Hi Dave –
The last letter I sent out to family and relatives in December said that I was hoping I would have an injury/accident free 2012, and then New Year’s Day I stabbed myself with a new chef’s knife somehow. Resulted in 7 stitches, and eventually, due to severe pain which nearly made me pass out from time to time, a trip to a hand specialist. I had called the medical facility where they stitched me up that day and they didn’t want me back until it was time to take out the stitches. I called my doctor’s office and the office staff decided I didn’t need to come in either.
I finally called the hand clinic at PCI here in Cedar Rapids this past Wednesday morning. I visited with a nurse and she got me an appointment for this past Thursday afternoon. I just sensed that everyone else thought of me as a wuss with pain and just poo pooed my coming back in until it was time to take out the stitches. I knew something wasn’t right and persisted.
I saw Dr. Kuo and she was disgusted that no one would see me until her. After several tests and yelps and near screams, she determined that two of the four topical stitches had either been put around a nerve, or through a nerve in my finger. They had to come out. I never knew a person could YELL “oh my God” so many times in the 5-6 seconds it took to get each stitch out. I held my own wrist down so that I wouldn’t move my hand on her, and it’s all bruised today. I apologized to the folks in the waiting room when they sat me down for 20 minutes to get the color back into my face. I nearly passed out the pain was so severe for those 5 seconds for each stitch.
I’ll return this Thursday to have the remaining stitches out and for another nerve test. I failed it royally all down the inside of my pinky from that last joint to the tip of my finger. The outside of the finger is fine and I could tell she was poking me with one prong or two. Some of the feeling in the tip of my finger has come back already, so I’m hoping I do better on Thursday with her test. I was so grateful for the pain relief. Often I nearly passed out just getting dressed for work because of any movement in that finger at all. Now I can even type for a little while with it.
So, I’m just resting up this weekend from lots of lost sleep this past week. Got some vacuuming done and am working on a puzzle and enjoying the great weather here. No snow yet – just a couple of dustings of it but nothing measurable at all yet. I don’t mind.
My mom will be having shoulder surgery on the 16th. I’ve got that day off from school and then took the 17th off as well to be with her and dad. She has to have the entire joint replaced, but at least they say it’s not as bad as rotator cuff surgery, of which I’ve had both of my shoulders done now. I’m sure she’ll do OK.
I’ve learned to keep my wits about me totally with new knives now. Haven’t touched them actually since New Year’s Day, but eventually will start using them again and will be extremely careful!!! Have a great year. Thanks, always, for passing along the class news.
Ruth