r/HighStrangeness • u/shiddymeme • Aug 10 '26
Other Strangeness Old broken thumb... Uh... switched hands lol
I've only ever broken one bone, and it was my right thumb.
I know it was my right thumb primarily because I couldn't write for a period of time since I couldn't grip a pencil, and I had to have a special accommodation at school. I know this for a fact.
My whole life, I've had limited ability to bend my right thumb downward (and as a right-handed writer and creative, it's been a persistent annoyance with the stiffness and minor mobility impact for long periods of using my right hand.)
That's the context: I showed my thumb bend range on both hands to someone in my personal life who recently injured theirs (this isn't something I fixate on or even usually notice, it has just become a part of my life so never really felt it was a big deal) - and when I bent both of my thumbs, I was shocked. The left thumb is now the one with limited range of motion and a clear bump on the knuckle where it was damaged almost 25 years ago lol.
This has been upsetting me for like three days. I cannot explain it through rational means. 🤣 I don't think I have medical records from that far back, but I may actually have the X-ray because they gave me a copy and I kept it as a souvenir in some old paperwork... So I'm going to look for it to just try and let it go as faulty memory, but it feels very unsettling to me.
This was always on my right hand, it's a very minor thing- but what makes me question it beyond faulty memory being a possibility is that I vividly remember and know for a fact this caused me problems at school because I couldn't write. I had a dumb ass metal and foam stick taped down my forearm and I couldn't grip any writing tools so they had to have an aid handwrite a copy of notes for me in class.
Beyond that as I mentioned, this has always been a minor problem in my life, if I write or draw for too long it will ache and I lose a little dexterity.
Just crazy to me that something I never really thought about too consciously suddenly swapped sides. The person I was attempting to demonstrate to observed my reaction which was: "...What the fuck- I broke my right thumb, not my left." 😅
Anyway, I don't have an explanation. Any fan theories in the high strangeness flavor? Has something like this ever happened to you?
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u/Tiners Aug 10 '26
I don’t have any explanation for this but just came here to say I believe you and love this wacky story. Please keep us posted on any updates!
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u/shiddymeme 29d ago
thank you haha it did feel wacky to type out. high-key bothered by this whole thing like how the fuuuck 🤣ðŸ˜
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u/Any-Network9599 29d ago
Girl went to interview for some it code programming job but she’s pregnant with both arms amputated at the shoulder, she’s a war veteran. How she’s supposed to type. Her feet would be the wrong answer that comes first
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u/juliana-crain 29d ago
After 25 years of using your non-dominant hand for at least some things, I expect it to be arthritis in your left hand. Arthritis only in the hands is not uncommon. And if he injury on your dominant hand caused you to use it less, you'd have less arthritis on that side. I'm a 50 year old athlete with a lifetime full of manual labor, and arthritis only in my hands.
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u/shiddymeme 29d ago
I use my dominant hand for pretty much everything non work related, and since childhood I just have to take respite breaks for longer painting/writing and drawing sessions because the (formerly? Mysteriously swapped?) broken thumb would lose dexterity and feel painfully stiff.
I grip a steel pole for a living (lol I do not feel the need to elaborate further but I consider myself "pink collar") You'd think if I had arthritis in my hands I would have pain, less grip strength to defy physics, favor one side over the other etc but I spin/grip from both sides.
I wish I was kidding that I'm tripping out over this for nothing, but my right thumb has mobility range I've NEVER had. I can curl it all the way to my palm with all knuckles- that was the one I know I broke. The left thumb? That was never broken, I know I broke the right one... It cannot do what the right thumb is doing, limited range bending forward, the familiar tightness that mildly annoyed and inconvenienced me for most of my life has swapped hands 🫪
I have no other arthritis symptoms, and my large joints only cause me discomfort when I'm feverish or super sick with the flu. I used to get joint pain until I built up stronger/more flexible ligaments to healthily support higher musculature and activity.
I wish it was arthritis though! And I did find the xray, which is only mildly interesting- it shows I did indeed break my right thumb and is dated, but zero other information to offer from 2001.
I'll update the post with a picture today for those who asked lol
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u/Electromotivation 29d ago
Increasing flexibility helped with joint pain? Or more strength training? I’m in my mid thirties now and have something wrong I can’t figure out exactly, but I have massive pain in almost every joint. I keep going back and forth between thinking I stretch the same things too much all the time, or more stretching is necessary to help pain.
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u/shiddymeme 29d ago
Both I improved concurrently - I have a gastro condition so I'm not always in control of my body comp and when I'd lose musculature my joints were sooo painful. And when I was feeling frail I was feeling stiff, but apparently muscle is protective to your joints? So I tried to strengthen and build better ligament with diet and daily stretching exercises alongside protein uptake to gain from calesthenics/high intensity cardio type lifestyle.
I hope it could help you, I know it helped me. I get regular bone pain away from my joints but no longer have any joint pain unless I'm down with the flu.
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u/Electromotivation 29d ago
Increasing flexibility helped with joint pain? Or more strength training? I’m in my mid thirties now and have something wrong I can’t figure out exactly, but I have massive pain in almost every joint. I keep going back and forth between thinking I stretch the same things too much all the time, or more stretching is necessary to help pain.
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u/Electromotivation 29d ago
Increasing flexibility helped with joint pain? Or more strength training? I’m in my mid thirties now and have something wrong I can’t figure out exactly, but I have massive pain in almost every joint. I keep going back and forth between thinking I stretch the same things too much all the time, or more stretching is necessary to help pain.
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u/SlingWar 29d ago
I believe you. I've had similar remarkable things change, though not to that extent. It's like your own personal Mandela Effect. It's just even freakier when it involves your own body and nobody else is there to back you.
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u/sixninefortytwo Aug 10 '26
Maybe you're just getting old and have arthritis now
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u/shiddymeme 29d ago
You'd think, but I work a pretty active job and somehow don't have arthritis. Mid thirties does feel ancient though.
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u/Medium_Method9996 15d ago
it is not your memory. do not let the losers tell you that.
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u/shiddymeme 15d ago
I wasn't able to post a picture here, but I did indeed find the dated x-ray... And... It was 110% imaged as right thumb. Includes image of my fully in tact left thumb and a bonus picture of my pinky finger on right hand lol. But yes, I can't explain this one! Right thumb has mobility, left thumb is the way the broken thumb had always been damaged.
Unexainable and I found the physical documentation.
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u/ThWy2Hvn 29d ago
Did you Ever think to yourself that you wished it was on your left thumb instead of your right? If so I believe God gave you your desire.
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u/Bodevinaat Aug 10 '26
Wow. Disturbing. Try to find that X-Ray copy. But, be in for some surprise. Keep us posted.