trapeziectomy

Trapeziectomy progress.

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Well, this weekend I do feel I’ve turned a corner. The pain seems to have reduced to a much smaller area, and I haven’t needed any Tramadol for several days now. It’s still swollen, and bluish looking, and I’m still wearing my pressure glove (which is starting to disintegrate!) and the wrist/thumb splint. It’s six and a half weeks since the op now, so that’s really encouraging. The first time I’ve felt that I might actually recover properly from this operation and am looking forward to knitting again.

Occupational Therapy have been absolutely wonderful. I can’t praise them enough. My next appointment is on 8th April, a week on Monday.

Yesterday and tonight I was able to clear up after dinner too. Hubby does all the cooking and I do the clearing away and any washing up that needs doing. I need to use “his” rubber glove for the left hand though, my own rubber gloves are too small just yet. But that works. And I’m hoping that today was the last time hubby will have to do my ironing too. Poor hubby! All the cooking, all the cleaning, all the vacuuming and dusting, my ironing, helping me shower and dress for 5 weeks! gradually getting back to normal though.

I have been taking a small walk most days – even in the snow! because The Shop is five minutes’ walk away. Excellent. Unbelievable. I’m so lucky. A local yarn shop, run by friends I love, full of beautiful yarns. What’s not to like?

Today I met my school friend for lunch. We went to Notcutts, which is just in front of The Shop, talked and talked and talked, then went to The Shop, and then . . . . we went to see some lambs! I actually held a little baby lamb in my arms! Now, lambs are very, very cute indeed, very cuddly and sweet, but not terribly bright. They sort of stagger about enthusiastically, bumbling around, and they’re really not bothered about being picked up and cuddled. They head butt you, they sit there calmly in your arms just being cuddled – not like my cat, who barely submits to being held at all, although she will eventually give up struggling and purr – so what’s that about then?

Then we bought some buttons from The Shop (not having intended to buy anything at all, but just gaze at its splendour), came home to my house and had a nice cup of tea. How very British.

Occupational Therapy

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went to the hospital today to see the OT. wonderful, wonderful people. understanding, practical, reassuring, new pressure glove (to reduce the swelling) and much better splint, moulded to fit me. also silicon strip for under the pressure glove at night – to make sure the scar stays flat and heals well).  pain is normal for a long time after a trapeziectomy, so i feel reassured on that level as well.Image

2nd November 2012

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Yesterday was hubby’s birthday. 67 years old. Quite a big number. We had a lovely day together, pottering about. I gave him a Kindle, which he is very pleased with, and is now using it. Next problem – what to get him for Christmas! but I have a few ideas.

Went to the hospital today. Hubby took me, as it’s Warwick Hospital and not that close (but closer than Heartlands!) and we had to be there at 8.35 am. They have decided to operate on my hand thank heavens. They’ll remove the trapezium bone, do something fancy with a tendon to stop the thumb shortening, and inject both hands in the first and second finger knuckles, because those are swollen and painful too. It’ll be a general anaesthetic, day case, and it’s just a question of waiting now and getting some decent pain relief, as I’m struggling at the moment. Co-codamol don’t really help that much with the pain and make me feel very odd and woozy. Tramadol work really well for the pain but I have hardly any of those, so I have made an appointment to see the doctor next week to get some more.

Last night I was woken up about 2 am by the sound of the smoke alarm cheeping to tell me the battery was gone. Now, even fully awake and as alert as I ever am, I’m not good up ladders. Certainly not in the middle of the night. So I eventually shut the bedroom door and hoped for the best. Didn’t work. So I spent the whole night trying to not hear  it. When hubby got up, he took the battery out, so I thought Phew, now I can relax. Beep. Beep. Beep. I got up, stomped furiously about, took the batteries out of all the other smoke alarms, and could still hearing beeping. Turns out we have TWO smoke alarms at the top of the stairs. Grrrrr. Took that battery out, replaced the lot, and now we have a NEW PLAN for smoke alarms. The batteries are going to be changed every year, whatever, so I never have another night like that.

So when we got back from the hospital, we both had a nice cuppa (me – tea, him – coffee), a piece of lovely chocolate cake I’d made for his birthday, and I took some painkillers and Went To Bed. I slept for five hours, but am still woozy.  If I sleep better tonight (which I should!), all will be well tomorrow.

Am intending to have another go at a new (to me) knitting technique called Magic Loop. It means you can knit stuff in the round without having to use several double-pointed needles, which is difficult for me. I tried yesterday several times, and eventually managed to sort of make it work. I need to be fully rested, calm, and have daylight. So tomorrow it is.