HELP-Reattached finger-cold

[HappyFarmer]

Hi all,

I need some suggestions here as I'm all out of ideas. Back in Feb 08 hubby nearly took the tip his middle finger off-the tendons were severed severely & the doctor re-attached them. Thank god. He has recouperated pretty well, but has limited use of the finger tip, and his sense of touch if very limited from both joints to the end.

We are in the Northeast, and the weather can get cold, wind chills down to 10 below, but normal temp can get to 0. It is only about 40 degrees at night at this time, with temps in the 70's-soon to get much colder.

Hubby is experiencing his finger getting VERY cold-even with gloves, and winter has yet to begin in full force. I need ideas for keeping his finger warm!

I will be getting those square packets of Hot Hands for him to keep in his vehicle & the barn, but these won't fit in his gloves. My thinking is if his finger gets too cold, he will always have something that he can temporarily warm it up. BUT, we still have the problem of his finger getting cold.

Doctor says this is normal, but didn't offer a solution. Hubby does a lot of work outside and staying inside during winter is not an option.

Help? Has anyone seen any heated gloves or the like I can get for him? Other ideas?
I'm really worried about this.
HF

[Beeman]

Check motorcycle supply for heated gloves. They should have some that are battery powered.

[cathleenc]

I might also go find a good acupuncturist - perhaps they can help stimulate more circulation/nerve healing to that finger.

it's a good problem to have!

[empofuniv]

Don't have any help about heated gloves, but here is something I've looked at for dh who is diabetic and his hands in the winter mornings are brutally cold.

This is a "warm up" not a "keep warm" like you asked for, but you might find it useful.

Quarterback handwarmer...can slide it around to the back just like a fanny pack when not in use.

This is the cheapest I've found them so far:

http://www.duluthtrading.com/search/...ture=Product_1

HTP,

Pamela

[agmantoo]

I can appreciate his problem. I have two reattached fingers. Putting up with various heat generating devices is a pain also. My solution is the use of a mitten on the cold hand and a glove on the other. I have learned that in order to keep the damaged fingers from throbbing from being cold all I have to do is ball the damaged fingers in the mitten. The heat of the palm of the hand is adequate to warm the damaged fingers when the fingers are clustered in a good quality mitten. A glove, regardless of price or design on that hand, is useless. The bad news is that the cold problem does not diminish over time. The doctor has never experienced the problem nor does he have a solution or he would have been more sympathetic.

[Janis Sauncy]

I have three reattached fingers, along with my thumb (although I ended up losing about a third of my thumb). I lost the ring finger completely. So, I know exactly the pain your husband is experiencing, multiplied by four, and my injury involved reattaching the entire fingers/thumb and not just the tip.

Luckily, I only have to be outside long enough to feed animals and do other outside chores. I put a wool sock over that hand (the shape of my hand prevents me from being able to wear a glove).

Nobody warned me about this problem prior to cold weather setting in last year and the first time I stayed outside longer than I should have with no protection on that hand, the pain was excrutiating. I don't cry easily (I didn't even cry when I initially got hurt and had to stand there while I was cut out of the machine my hand got caught in!), but I cried the day my hand got cold. It was a lesson learned, though, and I won't put myself in that position again.

Since the hand is basically useless now, anyway, having a sock on it doesn't interfere with its use in any way.

Since it's just the tip of your husband's finger, could he wrap it, or maybe fashion something snug (out of a wool sock, maybe) that will fit tight over that area prior to putting a glove on? Then, he'd have to remember that it's now part of his outside gear.

I keep my wool sock handy, by the back door.

Janis

[Cara]

Do you crochet? Llama or alpaca fiber is many times warmer than wool, so maybe if you could crochet him a little finger sock out of it, it would be enough insulation to keep it warm, and would still fit inside his glove. You might even have a new home based business if it works!

