Jewells of Thought

One never knows how a surgery will affect their abilities until they go through the process. Sometimes a 2nd time still surprises you on what will actually happen. I thought for sure the night before surgery I would feel like typing the next evening. Not with both hands obviously, but my first hand surgery was much different from the second. Things did not go exactly as smoothly as the time before. Now the surgery part was good it was the waiting and what happened in order to get there and after the surgery that was most different.

My first carpal tunnel on my left hand was fairly straightforward. Dad drove me up to Indy and it was early in the morning. I liked it being early, but I do remember having to be up at 5 am. We were in and out in less than 2 hours. This second time with my right hand, we left extra early and did not leave much before 5 pm that night making our stay nearly 3 hours. My youngest brother drove my vehicle and went a much different route to the center. So I made the comment, when my blood pressure was first taken, alluding that that was why it was higher. Due to my double-trouble I was waived from being weighed; no one wanted to deal with my boot. It was the second time that week, if felt like being given the royal treatment not having to deal with scales.

Normally scheduling a surgery during the Christmas Season would be a bad idea. However, that was before the seriousness of my foot injury became crystal clear. Funny how plans disintegrate. I didn’t just throw this plan together; I prayed over which path I should take. I knew I needed to make a decision and stick to it; but most of all I needed to work and save up some money before surgery.

Looking back is still difficult. Other than quitting work when I first felt the pain in my foot; it would have changed that year dramatically. Rehashing my decisions from earlier though, only brings frustration.

My first surgery was done in the middle of the summer. So when I walked through the door to the operating room it was cooold! I love my doctor, when she came in she wrote on my hand in purple like before, but then had to leave. She had to warm up in the office while my hand was numbing up. Fortunately for me the nurses gave me 2 warm blankets. The conversation during the fifteen minutes or less helps to distract the mind. Especially when the nurse began asking me about a restaurant, McKinley’s south of where I live. She asked me if I had been there and what my favorite food they served was. Of course, I answered the ham balls.

When my left hand was operated on the pain was already intense before I got the pain pills. I was worried the pharmacy would close before we could get there this time, but was happy to get the pills before the pain started.

Do you have any memorable surgeries or procedures? What I am truly grateful for is that my doctor was able to perform both surgeries. I feel like both of my hands have been in good hands with her surgical expertise.

Another difference I was a little skeptical about was when to take my bandage off. I was to wait for five days while this time it was only two days after surgery. I wasn’t sure about it so I waited half the day before I took it off. Like before even though it was my second time I still got queasy seeing it the first time. I thought I might do better this time but didn’t. I had to gently wash the caked blood off and get a bandage on asap. For some reason it seemed wrong to take that comforting bandage off too soon. I liked having that buffer between me or others and the surgery site.

For some reason I just had to have some of the worst cases the doctors have seen. Even the doctor who performed my nerve conduction test in August said this second hand was weak and acted like I had had it for lots of years. This pain had only started after my left hand had been done a year and a half earlier.

The real work began once the stitches were cut out and therapy started. I wrote this January 6th 2020, nearly 3 weeks after my second carpal tunnel release.

Performing Special Music for Church hasn’t been the same for me since. Especially since last summer’s surgery. My therapy worked well after my initial wrist/arm procedure. The one to remove the hardware has been harder to come back from. I tire more easily at the piano. I am trying to little by little build up to performing again whether to play the piano or the clarinet along with singing. I don’t like that it has taken me longer this time around. God and pure determination will persevere!