A Flyover Blog

Friday's Therapy

So, Friday I returned to therapy looking a lot like the pup in this picture. Hey, I hadn't slept in 3 days. Before my session began, I glanced around the lobby hoping I'd find a bar. Alas, they don't have one. Darn.

I had a frank discussion with my young blonde, terminally perky therapist and suggested she concentrate on making the hand better - NOT worse. She agreed. I sat in the corn cob blow dryer for 20 minutes (I know it must have an important sounding clinical name, but I haven't seen one yet.) Then she massaged my fingers which had become mostly stiff. She forced one of them well past it's limit, smiled at me and said, "Can I try that again?"

"Sure," I said with all the Christian love I could muster. "Right after you pick yourself up off the floor." End of massage. Instead she wheeled a little black machine out with long black cables and rubber pads. Kinda creepy, like a prop from Young Frankenstein.

"I thought we'd try Anodyne Therapy today," she said. Of course, I asked her about it. Basically, it's infrared light therapy which, in theory, will help heal the damaged nerves. She wrapped my hand and arm in plastic wrap, then placed the rubber pads on top of that.

"Wait," I said. "Is this safe?"

"Of course," she said, then frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, if a squirrel crosses a power line 2 blocks from here and gets electrocuted, will it trigger a power surge that will travel into this building, through this machine, down these black wires and kill me?"

She looked at me and blinked. "Nobody's ever asked that... In fact, I don't think anyone's even thought of it."

"Yeah well, I've been in Worst Case Scenario mode since these IV's infiltrated." I think I made my point. She assured me the machine was safe, but a few minutes later I caught her glancing out the window at the power lines. My next session is Tuesday. Stay tuned...

Looking For A Role Model?

"I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive."

-Gilda Radner

Danielle's picture above is courtesy of the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife.

Red Friday - September 28

I love this photo from Rueters, and it's National Dog Week, so this pic was a natural. Wear something red today... hug your dog... then say a prayer for our Service Men and Women.

Gonna Try To Sleep Tonight

My first physical therapy session was Tuesday. My perky therapist stuck my arm in a machine that looks a lot like an ancient wringer washing machine, but acts like a hot-air corn popper. It blew warm air and ground corn cob over my hand in an attempt to reprogram the nerves. Kinda boring but she thought I did really well. (I don't know how you can screw up sitting in a chair reading a book with your hand in a machine, but I guess it's been done.)

Next, she massaged my hand and stretched the tendons in my fingers. Then she ran some sort of metal thingy (it looked like a large bottle opener) all over my hand and wrist. She said it would feel much better the next day. Wrong. It swelled up and hurt like a big dog, kept me up Tuesday night and Wednesday it got worse. Last night I caught about 4 hours of sleep. This morning, I phoned her to report what had happened. Not the outcome she was hoping for.  So tomorrow, we'll start over... without the metal bottle opener thingy.

What is the lesson here, campers? NEVER let someone put an IV in your hand! I may start a national campaign. But first, I'm going to try to get some sleep. Wish me luck.

I Know It's Not Saturday...

"No one ever said, Happiness is a warm squirrel."

- John Ritter, narrating the short film Dogs: The Early Years

Saturday is when I usually post a favorite quote, but I heard this one today and I loved it... and it's National Dog Week... and it's my blog, so I'll post a quote on Wednesday if I want to. 

Need A Laugh?

I just returned from a very loooong day in Springfield that included - among other things - my first physical therapy session. It wasn't fun. More like annoying, painful and nerve racking. Now I know why there's a sign on the facility's door that reads - "no weapons, concealed or otherwise permitted inside."

My hand is screaming and Mitch is holed up with Halo 3; I probably won't see him for days. So, I decided to check my email before I crash for the night. Low and behold I found a newsletter from White Trash Mom. In it, she shares a Halloween craft that made me laugh out loud (which is a huge accomplishment after the day I just had.) It really defies explanation; just click on the link to see for yourself. (Gotta see the bat, too.) Michelle, you're twisted and I love ya - thanks for the laugh!

