@wallyworld Like @shamu said, "Follow his advise. DO NOT LIFT ANYTHING with your other fingers as I did with my surgery on my left hand."

And I will add, "Ice! Ice! Ice!" If you have a 2 hour ride home, bring a pillow to support your arm & figure out a way to keep it iced. I have always been an advocate of icing injuries & surgical sites to minimize swelling, and my husband and daughter were a sports EMT & paramedic respectively. We ice everything - even cuts & bruises when painful.

After my recent tightrope surgery, I iced for the first 48 hours non-stop with a rotation of ice packs, then probably 12 hours a day for another week (every time I sat or laid down) and intermittently since, including after exercising it even now at 2+ months. I had almost NO swelling. On the other hand, 2 years ago, I followed the "20 minutes every 2 hours" plan and had swelling so bad the dressing sometimes felt like a tourniquet. If the surgery center give you gel ice packs, ask for the large (about 12"x16") one meant for back or knee - the cold from the wimpy little ones isn't enough to penetrate the surgical dressing.

One final note - when they transition you to a custom splint, and are preparing for the final "cut down" to just protect the thumb, ask if there is a real reason not to leave it 4-5" longer to support the wrist as well. I find it much more protective and more comfortable than any over-the-counter brace for heavy activities. My hand therapist of 20 years even "added back" to my right hand splint to use in the garden this fall, because to work without it is to invite pain and swelling, even 2 years after that repair.

Good luck, and be patient - healing takes time, even on a tiny little spot like a thumb.
Sue