Start form the beginning
Amber was taking care of me and we had to go buy supplies to change the bandages and get more drugs. So one afternoon we found ourselves at the pharmacy across town. I was looking at tape and bandage stuff, Amber was in another part of the store when I saw an acquaintance that went to our church for a year or so, a year or so ago. Not really one of my favorite people, he had said some stupid things to me in the past about how I worship, but I try to be cordial none-the-less. but after this conversation, I hope I never see him again. Forgive me for errors but this is the best I can remember from what I have blocked out. Feel free to laugh I think it is hysterical. "him" me
"Hey, Emily!"
Oh, hey, how are you
"We're doing great, I heard about you're accident what are they going to do about it"
Well right now I am sewn together hosting a skin graft and they've amputated the tip of my index finger.
"Are they going to grow it back?"
(WHAT I thought, are you kidding me. I stared with a look of shock and awe, accompanied by an if-you-are-not-serious-I-am-going-to-punch-you and if-you-are-I-am-going-to-commit-you look) slowly I said
They ... don't ... grow ... fingers ... back
"No, really I was online and saw where there was this guy and he had an accident and they found this, well they made this stuff, made from like a pigs bladder or somthin', a powder stuff and somehow it will make it grow back, like all he had to do was put this pigs bladder stuff on it and they didn't sew it up they just kept it open and he, well it was like this guy he knew that was doing the research and they went to cut it off and he told them 'no' and went to this guy he knew it was like his brother or uncle or somthin' and they did it with the pigs powder and it grew back it was like a little tougher and hairier but it grew back, his nail and everything"
(still in shock) wow... really.
"Yeah You should look it up it was really facinating, pigs bladder powder"
Well, give my love to your family, I really need to get going bye.
Are you totally rolling or what! I wanted to say dude Even if there was technology like that, do you really think they would be using it in TEMPLE TX!! and What part of "they amputated it" do you not understand! I wonder just what he thought this "information" would acheive. Was he trying to help? (still in awe and worried about his 4 children).
I met back up with Amber in a wide-eyed get-me-out-of-here-NOW kind of state and recounted the events trying to convince myself it was some kind of dream. to no avail.
WOW people are stupid.
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Saturday, July 19, 2008
Saturday, July 12, 2008
ER strikes again
Start at the beginning
We were met with the same hospitality as the first time. After waiting 15 minutes or so Dr Barry called us in. Yes, again, off with the tape! It had not been very long since the last time, so it was tender. We filled him in on all that had happened since that first surgery he assisted and I commented on what a long, hard ride it had been. He retorted in the typical ER fashion.
"No," he said, " that was your choice to make it hard it could have been very simple"
I think he was bitter because he was looking forward to cutting off my fingers and he didn't get to cut off my fingers in the first ER visit. He glued the end of the pin back on and began talking of not taping me back up. I was confused. No Tape?
"Then what are you going to do?"
"We will use an Ace and I want you to change the bandage every day?"
How in the world is this going to work? I thought to myself, and I don't want to change the bandage! I can only imagine what Tim was thinking - he would have to do the work.
Now, Dr Barry had obviously taken the 'How to Bandage Various Body Parts' elective in college I was amazed. Some how he took a giant Ace Bandage and got my hand and both boobs wrapped up and supported more securely than I had been the whole time and my elbow and pit were FREE. What's more he taught Tim how to do it in the process. I didn't even need the belt to support my elbow. Now I was really sporting the Napoleon look, but I was so much more comfortable.
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We were met with the same hospitality as the first time. After waiting 15 minutes or so Dr Barry called us in. Yes, again, off with the tape! It had not been very long since the last time, so it was tender. We filled him in on all that had happened since that first surgery he assisted and I commented on what a long, hard ride it had been. He retorted in the typical ER fashion.
"No," he said, " that was your choice to make it hard it could have been very simple"
I think he was bitter because he was looking forward to cutting off my fingers and he didn't get to cut off my fingers in the first ER visit. He glued the end of the pin back on and began talking of not taping me back up. I was confused. No Tape?
"Then what are you going to do?"
"We will use an Ace and I want you to change the bandage every day?"
How in the world is this going to work? I thought to myself, and I don't want to change the bandage! I can only imagine what Tim was thinking - he would have to do the work.
Now, Dr Barry had obviously taken the 'How to Bandage Various Body Parts' elective in college I was amazed. Some how he took a giant Ace Bandage and got my hand and both boobs wrapped up and supported more securely than I had been the whole time and my elbow and pit were FREE. What's more he taught Tim how to do it in the process. I didn't even need the belt to support my elbow. Now I was really sporting the Napoleon look, but I was so much more comfortable.
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Friday, July 04, 2008
The art of a bandage
Start at the Begining
I don't think they train Dr's how to bandage things after they work on them.
