The thumb is definitely doing better. Today I tried taking the brace off when I wanted to do something that would work better with two hands/both thumbs (like opening a pill bottle and eating lunch and supper), but keeping it on most of the time, and it seems to be working. I also did one of my PT-ish exercises with weight in that hand for the first time in a few weeks (I'd been doing it with just the weight of the brace on that arm, and my usual low weight in the left hand), and that also seems to be fine.
My current plan is to do this for at least a few days, and I will be sleeping with the hand in the brace for weeks if not months longer, but I suspect I don't need to go back to the doctor at the end of this month.
My current plan is to do this for at least a few days, and I will be sleeping with the hand in the brace for weeks if not months longer, but I suspect I don't need to go back to the doctor at the end of this month.