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Fred Hasset
“Like most problems that require surgery, it didn’t happen overnight. In fact I’d noticed the build-up in my thumb nearly ten years ago. I’ve been a polisher at Remington Arms for over 45 years. I love my work, in part because it involves my hands, but naturally, the act of polishing can add strain. Your thumb is bent backwards when you get to the end of the barrel, for every swipe of a polish. Polish 600 barrels a day for half a lifetime, and you’d be surprised if you didn’t have a callous.
I visited the nurse at work and she concluded the same thing – I had a bit of build-up at the base of my thumb. Since my visit nearly a decade ago, it had grown larger and had set up into a hard mass. It was now becoming a nuisance and I started to worry. I have always been an avid hunter and outdoorsman, plus I still handle all of my housework: mowing, shoveling, and repairs – you name it. My hands are critical to nearly everything I do. What began as a callous had become something else entirely – it was about time I had it examined. I’m glad I did.
Come to find out, I had a benign bone tumor in my hand. “Okay,” I thought, “now what?” I was worried about the time away from work. It wasn’t just the surgery itself. Combined that with everything I had heard about recovery times, and I was facing months of waiting around for my thumb to heal. Thankfully, that never happened. I booked a surgery at Apex Surgical Center instead.
“Thankfully, that never happened. I booked a surgery at Apex Surgical Center instead.”
I arrived at 9:00am sharp. As I was prepared for surgery, Dr. Patalino came in to examine the thumb one last time and to mark the precise area of operation. He had explained everything to me beforehand, including what would take place prior to, during, and after the surgery. Having already had my questions asked and answered on my first visit, I was quickly on my way to surgery.
I’d describe my procedure, but anesthesia doesn’t make you a very reliable narrator. So, I’ll skip ahead. An hour after I’d gone under, the surgery was complete. We headed to post-op where soon the surgeon came to reiterate everything that had taken place in the last hour. I was discharged and headed home.
The whole ordeal (if you can call even call it an ordeal) was done in less than 3 hours. In and out, I was home by noon. I had a tumor removed from a bone inside of my hand like it was a regular Thursday morning. Less than two weeks later, and the last of the stiffness is easing its way out. I should have a back-to-work date this week.
Honestly, I couldn’t ask for more. In addition to a clean, brand new facility, the surgeons, staff, and follow up care were all very impressive. I would highly recommend Apex Surgical Center.”