One Handed Lesson's I 've Learn

I got surgery on my right hand on November 3rd and I am right handed, it has been tough. I started getting pain 7 years ago; right after I had Wyatt I got a virus that attacked my joints, I remember having a chunky 2 month old and not able to lift my shoulder then I couldn't bend my knees - weird.  We went to the doctors and they tested me for rheumatoid arthritis, gout, cancer - everything came back negative so they determined it was a virus that need to run its course. Well it did but my right hand got the worse of it, probably because I use it the most between scrap-booking and teaching.  At first it was just my middle finger (no it was not because I was using just that finger too much) then it seemed to spread to my thumb and pointer finger,too many shots later and I was in constant pain, hitting it caused tears to come to my eyes, it hurt so bad. After a visit to a hand specialist and blood work, x-rays, and bone scan, surgery was the only option. 

It was just an out patient procedure, they cleaned out the pointer and middle finger knuckles (yes I will need artificial knuckles we are hoping this will buy me some time) and they fused my thumb.  For two weeks I was in a cast from the tip of my fingers to my forearm, no use possible out of my right hand. The only picture I have was at the Goodman reunion (thanks Kelli).  It has been a tough few weeks this is what I learned...

The Goodman girl cousins  Kim, Kathryn,Dyan, Me, Karrie, Kelli, Jodi, Rita, Kristi

• I can be left handed if I have to be...
• I can put my make-up on left handed, might not look the best but hey it is better than no make-up.
• I can eat left handed it forces me to slow down which is good.
• I cannot butter toast one handed, the bread just does not stay put.
• I cannot slice apples or anything one handed.
• Loren and I went out to lunch about a week and a half after surgery and I ordered a chimichanga and they brought it out and I sat there looking at it, Loren asked what was wrong, did they mess up the order, I said no I just need you to cut it for me - so frustrating.
• I can clean the kitchen one handed, it takes twice as long but I wasn't working so that was ok.
• I cannot sweep one handed -  I tried.
• I can do laundry one handed and folding clothes takes forever and I can only hang clothes if they are laying on the bed first, but I am on pain meds and not working so I can do it.
• It is ok to ask for help, the ward called on the day of my surgery and set up meals for two plus weeks, I could not cook we would have to  have cereal every night, we ate better than when I am whole :)
• I have the best kids ever - actually I already knew this but they just shone through my recovery.  Since Loren has to work until 8 Taylor drove the kids where they needed to go and ran errands for me all I had to say is Taylor we need milk and she was on it. They did what ever I asked and there was no bickering.
• I have the best husband ever, so patient with my recovery and helping me out so much especially those first few days when just getting dressed was a challenge. 

Last week I got a mini cast, it call it my glove, all of my fingers are free just below the knuckles and it goes to the wrist, the thumb is what needed to be in a cast.  I did not anticipate how difficult this part of the recovery would be.  I start therapy to get my knuckles moving, I cannot make a fist or hold a pencil,  I can hold a marker so all thank you notes will look like a 2nd grader wrote them, but when I write with mt left hand it looks like a kindergartner wrote them, believe me I had to grade some test left handed, it wasn't pretty.  I still have 2 weeks left in my mini cast and who knows how long therapy will last, I hope it will all be worth it.