So it had been more than one week since I smashed my finger up. It turns out I do not have a fracture, just arthritis on my x-ray. But I still have a smashed finger. I am in the splint until Monday when I get my stitches out. I am now allowed to get it wet so I took off my splint and took a nice bath yesterday. Out of the splint though I developed a new appreciation about how messed up my finger truly is. I realized how swollen it still is, how tender and, most concerningly, how numb. It is also pretty stiff. I am not able to work and not sure when I can go back. Here is an attempt to get a picture of the less gory side of my finger compared to my non-smashed one.
It is hard even to take photos with a smashed finger. I am learning just how important this finger is. I can’t knit. It is hard to type. Going to the bathroom is challenging. I tried cooking for the first time last night. Let’s say the meatballs were not really balls. (Probably not a good choice on my part). I can’t go to the barnyard for a lot of reasons, but the biggest one is that I cannot get my hand into any gloves.
So I am pretty much stuck at the house, outside of medical appointments which Tom has been driving me to. We did have tickets to Los Lobos we bought in January so I got to see them and briefly forget my finger (except I could not clap). I have often longed for time off for reading and knitting, but now that I have it I cannot knit and I am not reading. I find myself really tired all the time. But one saving grace in all of this (apart from Tom who has been amazing) is that I figured out that I can weave with this injury.
I have wanted to make a woven cloak out of our Gotland yarn like from the Lord of the Rings for a long time. I had found a pattern in Handwoven magazine from 2003 that I have saved. I had already started finally warping the loom for this when I busted up my finger. I managed, very carefully, to finish warping the loom and now I am able to weave.
So each afternoon I have been weaving some, while catching up on Marc Maron’s podcasts. Yesterday I was sipping some chilled Aquavit while doing this. This has been helping a lot with my “farmhouse fever”. Above is a photo in natural light and below with a lamp to try to show the pattern. Wish me luck with my recovery.
HOpe you heal fast and the weaving is gorgeous!!!
Rita
Thanks Rita!
Glad it’s not broken at least. :-/
I guess I am glad. I should be able to get to work quicker but am concerned that if arthritis looks as bad as a fracture on X-rays, it may not be good news (and not as fixable either). But I will take what good news I can get right now.
I’m glad that you’re weaving. I had time off in December and January because I broke my arm. I experienced the same frustrations you did in the bathroom, the kitchen and outside chores. Since I was off anyway, I decided to have cataracts surgery, and then I couldn’t read. Thankfully I healed well as you will. I vow to never take my seeing and moving parts for granted ever again! Keep getting better. Xoxo
I did not remember you posting about your arm and eyes. I do have a new appreciation for my right index finger and will not take it for granted. I am curious what you did without an arm and eyes! Sounds way worse than my predicament.
Looks great! The weaving…not the the finger so much ;-). Glad it’s healing though.
Thanks about the weaving! Hopefully the finger will catch up.
The weaving is just beautiful. A few years back I had to get about 8 stitches in my index finger – a quilting accident with the rotary cutter if you can believe it – it’s amazing how one busted finger can put a person out of commision. Glad you’re feeling better and hope the meatballs were still tasty, if a bit lopsided 🙂
Thanks! So you know exactly what I am going through, although a rotary cutter sounds pretty nasty. The meatballs were still tasty. Last night I tried to make a ham. Most of the basting fluid ended up on the floor when I tried to take it out of the oven for basting but I saved the ham anyway (burning myself in the process). Still not ready in the kitchen, I guess.
Hope it’s 100% soon! I understand. A year old calf stepped & broke my toe accidentally a couple weeks ago.
Thanks! It sounds like you know what it is like. I still have my broken toe bothering me as well as my crushed finger, both on the right side. Went to the barnyard for the first time in 12 days today. It was painful but nice to see the critters again.