Positively Scarred

I’m not starting off 2012 so well as far as this blog goes. My intention was to make a post right after New Years recapping last year. But since it’s almost the end of the month I’ll just skip that since a majority of last year has been written about it and there’s no sense repeating things I’ve said twenty times already. So, instead I’ll just make this a life update and fill in the dead space between my last update and now.

I had a surgery on January 10th. My tenth or eleventh (I’ve lost count) on my left hand. I had a nerve graft and a bone fusion done. I have two pins currently in my left thumb; they’re about two inches long. They don’t bother me much. The area where the nerves were placed (right side of my palm, near my ring finger) is a little sore. I was elated to find out this past Tuesday that it worked and I can actually FEEL. I have sensation on the right side of my palm for the first time in 9 months. Which, in itself, is worth the pain that I’m in. Also part of the pain parade is my right leg from my ankle to midway up my calf. This was the site where the nerves for my palm were taken. It hurt to walk on at first; if I put any pressure on my foot I was in an immeasurable amount of pain. I somehow was able to walk a bit the day after surgery, but spent most of the few days after in bed with my leg propped up on pillow and I only got up to go to the bathroom or to get food.

Now, two weeks later, the pain in my leg has lessened but I do have a great deal of pain in my heel when I do walk and it’s caused me to limp. I’m going to question my doctor about whether or not this is normal when I revisit him next Wednesday. I’m sure it’s fine since, obviously, I have less nerves in this area than before. But I find it strange that it’s my heel that’s in pain and not my calf or any of the area surrounding the incisions.

Moving forward, I went back to physical therapy this past Tuesday. It was just an initial consultation and my hand therapist made me a new splint. It protects my thumb and wraps around my wrist. Don’t tell my doctors, but I’m not wearing it right now, as it’s hard to type with it on. (Prior to this splint, I had another, flatter splint that prevented use of my left hand at all—which is also another reason for the lack of updates.)

That pretty much sums up the beginning of my 2012 thus far. In coming weeks, I’ll be posting about my bucket list, maybe some secrets, a continuation of the music meme I haven’t finished, and my love/hate relationship with the Hallmark holiday that is Valentine’s Day.

As usual, any questions/comments/whatever can be posted in the comments section or be sent directly to mah box where I keep such pieces of communication or at any of the other places I’ve listed.

Hope this first month has been kind to you.