This
week I had post surgery follow up with Dr. Dunlop at Manukau Super Clinic,
he was pleased with how my hand was looking, in four weeks will be the next
follow up. I can take the cast off at home, move my fingers, no weight
on it though.
I also had the second post op appointment with the hand therapist at
Handworks. In the week between appointments, the amount I can bend my
fingers has improved 5-10 degrees, I have no lateral movement of my ring
finger, muscles and tendons that pull it to the ring finger are okay,
but because the other side is where it was cut open to operate, there is some damage in there - I think that will take the longest to recover, it is going to make typing difficult as my finger tips will be in the wrong place.
I was back in Middlemore Hospital early Wednesday morning (9 Oct 2013), mid afternoon I was in theatre, 4:30 pm out and in the ward. Ward 35, in the same room as two weeks ago, in the opposite corner, B, two weeks ago I was in corner D.
View out the window:
Middlemore Penthouse (Ward 35 north)
Pre-op, I finally I got to see my hand uncovered:
Post-op:
Same day as above, look awful don't I?
Thursday, ready to go home:
looking much better, even if the bone isn't perfectly orientated, it is much better than it was.
And another photo of the view from Ward 35 Penthouse:
Nice eh?
Good staff too. The physios remembered seeing me two weeks ago, not where or when though, I did, nice ladies, it was in the lounge watching Oracle beat us at the America's Cup.
Now a few days at parents, recuperating and studying.
Well...
Tomorrow I'm back at Middlemore Hospital to be re-operated on my hand.
Today I had my follow-up appointment, and the doctor agreed that the ring finger metacarpal is twisted, couldn't see anything on the x-ray, but looking on my hand it was obvious, so back to TADU I go.
I also need to find a 'reader/writer' to help with my Accounting Exam. This person cannot be a friend or family member or be a member of the accounting profession – and the reader/writer will need to email Programme Administrator to confirm that.
The exam is 7 hours 9 am to 4 pm (plus a bit of time on either side) if anyone knows anyone who might do that - doesn't actually need to write, but hold paper and go through me large volume of files finding useful notes. I will likely be boring for whoever does it (but I myself am never boring.)
Before I go to surgery in the morning, I'm going to tell a bit about how I have been coping.
As posted earlier, my flatmate Jouni has been great (Ladies, he is single! Has his own house (and mortgage), works hard, is intelligent, honest and reliable)
And me, Jouni has been all the dishes, was my driver a few times (he even washed my car! How amazing is that!) I have on the whole been able to look after my own food, (Jouni did open some tins for me. ACC sent board with raised side so I can butter bread). I'm able to shower. I even managed to hang laundry on the line (Jouni was impressed that I hung his out) (jeans wear to heavy to hold on the line with my arm, so just threw them over and pegged them in the middle.)
I did have an issue when I called Manukau Super Clinic last Friday, in that Middlemore had not sent my notes through, so they didn't know they had to call me.
I had another problem when I wanted to leave Manukau Super Clinic this morning, that the only places on coop Taxis account ACC gave me is home and work, should also have included medical establishments.
Everyone is impressed I'm handling it all so well - don't have choice, so may as well smile. I pray the surgeon tomorrow will fix the bone properly.
Thank God I'm in good health. Some of the grazes are now barely visible. Being so good does have its disadvantages; in my ambulance ride to the A&E two weeks ago, I was given some paracetamol. After I drank the little cup of water I balanced it on me knee, because the vehicle was moving it fell off, with my superb reactions I caught it with my right, and promptly regretted it, ouch, my right is also injured.
About 11pm Sunday the hand registrar at Middlemore saw me, he needed to talk to his superiors but expected the surgeon would operate to pin the bones and put a plate in my hand. I would have to be back at Middlemore Monday, 7:30 am at TADU (Theater And Discharge Unit), I could go home and wasn't allowed to eat after 2am, so my flatmate took me home and I had dinner 1 am Monday morning. My flatmate said, "some people go to extreme lengths to get some time off to watch the America's Cup." I still missed Tuesday's race as you'll see later!
The doctor did warn me that he couldn't guarantee I'd be operated on on Monday, children and open wounds take priority. 7:30 am my flatmate had me back at Middlemore. Whole day no food, only a sip of water at 8am for some Paracetamol. 3pm I was told they wouldn't get to me and I could go home and be back 7:30 Tuesday. I was given some sandwiches, an apple and very nice piece of cake. One of the nurses dropped me off home (I first had, "nurse took me home", but that has improper connotations).
Tuesday morning I was back at Middlemore TADU. While being prept for surgergy I missed the race, before I was put under I was told we lost again (now 8 all) 10 am I was operated on, 12:30 pm I was in the recovery room, I threw up, blood pressure was very low (higher number was only 99!), and they said I was given lots of Morphine and didn't want to let me go until they were sure they knew how to control my pain, (it was successful so far) so they checked me into ward 35 overnight.
Late Wednesday morning I went home, my friend Brendan picked me up.
