My Left Thumb

This morning I had surgery on my left thumb. A couple of posts ago I wrote that I had been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands. After immobilizing my wrists and resting my hands the carpal tunnel syndrome has subsided. I can tell something is wrong with my right hand, but I can freely use it. My left hand, however, has been a different story. I was sent to a hand specialist (read: surgeon) and was told I had tenovaginitis stenosans of the thumb. Okay. This was last Thursday. Today is Wednesday and I've already had the surgery.

This is my thumb and our hydrangea - isn't it pretty? (The hydrangea, not my thumb.)

It was a wild few days between that last appointment and the surgery. I was sent home with four pages to read and sign that I understood and agreed to the terms of surgery, potential complications, options, etc. All in German. Sigh. I pulled out the old woerterbuch (that's 'dictionary' auf Deutsch) and got busy. 

In the meantime, Douglas and I went on a road trip along the Romantic Road to Wuerzburg. There was a Mozart festival going on so we heard some music in the street. Not accordion players, rather chamber orchestras. We enjoyed the city then took a meandering route home while visiting museums and ancient Roman ruins. We were walking near some dense looking woods and heard cuckoos. Cuckoos! I haven't been so excited since I heard a wolf howl in Duluth.

Today I was Douglas's excuse to take most of the day off. He drove me to the appointment and has sat with me to be sure I didn't start bleeding uncontrollably. I have not.

The surgery was brief. It lasted about 20 minutes. After three excruciatingly painful injections (each lasting roughly 30 seconds) into my thumb (to kill the pain of surgery, ironically enough) I settled back and listened to my tendons being pulled and snipped. Visions of vultures feeding on roadkill came to mind. Nice. I also recalled having my head stitched after being mugged years ago. I had a gash behind my right ear and I could hear them stitch it! I'll tell you, you just haven't lived yet.

Many of you probably already know this, but doctor's code word for pain is "pressure". During one of the three injections (I'm not sure why he chose this particular injection to interject this comment as it would have fit in anywhere) he said "You'll feel some pressure now." And the pain rose from a level seven to eight and a half (on a scale from one to ten - one being a mild pinch and ten being your arm caught in a wood chipper). Pressure, he says. Huh, I say. No, I think what I actually said was "Aaaaaahhhh!"

Well, as you see, so far I am fine. I am back to writing and working on my novel which I still have high hopes of completing before leaving Munich.