I get my cast off in a week - yay! 

There has been considerably more itching lately, so I try to keep an emery board handy to deal with that.  And of course with temps in the 90s I'd much rather not have a bulky cast covering my hand.  But the bottom line is that the whole post-surgery situation has basically just been an inconvenience (as opposed to actually being painful) for which I am very thankful.  

Now I'm looking forward to advancing to the next step, physical therapy. Though recovery is likely to "be slow", at least there's a 'cure' for what has ailed me for over a decade! 

Joint replacement (arthroplasty).

In this procedure, your surgeon removes part or all of the affected joint [my trapezium bone was removed] and replaces it with a graft from one of your tendons. New plastic or metal devices called prostheses also are being developed to replace the joint. Currently, however, doctors prefer to use a tendon arthroplasty.

Each of these surgical procedures can be done on an outpatient basis. After surgery, you can expect to wear a cast or splint over your thumb and wrist for up to six weeks. Once the cast is removed, you may work with a physical therapist to help regain hand strength and movement. Although recovery is slow, you should be able to resume your normal activities within six months of surgery.

I hope that 5 months from now I'll be left wondering why I didn't have the surgery sooner... now I just have to get there!