The Week (or so) After

Wow. This past week seemed like a month.

It couldn't have helped that I was on hydrocodone & tylenol while still dealing with head area pain that may mean a trip to the dentist is overdue. Oddly enough I never felt "high", I just knew I wasn't at 100%. The volume of travel also surely contributed.

We got home from MDA last Wednesday and on Saturday drove up to DFW to see an Aussie friend I hadn't seen in ten years as well as go to a Dallas Stars hockey game together (thanks Andrew!). That was after we grabbed some texan steak and toured Daley Plaza to see the grassy knoll. It was an awesome time but I wound up developing a 101F fever that night that prompted a call to MDA. Thankfully it seemed unrelated to my hand and after a restless night, it dissipated later on Sunday morning. I took it pretty easy as a precaution and though we went out for BBQ (thanks Mom & Dad!), upon getting home I was back on the floor resting. After that it was time to return our friend to DFW and then drive back to Austin ourselves. For those not familiar, both MDA in Houston and the DFW airport are about 3.5 hours straight driving one way and that is all on Brea at the moment. I've felt somewhat out of it but it's probably just this temporarily diminished capacity in comparison to what I'd normally be doing.

Before I forget, upon arriving home for the first time after the surgery, we were surprised by something my sister had organized. A bunch of people had submitted encouragement notes which she wrote down and rolled up on strips of paper which were put in a bunch of balloons. Those balloons were then put on our bed for discovery. I still haven't read them all but I did have some fun popping them. Thank goodness no one called the cops, I think I'd left the window open... :D

It has been a story of stints of doing what I can, resting, and figuring out what I can't do at the moment. For example, it is possible to clip your right hand's nails without using your left hand. It isn't possible (not easy at least, within a few minutes) to zip up a certain sweater/jacket.
It is possible to shower your good side's underarm without using the opposite arm or some bathing apparatus. It is not currently possible to make a fist. Good thing I haven't had the need to punch anyone with my left hand. :)

I was off pain meds on this past Wednesday but went back on lightly after getting my stitches out. Oh yeah, my stitches were taken out Wednesday. A funny story goes with that too. We were on our way to MDA for the first post-op checkup that aforementioned day when the need arose to make a pit stop. We pulled into a KFC and Brea ran in to use the facilities. I went in and ordered some snackers, was joined by Brea, and we got our food after a couple minutes. We picked up our bags as we needed to eat on the go to stay on schedule for our 2pm appointment. Brea then turned to me and asked if I had the keys. I did not. I wasn't sure why she was asking me. After patting myself down to make sure she hadn't snuck them in my pockets somehow, it was sinking in. She checked where she'd been and her own pockets to no avail. The keys were in the car, the car was shut tight. I quickly found a locksmith with my phone and it was looking like it would be quick and easy-ish. About 10 minutes after calling, during a call to MDA to inform them we might be a little late, I got a call back saying the locksmith had a family emergency and wouldn't be able to make it. That set off a new round of searching that wound upsetting us back another hour or so before AAA bailed us out. So with an hour to go, we got back into the car at 2:30p. Thankfully MDA was very understanding and still let us come in at 3:30p.
*Ba-dum, pshhhh*
Hilarious right? :D

Anyhow, we got seen immediately on arrival and I saw another of Dr Lewis' assistants. He confirmed I could get the stitches out and proceeded to get my current bandages unwrapped. That was the first I'd really looked at my hand post-op and the back of the hand looked pretty gnarly. Thank goodness chicks dig scars! Actually, if my finger was any indication, the scar should heal pretty well. A scar actually won't bother me, especially in comparison to, I don't know, a missing finger. :D

The stitch removal from the back of my hand went quickly and easily with minor discomfort. The palm side, while only a quarter as long, was a different story. It was painful to the touch, and there were threads being pulled through. It hurt.

Laughing releases endorphins, so I did that. However, I went back on a light dose of the heavy meds right after. It still throbs a little as I type this. They wrapped the hand with gauze that is to stay on for 3 days before I can take it off.

The drive home was uneventful (yay!), and mad props go to Brea for doing an amazing amount of driving. You have to love her. I do. :)

Of course as soon as we got home it was time to re-start preparations for Thanksgiving company. We wound up with 14 for dinner yesterday including both a South Korean and a Chinese student who were experiencing their first American Thanksgiving in an American home. It was a great time and we got to meet our newest nephew too, a cute little booger named Tristen. Not only that, we also rolled in setting up the Christmas tree. Good times with much to be grateful for. :)