I was up exceptionally early this morning for a doctor's appointment. Last night, I got little or no sleep according to my fitbit. Maybe 4 hours total and certainly not in a row, uninterrupted. Kind of anxious, you might say. I got up at 6:15, let the dog out, went to the bathroom, and went to make coffee. Set it up and went to turn on the shower (it takes a minute for the hot water to come upstairs). I let the dog back in and took my shower.
The coffeemaker didn't make coffee. the light was on, but no coffee was happening. No heat on the heating element. We just bought this freaking coffeemaker, so I was furious. Doug got up and tried to get it to work but it wasn't going to work for him if it didn't work for me.
Sometimes I would take that as a bad sign, but I couldn't let it derail me. We can get coffee on the go. Let's go. Time to go.
Today, I got a couple shots of Xiaflex into my right hand to curtail the advance of Dupuytren's contracture. I have it in both hands, but my right hand was advancing rapidly. I met with an orthopaedist in May to discuss options and we decided surgery was not an option just yet so we'd try the shots and in just my right hand.
The left hand is on notice.
The doctor told me when we met in May what to expect days of the procedures. I'd be able to work today (lies) and do most things (also lies). My hand is swollen all around, not just at the injection site. It is throbbing like a nightclub. Typing is super hard. My left hand is great but I am typing mostly with my pointer finger and pinkie on the right.
Here's the fun part about tomorrow. I get to go back and have, hopefully, the softened cord "snapped" and released. I'm already kind of freaked out about it. But it'll be okay. It'll be okay. It's good. It's good.
My dad should have had this done years ago. He's had this for a very long time. I remember seeing my mom button a shirt for him and thought it was sweet of her. She is usually not sweet enough to button someone's shirt without yelling "Goddamnit Bart!" I didn't realize at the time he could not.
When Linda and I were visiting there in August, my dad and I talked about it, and he didn't understand the "snapping" part. He thought he was going to have to have his fingers broken and reset. I explained it to him clearly, and he got it. He shrugged his shoulders. We compared our hands and he was happy I was getting it taken care of. He regrets not finding out more information and getting the shots. Now it is way too late for him. He only has use of his thumb and pointer finger on both hands. He can drive a car, hold a coffee cup or glass of beer with two hands. But he can't button things, cook, do most stuff you have to do in life.
Knowing that would be my future as well, I didn't want to get to that point.
Here's to years ahead of not having fucked up hands.
After the doctor, Doug decided to take the day off of work today, presuming I had as well. I did not plan on taking the day, because the doctor told me I could still work. But I was finding it nearly impossible to type and my hand was throbbing.
Tomorrow I think I can do things like meetings, and right now I am proving typing isn't nearly as horrible as it was at 10am. I bet I can get through my workday until 3 when we need to leave to go back for part two. He said we should go out to lunch, and I suggested Manor Hill tavern. Neither of us realized just how far away Ellicott City is sometimes, but we got there, had a lovely lunch time, and took a really nice walk. It was the perfect weather day. Absolutely perfect. So glad we went. My hand was throbbing, and I was walking with it curled up against my chest, below my chin, where it hurt the least. We got home and took giant naps. It felt good to get some rest.
Wish me luck for tomorrow... Part one was hard. Part 2 is at 4pm and I think it is not going to be fun either.
I took a picture of my hand with the hand poster in the office, posted it to Facebook and my sister augmented it, to hilarious results. I think so, at least. I guess my palm looks like it's a weird mouth. Hilarious.... digits below.
digits:
exercise: Dedicated 10+16, took a walk after lunch with Doug in Ellicott City. I really like it there. I could live there. Additional 8 in the house just to push over 30 minutes
blood glucose:
7am: 166
5pm - took a nap, missed the dinner reading
10:30pm: 150
food:
coffee, water
7:30am: 2 slices of 647 bread and peanut butter & sugar free jelly
12: metformin
2: 3 buffalo wings, celery, chicken sandwich (no bun, doug ate it for me), small side salad. 2 beers
7pm: 1/2 chicken breast done geoff mexican style (with cheese and bacon); metformin+jardiance. Vodka cranberry (low sugar)
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