Those are the actual hypodermic needles at the hand doctor's office today. One was novocaine aand the other was cortisone. The good news was that he did it somehow with only one needle. I didn't watch so I don't know how that works. But it hurt like fu[g?]! And it hurts right now. There was a groovy space where I was sitting in a bar drinking beer afterwards and the novocaine was all going on, but that passes as everyone knows that has slobbered and bitten their tongue after going to the dentist. On the bad news side, it is not fixable really. He diagnosed me with osteoarthritis. My Granny had that and her hands got really bad, but she lived to the age of 82 and I don't plan to get near that.
Above is a close-up of the 1 1/2 inch needle from Hell. I guess some good news is I won't need surgery until way down the road when my thumb becomes gnarly and deformed, if I live that long. It's a pity, all this, because I use my thumb quite often and I rather liked it fine until the last 4 or 5 months. Now, not so much. The good news is I now have a somewhat logical excuse to drink beer all the time (since a lot of people don't understand anxiety). I can say, "Hey! My thumb! It is not good! I'll have another beer! Please place it near my left hand in case I forget." I liked Dr. Hand Doctor even though I didn't know who he was until he left. The business card my regular doctor had given me had 4 names on it. Before I left I asked the nurse to circle his name on the card for me. He was the third one down. During the shot process which seemed to take 18 hours, I was "counting" and alphabeting" out loud to distract myself and it went something like this: 6, 12, 14, 7, 127, 91, d,e,b,z,y,x,52,71. Dr. Hand Doctor said, "127? Do you know any good jokes?" I said, "I know a million good jokes, but I just can't tell one right now, 37, 14, 8, 2, 17." If he thought I was weird he can just take a number and join everybody else.~
When I was in the waiting room my phone rang, but it is a new phone and my brain still has not filed the ring, so I looked at that lady sitting closest to me like, "Why aren't you answering your phone?" Then I realized SHE was looking at ME like "Why aren't you answering your phone?" Sure enough, I glanced in my purse and it was my phone ringing. I think I should call myself from the home phone tomorrow a few times and try to memorize the ring. I tried to download a BEP song a few weeks ago, but it went to my husband's phone because that's how I roll.
I wish they had let me pick a color for my new hand thing. I would not have picked "Sallow Yellow." That little band-aid strip part? That's where the metal strip is. I'm looking forward to wearing it through airport security.
17 comments:
Omigosh!!! I just realized, that's your spacebar thumb! How did you type this post???
We have an orthopedic surgeon in Vancouver who specializes in hand surgery. His name is Dr. Groper.
True story.
Omigosh!!! I just realized, that's your spacebar thumb! How did you type this post???
We have an orthopedic surgeon in Vancouver who specializes in hand surgery. His name is Dr. Groper.
True story.
I don't know why that published twice. Just lucky, I guess... *sigh*
You're some kind of an artist, right? Decorate the hand thing! It's yours, after all.
Ouchy! Well, it least we'll know it's you coming through the detector! BEEEEEEEP!
Josie,
~~I am a two-fingered typer. I use my two index fingers. I even push the space bar with my finger. Well I do NOW, anyway.
Ticknart,
~~I'm ahead of you. Last night after I posted I put a clear little cat sticker in the middle of that strip.
Tai,
~~Yes it is all rather ouchy indeed!
Let's see, we could call it:
Mellow Yellow
Aussie Sand
Tallahassee Tan
Balmy Buff
Lemon Pudding
or
Weak Pee
Seriously, though, I know how much osteoarthritis hurts - have it in my spine. And that's a whole lot longer bone than in your thumb. Did your doctor prescribe any anti-inflammatory meds?
Leslie,
~~I already had a prescription for Etodolac, so he didn't need to give me a prescription. He just suggested I take it twice a day (which it calls for) instead of one a day.
Those are mean looking mother needles. How tough for you. You have my sympathy and may you be back in fine fettle soon. Osteoarthritis is a bitch.
Ouch! I saw a little bit of Ellen today on TV (where else would I see her? oh well... I guess that is how people talk...) and she had Jackie Chan on with her. Now, I am so out of it and have been for the last 25 years I don't have a clue who Jackie Chan is or what he does or anything. But I figured out pretty quick he is some sort of stunt guy. He was talking about all the bones he has broken, etc.
Anyway, Ellen asked him if there was ANYTHING he was afraid of and he said only one thing: needles. He said he had to go to the hospital once for something minor and a lot of his fans were around and he had to get a shot. I guess he did not act, look or sound very macho..!!
Oh, don't you hate it when the nurse says "Okay now, you will feel a little pinch...." and then you feel something that feels a lot more than a pinch....!
My favorite line of your entire post, "Please place it near my left hand in case I forget." It totally made me laugh! My second favorite was, "If he thought I was weird he can just take a number and join everybody else."
You know you're gonna live past 82, by the way. You're too funny to die sooner than that. :)
Ian,
~~Thanks, I'm not enjoying all this and that shot was horrible. At least I know what I'm dealing with now, though.
Russell,
~~Rent Rush Hour. It's a really fun Jackie Chan movie. He's not a stunt man. He's a Producer/Writer/Director and Actor who likes to do his own stunts and they are INSANE! He's HUGE in Hong Kong and pretty popular and famous here too. He puts a lot of comedy in his films along with the action. Rush Hour is a fun movie.
This shot was so serious the actual doctor did it and he was honest enough to tell me it was going to really hurt. And he was right.
Jeanette,
~~I'm glad I made you laugh. :) Please do not curse me with living to 82, it's so not on my lifelong to-do list!
That needsle had to Hurt Like Hell! How often do they have to give you novacaine? And did they not give you the other one for s reasaon I missed?? Sorry. LOL! I huess I am tired.
When I was nine years old and in the hospital...The doctors had to find this...UGH--Puss Pocket---and back then the only way to find it was to take these 10 inch needles and aspirate my back...TILL the found a little bit of it and then the moment they did...They sent me up to the operating room....!
So, I understand about how painful needles can be....It makes getting novicaine at the dentist ALMOST like a walk in the park...!
I hope you don't have to have these shots too often, my dear....!
You could call that brace--I am assuming that is what it is, Boring Beige...! Not completely accurate.....lol! I'm glad they don;t have to operate at this point in time.
Naomi,
~~I got two shots. One of novocaine and one of cortisone, but they used the same needle. It felt like I was having surgery! I don't think I'll get any more shots. And novocaine at the dentist is HORRIBLE! Your 10" needle story is really bad, especially for a 9 year old to handle. Poor thing. Get some rest!
Surgery might have been easier than those shots! Eeeks! So they only used one needle for both...interesting. I thought novacaine took a little while to kick in. When my hubby had to get stitches when he mangled his thumb, they novacained it up, waited a bit, stuck him with a needle and asked if he could feel it, then stitched him up. But then maybe the novacaine in your shot was for after the shots when you went home? So how long will you need to keep the hand thingy on and how often are you suppose to wear it during the day?
Carole,
~~They didn't say how long or when to wear it, but I keep it on as much as possible and sleep with it on.
Ouch that has got to hurt. With your new splint, you'll set off every alarm in the security area. I wonder what Homeland security (that name sounds so menacing) will do with you? If you're lucky they'll exile you to Canada. ;o)
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