I had a similar thing happen to my thumb a few years back. Finally it got so painful that I had to see the Dr. It seemed to be kind of floppy...meaning it really would go out to the side. Discovered that the tendons and ligaments were almost totally gone. I had two surgeries to repair it. They stretched the tendons and ligaments and drilled into the bone and attached them. Six weeks in a cast and another 6 weeks in a brace and it was fixed. It was so painful until they fixed it. You probably should get it looked at.

I severed my Flexor Tendon, and all the nerves above my IP Joint in my left thumb on 11-25-07 on my table saw. A surgeon from The Indiana Hand Center met me at the hospital that same day to repair the damage that I inflicted upon myself. With-in a month I had a 'sensation' to touch in my thumb above my IP Joint. I continued my PT (Physcal Therapy), but was informed that surgery (Arthrofibrosis) would be required to remove scar tissue and to relieve my capillaries in order to get the motion back in my IP Joint. This surgery was performed on 4-4-08. On 4-11-08 while doing my PT I felt something snap. I underwent a 3rd surgery on 4-18-08. What had happened was that my Flexor Tendon ruptured at the point that it attached to my bone in my thumb. I now have my Flexor Tendon sewed back on and 2 wires running through the Flexor Tendon and out through the bone then the thumb nail with a button to keep them from pulling back into my thumb. I have complete faith of getting at least 60% usage of my thumb back. After being without it for the past 5 1/2 months, that sounds wonderful. I've done extensive research on this on the internet, and everything tells me the same basic information. Stick to your therapy appointments, and do all your therapy as instructed if you expect a good recovery. I hope yours doesn't go the way mine has, but I still have faith in my recovery. I'll keep you in my prayers

cynic- We should all be able to make a great loaf of bread using flour, water, salt and yeast, but the commercial bakers have all kinds of things they add, and then along came the Automatic Bread Maker and we couldn't make a loaf unless we loaded the Bread Machine with gluten, dough enhancers, flavor enhancers, dough relaxers, etc...... There are a number of dough enhancers (dough developers or dough conditioners) used commercially that can also be used at home. They tend to fall in these categories - mold inhibitors, antistaling agents and dough improvers. You can find recipes on-line for homemade dough enhancers that include a number of ingredients and might save money over commercial "dough enhancer" products. Here's one example: How to make Homemade Dough Enhancer: 1 cup wheat gluten 2 tablespoons lecithin granules 1 teaspoon ascorbic acid crystals 2 tablespoons powdered pectin 2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk 1 teaspoon powdered ginger Mix together and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For 100% whole grain breads, use 3 tablespoons per loaf. Add to your recipe along with the flour. \-Vitamin C (aka ascorbic acid) aids in better gluten development, especially if there is any wheat germ/whole wheat flour in the recipe. There is a substance in wheat germ (glutathione) that breaks the gluten bonds \- and as a result we get those squatty loaves of 100% whole wheat bread. When you add vitamin C it repairs the gluten and counteracts the negative effects of Glutathione. Add 1/8 t. ascorbic acid powder per loaf if there is wheat germ or whole wheat flour (which contains wheat germ) in a recipe. Ascorbic acid promotes yeast growth and helps yeast work longer and faster. It also helps produce the acidic atmosphere in which yeast grows best. Don't add ascorbic acid to naturally\-leavened breads (aka sourdough) because it is naturally acidic. You'll notice ascorbic acid is often an ingredient in yeast products. \-Egg yolk \- for antistaling and better gluten development \-1/4 t. ground fenugreek, rosemary, ginger, or cinnamon for enhanced yeast activity and better keeping qualities \-If you plan on freezing the bread use honey instead of sugar in the recipe. \-Add raisin juice or raisin pulp to a recipe to extend the shelf\-life of bread. \-My personal favorite trio \- chia seeds (or chia seed gel), agave nectar and coconut oil. Chia seeds or chia seed gel will help maintain the moisture in the crumb and keep it from migrating from the crumb to the crust. Coconut oil will help prevent mold and slow staling. Agave nectar, due to it's high content of monosaccharides has a high osmotic pressure. This characteristic in this sweetener helps to inhibit the growth of microorganisms (mold). Agave nectar increases the water retention properties. \-Salt \- use a quality high\-mineral sea salt. Minerals \= better gluten development. Yeast needs minerals and certain amino acids. \-Bean Flour \- French flour is fortified with 2% fava bean flour and it is supposed to improve dough performance and enhance flavor, nutrition and yeast growth. Chickpea flour is another add\-in choice. \-Barley Malt Syrup, Malt, Diastatic Malt Powder \- adds enzymes to supply sugars for better yeast growth. It also improves the nutrition, texture and keeping quality. Too much will make the bread gummy, dense and either too sweet or bitter. \-Lecithin \- Which is naturally occurring in egg yolks, but is yet one more add\-in that helps bread remain soft and moist because it slows down oxidation. \-Vital Wheat Gluten \- If you use a large percentage of low\-gluten or gluten\-free flour in a recipe, it can benefit from additional gluten. The problem using vital wheat gluten is that too much will cause the bread to be tough. It can also take much longer to develop the gluten if there is a high percentage in the dough. \-Mashed potatoes, potato flakes, potato water \- Acts as a dough enhancer and adds moistness. When it comes to refrigerating bread dough \- or choosing a refrigerator dough recipe \- mashed potatoes (or other pureed vegetable) is important because it preserves moisture in the dough in the dry climate of the refrigerator. Adding cooked rice to a recipe will do the same thing. And that's just a partial list..... \-Grainlady

It's probably me, not photobucket. I like to make things difficult, LOL. You know, my mom made me a smash cake 55 years ago, so it's not a new idea. Only Mom forgot to make sure the candle was blown out before I started grabbing and I got a real surprise, LOL.