National Dog Week

You probably already know this, but this is National Dog Week! The 2 little canines that share rule our house thought you'd enjoy this little YouTube video. They're big Randy Newman fans. Seriously.

Goin' To Therapy

No, I don't mean a shrink. (I know that's the first thing that popped into your mind.) I mean Physical Therapy. I guess the correct term is OT (O for Occupational) not that there's much difference. I'm not happy about it and, frankly, I've been trying to "find my happy place" all weekend. It's been tough. Lost? I'll start at the beginning.

Back in March I had a hysterectomy. One of those sudden things you really don't have much time to prepare for. When initial tests turned up some ominous findings, I went in for Same Day Surgery, 6 days before the big one, to see what was going on. Good news: They did find very early ovarian cancer but they removed everything in question and I'm fine. Peachy on that front. Bad news: Following the Same Day surgical proceedure, a nurse removed my 2 IV's incorrectly, allowing them to infiltrate (leak) into my hand and wrist. Another nurse arrived to help and made the situation worse - she forced the leaking fluid into my hand instead of removing it with a needle and countering it with a neutralizing agent. I've been told that IV infiltration is very rare, and usually isn't a problem if the IV fluid is saline. This was not. It contained morphine, anti-nausea meds, antibiotic, and I don't know what else. These drugs are highly alkaline and chemically burned the soft tissue inside my hand & wrist - nerves, tendons, muscles, everything - resulting in permanent damage.

If you've been reading my blog, you know I've already had one lousy pill-pushing neurologist. I went back to my gyn for a check up 2 weeks ago. She was livid when she found out the second neurologist she sent me to refused to see me because he didn't want to step on the first guy's toes. (They share an office. Memo to Doc #2: Grow a set.) Long story short, my gyn lined me up with yet ANOTHER neurologist - (a female Chinese doctor who works with a different hospital. I'll meet in her in 2 weeks.) And she sent me to therapy. 

I went last Thursday for evaluation. My hand has decent mobility because I've been typing regularly - remember, I write for a living. But strength is only 20-25%. My grip is gone. And I have very little feeling left in this hand; my ability to feel hot and cold is absent on top and greatly diminished on my palm. On top of that, it is still numb all the time, gets excruciating cramps when I use it, and hurts like a toothache. All. The. Time.

I will be going to therapy 2 days a week beginning Tuesday, but we may have to increase it to 3 times weekly. I will push this hand as much as I can - heck, I've been doing that on my own all these months WITHOUT a therapist. The challenge will be to find balance: how much can I work it before it bothers me to the point where I can't sleep? I don't have "normal" pain with this injury. Painkillers don't phase neuropathic pain. I just put heat on it and keep it still until it calms down, which usually takes hours.

I like my new therapist very much, (although I'm sure I have shoes older than she is.) She got into the field when her own mother had a brain aneurism and required extensive rehab. I asked her how long it would take my hand to return to "normal." She didn't tell me that "normal" was unachievable in so many words; instead she said we'd work on getting it to improve 3 or 4 "levels" and that would take "a long time." The IV infiltration was stupid negligence plain and simple and I'm really struggling with that.  I deal with the consequences of it every day, 24/7, and it looks like it's going to be long term (as if 6 months isn't long enough!)

Sorry this isn't my usual perky post; I needed to vent a bit before I jump into a new week, and a new schedule - one that requires lots of travel time for therapy appointments. I'll keep you posted...

Happy Sunday

I hope you enjoy today's clip. Happy Sunday!

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Click the link above to view the You Tube video. I've received many reports that this blog is loading s-l-o-w-l-y since I began adding clips, so I'm replacing many of them (in my archived posts) with links to the originals instead.

Welcome, Autumn!

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."

-Albert Camus

Autumn begins bright and early tomorrow morning!