Jewells of Thought

Thursday. Tendinitis. Nervousness. The March surgery, the initial one on my left arm this year really worked me over. There were two incidents one by complete accident and the other on purpose.

One Friday night I’m not sure it was even an entire month after surgery. I had my bandage taken off at that point, but I was not feeling like I was anywhere near officially over the effects of the surgery. However, I had my brace off and was getting into bed and simply forgot in that moment while seeing my hand without anything on it that anything had happened. I literally slammed my hand on the mattress without thinking about it… until the pain snaked through my arm.

The moment that searing pain rushed the length of my arm to my wrist was agony. Something that is still very much in my mind from months ago. The swelling in my hand wouldn’t stop and I ended up having to call the office on Monday morning. Especially when a beloved Great Aunt’s visitation and burial service was on Tuesday and Wednesday of that week. She had died a month earlier, but this was when all the family could get together, I was thankful because I really wanted to make it and I was healed enough to go.

Thankfully when I was able to get into the office that day I got to see a therapist, the doctor wouldn’t be in that day. They thought I would be okay with my brace since I was pretty determined to drive the next couple of days. She did say my arm was pretty well healed it was simply tendinitis and I needed to keep it up and ice it as much as I could when I wasn’t driving. I felt such relief after a weekend of intense pain, it had been Easter weekend and it was rough on me. I had decided I couldn’t sing a solo, but I did sing in the choir. With all of the pain it was a hard decision but necessary at that time.

These photos were from Easter weekend. This was as dressed up without makeup I could get for Easter morning since I didn’t have full function of my left hand for the swelling and pain. It took a while anyway for me to get back to adding makeup again.

My experience Tuesday driving down to Evansville was interesting to say the least. I really didn’t feel pain driving down there, but I was so happy I wasn’t doing it alone. It was supposed to be 4 of us, but my brother didn’t come. So it was me, my Mom and my Uncle Tony.

Remembering that trip makes me paranoid now. I am about the same distance away from surgery now that I was then. This past week reminded me how sensitive my arm still is at different times.

Driving was something I always waited to do after having surgery. This year changed that for me and not necessarily in a good way.

This is a 3 part article and tomorrow is the 2nd part.