The Hand

The hand is sore.  Pictures will follow.  So you can bale out anytime. Getting older and having body parts wear out is not for sissies.

I had to be at the hospital at 9:30 AM for all the pre op questions and the nurse had no sense of humor. Of course she asked me if I felt safe in my home, well what kinda dummy says No when her husband is right there, I think it is a redundant question…seems to me that a paper and pen with the question written down on a piece of paper would be a better idea.   Then she asked me if I was depressed, I laughed and said “Not today.”  She said depression is NOTHING to laugh at and many people are helped because of the questions that nurses have to ask. Alrighty then. She wasn’t half bad at starting an IV, I have had better and worse.  I had to have an hour drip of antibiotics before going to surgery about 11:45 AM.

There was a young man named Casey just outside the OR reading something highlighted in a book.  I said “Hi I am Connie and I bet you are reading about my surgery?”  He replied “Are you the carpal tunnel scheduled?”  He is a Senior at the high school in Nevis and is shadowing Dr Smith for the summer.  John was waiting for me in the OR….he was the anesthetist.

I had some kind of anesthesia in the Operating Room to make me sleepy and not remember a thing and then they put a tourniquet on my arm. The whole surgery took about 20 minutes yet I lost a couple of hours…go figure.  Supposively the Doctor talked to me after the surgery…I don’t recall a thing that he said…good thing he talked to Far Guy.  I had a tumor near the tunnel that the nerve goes through…they are rarely cancerous. The Dr felt that I should have a good result long term since I had two problems in that area of my hand.

Casey’s Mom was the OR Recovery Nurse.  I heard a familiar voice…it was Paul (Far Guy’s Cousin) he helps push carts and deliver people here and there. The Recovery Nurse and I had a nice chat….and since I was talking so much she took me back to where Far Guy was waiting.  It was about 1:45 PM.

I got to eat some toast and have some juice and take pain pills and get dressed and head home.  We picked up a prescription and we got home about 3:30 PM.

My arm was all wrapped up in packing and gauze and an ace bandage.  I could move my fingers and my thumb.  Ice packs became my friend as they took away much of the pain.  I don’t remember much that happened on Friday or Saturday or even Sunday, I slept a lot.  I watched the weather channel and some marathon reality show and a bunch of Harry Potter Movies…I know I talked to a few people on the phone…who I am not sure. I wrote a couple of blogs and I hope they made sense.  Far Guy helped me bathe everyday and get a fresh nightgown on and brought me lemonade and made sure that I ate every so often and wrote down every pill I took and what time I took it. He brought me bags of ice and retrieved the one that leaked all over and woke me up in an icy bath.  Chance laid right next to the couch and slept when I slept. I know Far Guy cooked…chicken and noodles one night, a steak and a baked potato, a soft shell taco… no one starved to death.

Wednesday was the day I could remove the awkward big bandages. Off it came as soon as I woke up on Wednesday!  Oh I hated to look…if it looked as bad as it felt…wowza. It is a pain in the butt hand.  Some movements are very painful and I just cannot do them.  Taking the top off a water bottle, cutting an apple, cutting up a steak….it took me a few tries to butter toast left handed.  I ate left handed…and still am as it is just easier.  Pulling drawers out hurts…I can push with the hand but not pull…I cannot write decently…I have a hard time with fine motor skills…even holding a piece of mail in between my fingers and thumb. I cannot put my own bra on and Far Guy says he is better at taking them off than putting them on.  My fingers are still numb and I still have some swelling and ice is still my best friend to help control the pain.  I can only take so much and I am off to the couch for elevation and ice.

One day at a time.  Here is the aftermath. One week post surgery.

Noah and I tried to count the stitches we think there are fourteen.  Noah said “It will heal nicely.”  I hope so.

Far Guy says that my hand and arm are very angry with me…I have to agree.  The pain that I had before surgery in my elbow and shoulder is gone and hopefully the pain in my hand will be gone sometime soon.  I get my stitches out next Monday.  I can leave it undressed, but sometimes it likes a little more support so I put a dressing on it and an ace bandage.