Ode to my right hand

I miss using my right hand.  You never realize how much you need/use something until it's gone, or in my case, out of commission for a little while.  I really miss typing with two hands; picking up my hair or putting it in a bun; writing (my left-handed signature on receipts looks like a kindergartner did it--it's kind of amusing); flute-playing; holding things like cups, bags, and food; opening and unlocking doors; text messaging.  Using my left hand to do things my right hand usually does has been weird--writing, using utensils, and unlocking my front door are the main ones.  (It's not easy to twirl pasta onto your fork with your left hand)!  It also takes me a lot longer to get dressed, put on make-up, and type.  However, I don't miss doing laundry (thanks, mom!), cooking, or loading the dishwasher.  I suppose I could do all that with one hand, but I've  allowed myself to take a break from those things for a while.  =)


As far as my injuries go, I'm doing better.  The bruises from my seat belt have almost cleared up, and my cuts are all pink and fading away.  The welt on my chest where my seat belt was is getting smaller.  My hand, while better, is still very swollen.  I still have no feeling in some of my fingers.  I am still in a wrist brace and I wear the arm sling occasionally.  I am able to move my fingers a little more, but I still cannot make a fist, grab anything, or fully extend my fingers.

The best part is that for the last week, I've finally been able to sleep!  (I was in agonizing pain the first few days, and I didn't sleep for 4 nights).  I finally started feeling like a normal person when I was able to sleep for a few hours at a time.  The first four days, I would nod off while sitting straight up for only a few minutes at a time.  Imagine that combination--no sleep and prescription pain killers; I was like a zombie.  The random things I said while slurring my speech were kind of funny, or so I was later told.

A combination of things helped make me better those first few days following the accident:  an ice pack from my in-laws, pain killers from my mom, a wrist brace from Steve, and an arm sling from Mark.  (Not to mention my wonderful husband who was there around the clock to help me out).  Can you believe the doctor let me walk out of the emergency room with NONE of the aforementioned items???  That's why I said Palmetto General is a really crappy hospital in my last blog.  UGH...what an unpleasant experience I endured there.  I'll leave that whine-fest for another blog, in order to avoid frustrating myself this late at night with the re-counting of that tale. 

I'm sure the next step will be physical therapy.  My general physician is going to refer me to a specialist, and I'm sure that is what he'll recommend.  I'm looking forward to starting that process and using my hand again.  I hope everything will heal back to normal--a hand injury is especially bad for a musician.  I remain optimistic.

It's funny that all of my injuries resulted from the life-saving devices in my car (air bag, seat belt).  My hand was hurt because I honked the horn before the impact...and then we crashed and the air bag went off with my hand right on it.  But, they are called 'life-saving' devices for a reason...I'm glad I was able to celebrate and enjoy Christmas with my family in one piece!

I'll keep you all posted as things progress.