Gimpy

So, I have been diagnosed with having ulnar collateral ligament laxity in my right hand. This is also called skier's thumb.

I hate skiing.

I have pain in my right thumb when I type and when I sew or knit and since I want to keep on doing those things well into my old age, I figured that I should take advantage of my access to the University of Chicago Medical Centers and get it looked at.

Over the past two years, I've seen three chiropractors, an acupuncturist and a massage therapist about the pain.

Since they couldn't help, I figured that I would give Western medicine a try.

So, it feels good to have an authoritative answer. The occupational therapist in Hand Therapy showed me clearly how when I hold my hand in thumb wrestling position, he can move my right thumb from side to side while the one of the left hand stays rock solid. It was slightly freaky.

So, he says if I wear a split while I do things like typing and knitting, it will give the ligament a chance to heal and tighten up. I've been using it all afternoon and it already feels better.

The problem is that the splint is veryvery ugly.

Since I might use this thing off and on for the rest of my life, does anyone have any suggestions about accessorizing it? What paint works on this kind of plastic?