While you are waiting, glucosamine suppliments and multivitamins

That's actually perfect because we have ~2000 tablets to spare because we accidentally order 20 bottles for my grandma instead of 2. Gonna get on that (+calling my GP) ASAP.

 

[Miriam Margoyles]

That alone caused the death of four of my fingers, and the remaining ones have slowly deteriorated from various activities that just strain them beyond repair

I feel like your mom might've tried to warn you about this.

You're lucky you still have your sight. You'll lose that too if you keep fiddling with yourself, dirty boy!

 

[Bofa Shekelstein]

I feel like your mom might've tried to warn you about this.

You're lucky you still have your sight. You'll lose that too if you keep fiddling with yourself, dirty boy!

Consider also I was a particularly "rebellious" teenager. I'm definitely a little retarded in retrospect for not choosing to chase solutions, but alas, I can only change the future.

 

[mindlessobserver]

"From the moment I understood the weakness of my flesh, it disgusted me..."?

lol, came here to post this.

 

[AllieKat]

Get these from your local ripperdoc

 

[Scout Trooper]

This would be a last resort for me. I've dedicated the past 10 years of my life almost exclusively to programming, I would like to avoid changing that as much as I can.

With two fingers? I know auto-complete and Copilot have come a long way, but good grief.