Oh goody

Me and my mum getting silly

Last week I had written a whole post about what I had been up to during the last few weeks of 2021. I couldn't put any photos in however and there was something else impossible, so I decided to publish and go back to it. All that remained was the title! Nothing else. As it had hurt badly already, I gave it up as a bad job and haven't looked at my computer until now.

Space saving for all my films

As you may recall my sister arrived finally (it was the sixth attempt) and she stayed with me almost the entire time. Plenty of plans were made: hairdresser, family visits, theater, going places. We managed to get to the hairdresser just in time as only a few days later the country went in lockdown again. *sigh*

'Sjoelen' on New Year's Eve. I lost.

For Christmas we did go see my brother and his family and New Year's Eve was spent at my parents, together with some friends. Other than that no family (apart from our parents) or friends, no shopping trip, no going places. The latter might still have been an option, but the gammy knee was not cooperating. 

Decorating cookies

Instead we watched Christmas films, read, watched some more television, baked, cooked and watched a bit more television. She spent three weeks here, before returning home again last week. Hopefully she will be able to come over again in May. I am counting down the days.

Since the start of 2022, I visited several health thingies. The first one was to get my booster jab. This one didn't hurt at all (unlike my second vaccination, where some numpty just aimed and thrust), but that was short lived. Later in the evening, the area did start to get very sore and by the next day I was feeling a bit worse for wear: a bit nauseous, a bit queasy, a bit shivery. Nothing really bad, but noticeable nonetheless.

'Gourmet' dinner'

Then two days later I made my way to the plastic surgeon again. Despite the wound healing a treat, it is still a bit red and swollen. It was not that however that saw me see the surgeon instead of them tackling my left hand (which had been the original plan). I had had severe pain in my thumb/wrist prior to the operation and it returned the minute the anastacia (you know my problem) wore off. Had the operation gone wrong?

Stout jelly, trifle, chocolate mousse and key lime cheesecake

In short? No. I got treated for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and that was successful. The trouble with the thumb is related, even similar, but different. It is the De Quervain Syndrome and it's painful. Especially as you use your thumb for just about everything! It can be caused by so many things, including manual work like housework, knitting and a host of other things. The main trigger was most likely the recent move.

There are (like with CTS) three main ways to combat it: rest, corticosteroid injection or surgery. The first would mean not being able to use the hand at all and hopefully it will get better over time: many many months. The second would involve a nasty injection right into the most painful area and let that do its work together with hand therapy and a custom made splint. The third option is when nothing else helps, but contrary to the CTS operation, it is a bit more dangerous due to the location.

There was a ban on fireworks. Hahahaha!

Rest was not really an option as it would take too long. The third was not really given as an option, so the second it was. And I can tell you it was a very nasty injection. I even kicked the doctor, for which I never even apologised. It took a while for the pain of the injection had gone (several hours) and then I was pain free. Not for that long though, the pain did come back, although I think it's not as bad. At the end of this week I will see a hand therapist and get a splint, until then I try and wear my old wrist splint to keep movement to a minimum. 

So, that has happened recently. I will try to get back to my computer a bit more regular now, but as the hand is still not quite cooperating, it is not the easiest.