[fordson major]

Originally Posted by agmantoo

I can appreciate his problem. I have two reattached fingers. Putting up with various heat generating devices is a pain also. My solution is the use of a mitten on the cold hand and a glove on the other. I have learned that in order to keep the damaged fingers from throbbing from being cold all I have to do is ball the damaged fingers in the mitten. The heat of the palm of the hand is adequate to warm the damaged fingers when the fingers are clustered in a good quality mitten. A glove, regardless of price or design on that hand, is useless. The bad news is that the cold problem does not diminish over time. The doctor has never experienced the problem nor does he have a solution or he would have been more sympathetic.

agman, how long has it been since they reattached your fingers? while my fingers stayed attached, my left hands flesh suffered severe trauma when i was a teen, fingers looked like hamburg for years! took 20 years till my hand would stay warm! till then i did the same as you, mittens! today, 34 years later, can't write with it but has all other functions, though i now function as a righty! soaking in hot epsom salted water did help restore feeling when cold and keep infection/swelling down.

[CIW]

About 17 years ago I dropped a truck starter on my little finger, crushing it. I didn't loose the finger but have very poor circulation in it. Now even on a cool summers day it will get cold.
First I built myself an elk hide mitten for my right hand. That along with a wool liner makes the hard cold bearable.
I also took the stitching apart on the last 2 fingers of my right glove, then sewed them together, making the two into one finger hole. Having the last 2 fingers together made it better when I have need to do more detailed work outside in the cold.

[agmantoo]

ford major, my accident occurred about when yours did. The reattachment for mine was poorly done. I have almost no movement on the right hand ring finger. The little finger had to have the joint fused in a subsequent operation as I had no control of it and when bent got in my way. I have learned to function with the remaining fingers. Actually I can type with the left hand fully working the keyboard and with the right one using the thumb and two fingers. It did take awhile. I have never gotten over the cold sensation and the feeling in the injured fingers is minimal. Some years back I was requested to take a physical for a job related requirement and one of the test was for gripping capability and out of nearly 400 men tested I had the best, even received a plaque. Two good fingers and a thumb can be awesome if you use them!

[myheaven]

I too lost a finger and had to have it reattached. You can wrap it with gause and put a latex finger cott on it that will help tremendously with keeping it warm. If I have to be outside alot I put on rubber gloves under my regular snow gloves. If the sweat cant get cold your hands wont get cold. I also put bread bags on my feet inbetween two layers of socks. Learned that from a homeless guy.
edited to add. I did this last year when my pig decided to go threw fencing. It was -19 I was outside for 13 hrs doing new fencing. I was perfectly toasty.

[Batt]

Tape it loosely to the finger next to it. Kind of an anatomical splint. Then sew the 2 fingers of a glove together as someone else suggested. That is what my father did until he finally got a little more circulation back into his finger.

[cider]

http://dreamproductscatalog.com/details.cfm?item=10117

MIRACLE THERAPY GLOVES by Dream Products

What about something like this for all of you with cold hands? Might not help the fingertip though.

[Trisha in WA]

Cayenne powder (regular cooking kind) sprinkled in your glove (especially the one finger) will help with circulation.

[HappyFarmer]

Wow, a lot of great ideas! We'll be trying several out to see which works best, and have one or two for situations that may not work in. He is so active, I really think several & combinations of these ideas will work out well.

No I don't crochet-but I have cashmere from a few of my goats I could maybe stuff inside a glove, & enlarge the finger as suggested. I can sew.

Trisha in WA-can you explain how the cayenne pepper works? Does it just heat up like it would if you tasted it?

Thank you
thank you
thank you
THANK YOU
for the ideas!
HF

[palani]

A tincture of cayenne under the tongue is supposed to have an immediate effect if having a heart episode. It is supposed to enlarge blood vessels. Localized topical application might give the same response to improve circulation.

[Cyngbaeld]

The warmest gloves I ever had were made of neoprene. I bought them in the hunting dept at Walmart yrs ago.

[FarmboyBill]

On my left hand I am missing down to the 2nd joint on my index finger.and have the first joint reeattached on my 3rd finger. For years it was cold,now its warm The stub gets COLD in winter. What Aggmantoo says works. But hopefully, in time, your hubbys fingers will be warm again.

[HappyFarmer]

I hope so FarmBoyBill! He'll have to try folding the finger, it's his middle finger though, so he may have to fold another finger too, as it seems a bit awkward with just the one.

HF

[watcher]

My dad had three fingers crushed in an industrial accident and the cold was really hard on them. What he did was wear a wool glove inside a rubberized (water proof and wind proof) glove. If it was really cold he'd put a third thin glove on first then the wool then the rubber one.