Things started to get better for me the day I realized I couldn't button my raincoat," says writer Helen Page.
"Arthritis in both of my thumbs, which had made simple tasks merely painful, now made them impossible.  I had put off seeing a hand surgeon as recommended by my orthopedist because I was terrified of having hand surgery—the 'better the devil you know than the devil you don't know' mindset.  But when I couldn't dress myself, I had no choice, and made an appointment with Dr. Gordon.  That was two years and two surgeries ago.
"Being able to knit again may not seem like much to crow about, but a dozen years ago I was thinking of marketing my handmade sweaters.  Then I started dropping the needles and shrieking from the pain in my hands, and had to stop knitting altogether.
"Before my surgeries, I had to roll up the sleeves on my blouses and jackets because I couldn't stand the pressure of the fabric on my wrists.  I closed the drawer on my collection of bracelets and sport watches because I couldn't stand them touching my skin.  I was helpless if I needed to sew a button on my clothes, because I couldn't hold the needle.  Pain woke me up in the middle of the night.  Driving any distance was impossible because I couldn't grip the steering wheel for very long.  And I would shrink in panic if someone wanted to shake my hand.
"I'm a food writer, and cooking is a passion as well as a profession, but I was having trouble slicing vegetables and peeling potatoes, to say nothing of carting groceries into my kitchen and working at the computer.  I was on the verge of losing my livelihood.
"But as I said, that was before my 'anchovies,' as the surgery that saved my hands is called.  Surgery is not fun, and I wouldn't recommend it except as a last resort.

The aftermath of the first surgery was painful, and rehab involved intense physical therapy and exercises at home for many months.  Dr. Gordon had removed a bone from my thumb joint and rerouted tendons to create a new joint.  Not exactly like fixing a hangnail.  I had never heard of anyone having this procedure, and at times I regretted my decision, fearing, on days I couldn't even hold a piece of paper, that I might never regain the use of my hand.
"That I had my left hand operated on the first time is a testament to the confidence I had in the doctor who recommended the procedure.  That I trusted my right hand to Dr. Gordon is a testament to my faith in and admiration of him.
"Simply said, he gave me my hands back.
"Now, six months after my second surgery, I'm knitting again.  I can prepare a complicated meal without suffering any pain.  I wear my jewelry and shake hands without giving it a second thought.  As I look back on my before and after, I realize that the discomfort and inconvenience of the surgeries was a small price to pay for regaining the use of my hands.  I consider Dr. Gordon a miracle worker, and I don't say that lightly.
"I hope I never have to have surgery on my hands again, but if I do, he is the only person I would trust them to."

Helen Cassidy Page is a coauthor of The Stanford University Healthy Heart Cookbook & Life Plan.