I have had this for 20 years. I sympathize with everyone. I am a female and have it in both hands and I have its sister disease in the bands of the arches in both my feet as well. I have had surgery all over my fingers and hands and both my feet. It always comes back. I have read that if you have it in 1 hand, for some unknown reason it will sometime go to the other. A study also said if it is in hands it may develop in the feet. (the name in the feet is different) The ones in the feet are like small marbles and they get bigger and bigger. One doctor said he won't remove the foot ones because it weakens the tendons they are attached to. I have found that one of my foot surgeries have caused my arch to drop. Doctors say I have it worse than most men. I have not had the injections before, I have had pin surgery and the good old scalpel and stitches. I do suggest to everyone to get a good hand surgeon. With my fingers, my waiting on the pinky to get bad enough (in my opinion) was far too long. Having had surgery in the pinky before my waiting for the disease to slow down before surgery and my personal decision to stall will cost me physically. The bands are so thick and short, plus involving old scar tissue there are risks far greater. I have been warned the possible negative results. I have bouts with this stuff growing like crazy then slow growth then stop for a couple of years. I feel like this is routine anymore. Interestingly, 1 doctor said to wait until it slows or stops. Hard to tell if it is time. I went to another doctor and he knew the other two that did the other surgeries. They all disagree on tactics of my case. I selected this third one because my wish is to try someone with a fresh approach (I have little to loose). The last time this was done by #2 he said he forgot to remove some of the tissue somewhere down my hand (he said he was sorry). Now that I waited so long, I know this will really be bad and the therapy is very painful. Most of my hands and fingers are very straight but the pinky fingers will never be (almost 90 degrees). All I can say is don't wait around too long. Get another opinion and get her done.