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Dupuytren’s Contracture

Dupuytren’s contracture (also known as morbus Dupuytren, Dupuytren’s disease, or palmar fibromatosis,^[1] and sometimes misidentified as Dupuytren’s constricture) is a fixed flexion contracture of the hand where the fingers bend towards the palm and cannot be fully extended (straightened). It is named after Baron Guillaume Dupuytren, the surgeon who described an operation to correct the affliction.

The ring finger and little finger are the fingers most commonly affected,  the thumb are nearly always spared. Dupuytren’s contracture progresses slowly and is usually painless. In patients with this condition, the tissues under the skin on the palm of the hand thicken and shorten so that the tendons connected to the fingers cannot move freely.Incidence increases after the age of 40; at this age men are affected more often than women. After the age of 80 the distribution is about even.

Dupuytren’s disease is a very specific affliction, and primarily affects People of Scandinavian or Northern European ancestry;^[3] it has been called the “Viking disease”,Men rather than women (men are ten times as likely to develop the condition)^[3]

What has this to do with me you may well ask?.

Well I have inherited this complaint which can be traced back to my forbears in Scotland. When the Vikings came from Scandinavia and invaded Scotland, after raping and pillaging they left their genes behind and this particular gene was found to have originated from Scandinavia

My first YouTube video

Filmed a little message to the family today in the Tourism New Zealand mobile studio that was parked up in Punakaiki. Read the rest of this entry »

Destined to be on stage

From an early age I have had thoughts of one day being on stage and to a degree this has been successful. My first experience of being in front of an audience was when Mum used to have meetings of “The League of Mothers” in our home, she was their local President for many years, and there would be 10 or 12 ladies in our community who would attend and during the meeting I would go into Mum’s room put on her high heeled shoes, slip into one of her dresses and she had a fur stole that I’d fling around my shoulders then put on a wide brimmed floppy hat then make my way out into the lounge dining area, and the ladies would applaud and think I was the best thing since sliced bread ( which was interesting because we didnt have sliced bread in those days …..they came in loaves) Read the rest of this entry »

Tracing Origin of Family and reflections on what prompted their migration

I have been reading and gathering with interest, snippets from here and there that has prompted me to put my thoughts together in print to enlighten my family about our origins and to consider why they may have emigrated from their home country. Read the rest of this entry »

My Early Memories

I was born at a very early age on 12th June 1945 in Carterton in the Wairarapa. My parents Walter (Wally) Hodge (born 2nd March 1905) and my mother Ruby Orr Hodge (Nee Leith) born 22 November 1909. lived in what was then known as 49 West Street Greytown.and had been previously owned by dad’s parents John Hodge Jnr and his wife Clara Beatrice Hodge (nee Downing) Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to my Blog

This is a new adventure for me by which means I will be able to keep you well informed of things that are dear to me and which I can share with you from time to time. Please subscribe to any RSS ( Real Simple Syndication) feeds that you wish to get the latest posts from. Please feel free to post comments and be aware that I can edit or delete these at will. Any Spam comments will be automatically blocked.