Stitches Out

-
Yesterday, I got my stitches out and the doctor said that my injury looks good. Excellent healing, no sign of infection, etc.

At this point, I no longer need a bandage and I can shower like normal. It's pretty weird taking my brace on and off because my hand seems more like a pile of playdough than part of my body. It just doesn't work, so it feels foreign. Like it doesn't belong to me.

Other than that, I'm mostly doing fine. I'm just getting used to the frustrations of one-handed life, like eating a salad with my left hand. That is the worst. I was always a bit awkward when I used my dominant hand to eat a salad. Now I'm a wreck.

That said, my doctor said that I am handling this with more serenity and acceptance than he's ever seen in any patient before.  In fact, he even checked to be sure I understood the severity and probable outcomes of the injury because of my good attitude. I explained that I've read a ton about my condition and that I am trying to stay positive and stress-free because it is important for getting better.

So, here I am trying to stay positive. I've got my stitches out and I'm healing well, so I am happy. I am taking this day-by-day, focusing on my physical therapy, and looking forward to having a functioning hand again after a probable tendon transfer surgery.

Life is still good.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Turbo Arm

-
Image
Hello everyone! Meet Turbo Arm! About a month ago my physical therapist made me this crazy custom brace, which I have taken to calling my turbo arm or bionic arm. The brace basically functions to pull the joint at the base of my finger up so I can extend my fingers and have more functionality. At first, I was hesitant to get the brace because it is rather giant and cost $300, but my physical therapist was insistent. I'm glad he was because I actually think the brace is awesome. I wear it between 2 and 4 hours a day (mostly at home or when I'm hidden away in my office) and it does help my hand function more like normal. Also, my physical therapist was telling me last Thursday that using the brace allows me to use my hand and fingers like I used to, which also prevents my brain from entirely remapping the use of my hand. Sounds kind of weird, but the nerve regrows so slowly that the brain can kind of forget how to use the hand like it did before. The brace will ho
Read more

Typing Training Continues

-
Image
Hi All, It's been quite a while since I've posting, but I wanted to log on and share that my typing has continued to get better and better and I am now up to 94 word per minutes (unfortunately not perfectly accurate, but oh well). When I shared my score last year, I was in the 60's but my form was still a bit awkward. Well, not so much any more! My form is becoming more and more like it used to be and I am getting close to being just as comfortable typing as I used to be.  Joy! I'll post another update soon about how everything else is going, but for now, I'll just say that things are going well!
Read more