Surgery on DIP joint and post surgery questions.

I had surgery on 4.3.08 on the DIP joint of my left forefinger to remove bone spurs, a probably result due to osteoarthritis (I am a 57 year old healthy female).  Now there is discoloration apparently from hemosiderin pigment within the nail at the proximal nail area.  This the doctor has said will eventually grow out so it does not concern me so much as the redness, swelling/tightness, and now accelerating discomfort (not yet what I would call pain though) in the operative area at the radial aspect.  The doctor said on 5.23.08 it would go away as the nail grew out, but now one week later, the symptoms just seem to be getting worse to me.  Today (5.31.08) I notice there is a small whitish line on the left side of the operative area no more than a 1/4 inch in length and I have no idea why it has now appeared.  Will these referenced symptoms eventually subside and go away as he has seemed to indicate?  Since surgery was 8 weeks ago, I would have thought the operative area would be showing more improvement by now.  And, is there anything I could be doing (or should definitely not be doing) to help the discomfort, swelling and tightness feel better or improve faster in the meantime?  Is it okay to be putting cream on the scar to help reduce the scar's appearance?  I should note that the incision area appears to be healing very nicely. Here is a status disposition quote from the doctor on 5.5.08:  "She is cautioned that she probably will have some continued lack of flexion that is, full flexion, of the DIP joint for a prolonged time even as a permanent status in view of the need to have the healing and scar from at the dorsal aspect of the joint to prevent a flexed position."  I have no complaints regarding flexion of the joint at the knuckle--I am working on improving the flexion daily.  As the doctor cautions, however, I do have very limited flexion of the DIP joint so should I assume I will never be able to flex this joint again OR should I keep trying to flex it OR should I try to flex it when ALL post operative symptoms have gone away OR wait an "x" number of days post surgery to start trying to flex it, and if so, when?  I would not want to be doing anything that would compromise the improvement (hopefully) of my finger.  Thank you.