My Dr decided I was not ready to be cut apart yet. He cut about one third apart and taped me back up again. Yipee. In the bandage department my Doctor certainly seemed a bit inept; not to say incapable, I was certainly sterile but It was an adventure. I didn't feel very secure in the first bandage. the second was worse. I suppose you can get things a little tighter and secure if you are not looking your patient in the face or listening to her bark at you.
We all did our best but I was really wiggly in there. A couple of day's later I was sitting on the couch wiggling and... whoops, wait a minute, did I? "Oh Crap. Tim, the end of the pin in my finger just fell off."
The pin looked a lot like a thumb tack. We have all had a time when we went to pull a thumb tack out of the wall and the plastic part came but the pin stayed - Well, that is what happened. I could feel the plastic part rolling around in the spaces of the bandage and began to get really concerned about the metal end scratching me. Great, what next. We called the plastic surgery resident on-call and it was one of the surgeons I had seen before. I explained the situation and he tried to convince me I didn't need to do anything about it, until I told him I was afraid I would impale myself with the pin. So we agreed to meet at the ER.
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I don't think they train Dr's how to bandage things after they work on them.
My Dr decided I was not ready to be cut apart yet. He cut about one third apart and taped me back up again. Yipee. In the bandage department my Doctor certainly seemed a bit inept; not to say incapable, I was certainly sterile but It was an adventure. I didn't feel very secure in the first bandage. the second was worse. I suppose you can get things a little tighter and secure if you are not looking your patient in the face or listening to her bark at you.
We all did our best but I was really wiggly in there. A couple of day's later I was sitting on the couch wiggling and... whoops, wait a minute, did I? "Oh Crap. Tim, the end of the pin in my finger just fell off."
The pin looked a lot like a thumb tack. We have all had a time when we went to pull a thumb tack out of the wall and the plastic part came but the pin stayed - Well, that is what happened. I could feel the plastic part rolling around in the spaces of the bandage and began to get really concerned about the metal end scratching me. Great, what next. We called the plastic surgery resident on-call and it was one of the surgeons I had seen before. I explained the situation and he tried to convince me I didn't need to do anything about it, until I told him I was afraid I would impale myself with the pin. So we agreed to meet at the ER.
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the body / finger conection
Start at the begining
About a day after surgery I started tying up my elbow with a belt. It worked pretty well as a makeshift sling, I could do that even though my arm was encased in tape. So, all in all, the worst part was sleeping. Anyone in my family will tell you I am an active sleeper. My sisters used to fight over who had to sleep with me on vacations. We propped up pillows and did our best. I still feel sorry for Tim, as heavy a sleeper as I am, he can't hardly make himself sleep, especially if he thinks I might need something. He was up with my every move.
Tim was terrified I would fall and didn't want me alone if possible. So as he began to go back to work we got me a sitter for most of the first 2 weeks. Mom came and brought puzzles from Grand mother (thanks for thinking). Amber came for a few days, with a list of things you can do with one hand:
crafts
Experiment with makeup
coloring
go to Barnes and Noble
Make up songs
Play speed - but I can only use one hand too
Make up an answering machine message
starring contest
basket ball with the trash can
Bottle cap hockey
make dialog to tv
jenga !
ad lib
balance pillow/head or pencil/nose
WOW who'd have thought. (Yes, I kept the paper.) One of the highlights of her visit was throwing popcorn into each others mouths on the couch. It really was histerical, I found kernels for weeks, and of course friends came too.
We had a check up at about 1 week after surgery to decide how soon or how much I could be cut apart. Off came the tape. I was really glad I am not a man. It really is amazing how red one can get, I can't imagine pulling hair out along with it.
More
About a day after surgery I started tying up my elbow with a belt. It worked pretty well as a makeshift sling, I could do that even though my arm was encased in tape. So, all in all, the worst part was sleeping. Anyone in my family will tell you I am an active sleeper. My sisters used to fight over who had to sleep with me on vacations. We propped up pillows and did our best. I still feel sorry for Tim, as heavy a sleeper as I am, he can't hardly make himself sleep, especially if he thinks I might need something. He was up with my every move.
Tim was terrified I would fall and didn't want me alone if possible. So as he began to go back to work we got me a sitter for most of the first 2 weeks. Mom came and brought puzzles from Grand mother (thanks for thinking). Amber came for a few days, with a list of things you can do with one hand:
crafts
Experiment with makeup
coloring
go to Barnes and Noble
Make up songs
Play speed - but I can only use one hand too
Make up an answering machine message
starring contest
basket ball with the trash can
Bottle cap hockey
make dialog to tv
jenga !
ad lib
balance pillow/head or pencil/nose
WOW who'd have thought. (Yes, I kept the paper.) One of the highlights of her visit was throwing popcorn into each others mouths on the couch. It really was histerical, I found kernels for weeks, and of course friends came too.
We had a check up at about 1 week after surgery to decide how soon or how much I could be cut apart. Off came the tape. I was really glad I am not a man. It really is amazing how red one can get, I can't imagine pulling hair out along with it.
More
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