@#$%^&

I told you about my fall right  HERE.  I also mentioned staying in bed all day once this last month. I have had severe allergy problems--earaches, sinus pressure, and malaise.  I felt like I could not safely drive to the doctor office and maybe I would get better. I did get better but not well.

As long as I do not have ac in the car, I will be ill. So, even though I cannot afford it, it must be done. I was hoping I would hit a pothole just right and it would come back on like it did a couple of times last year. No such luck!

Finally, on Tuesday night, I was really feeling horrid. On Wednesday, it took me three hours after I awoke to get to the doctor office where they had needed to do blood work for something else. The nurse practitioner kept mashing my forehead. I finally told her I had a head injury and the pain in one spot was worse and not sinus related. She told me to go to a neurologist because of the continued pain and possibility of a concussion.

She did all the obligatory things--look in nose, ears, throat, listen to chest front and back, feel neck. Finally, she asked me about coughing or chest pain. Well, I coughed some and took guaifenisen and it quit. I know that g word is not spelled right and I don't care. I told her I could feel scraping in my chest when I breathed. She said she suspected I might have pneumonia. Xray said no pneumonia, just bad bronchitis. Steroids and antibiotics were prescribed.

She left and said some of the reading of the blood would be done right now and she would see what was going on. I had a nurse call her back because she did not tend to another problem.

I may have told you this. But, I burned myself about two months ago picking up a kielbasa fresh from the oven. It stuck to the foil as it sat on the stove, so I held on for another two seconds. It really burned and I hurried and stuck my finger under cold water as I shrieked. Exbf was concerned then wanted to know how badly I was burned. I was not worried, just hurting. I have asbestos fingers.

The part of my thumb that was burned was, looking at the back of your hand, on the right side where I had it between index and thumb. Two days later, that part was very hard and white. Bummer. Still, there was no sign of a blister since I rarely blister when burned. Maybe a medical professional on here can tell me why I just get a thick white spot and no blister 99% of the time.

Two days after that, the side of the thumb that was not burned was now swollen, hard, and white. Then, the skin below the nail bed...down my thumb, was swollen and red. Then, the nail bed turned white, like it was blanched from pressing it, only whiter, then my nail turned almost black. For two weeks I used no nail polish just so I could see what happened to the nail bed and thinking maybe it ought to air out.

THEN, the first joint was tender like I smashed it, alternating with a strange crawly feeling in the first joint. Then, the pain moved down closer to my hand, beneath that joint. Finally, the pain extended below the second joint from the nail. As I tried to turn the key in the car, there felt like there was a ping feeling in base of thumb. So, I cannot turn on the car of press in the button on the gear shift. Twisting to use my left hand and arm is not fun. So, J turns on the car and shifts when she is with me.

To back up a little...The nurse practitioner at the urologist last month said the problem sounded like a staph infection with the pain in joint. I mentioned that yesterday and the nurse was not amenable to hearing another opinion. yikes.

Exbf is driving from beyond B'ham to come here tomorrow and drive me to Huntsville. For those of you that don't know, that will be about a 220 mile drive for him tomorrow.  I will not expect or allow him to buy lunch or dinner, so that must be done tonight. Plus, I pack us snacks and him a snack that can be eaten in dr office without getting out chunks of fruit or eating a sandwich. The few times he has had to be out so late with me, I give him the choice of my heating dinner or him just taking it home. He growls that he will just take it home.

With a 2 pm appointment, I expect to be out by 4 pm and home be 6 pm. Then, he has a 1.5 hour drive home. I will be nice tomorrow...lol...I always am nice to him. Plus, I will tell him not to get here until 11pm instead of 9:30 am when he usually comes here.

The pants I wanted to wear tomorrow were on me and the other two gray pair were dirty, and I did not want to get out a pair with tags still on. I had to mend a tiny hole in them and noticed another. THEN, as I turned them wrong side out to wash them, I noticed a tiny hole slightly below the waistband. I never mended that hole. By the way, these are knit pants and I can mend without it showing. Have you ever tried to handle a one-inch needle with your thumb in a splint? Well, the splint came off for ten minutes. The nurse said take it off instead of getting it wet, but to be careful with the thumb.

Today, the doctor office called me and told me to come in soon as I could so they could splint my thumb and then go soon after that to orthopedist. I said okay and then called back and asked why. It seems there may be a crack or break at a bone at the base of my thumb after someone else looked at xray of hand. I can only guess the burn has nothing to do with the cracked/broken bone. ???  But, the progression from thumb tip to base seems suspicious.

Yes, I can type without a thumb but for this last week I truly understand the importance and usefulness of an opposable thumb.

For all my tumbles while skating or whatever, I have never broken a bone. I did break a little toe once when I slammed into a chair.

I read this over after posting, and the mistakes are legion. I don't feel like going over it again. work with me. Plus, I told it out of order.

Your turn
Have you ever just felt bad and it turned out you were falling apart? That is how I feel. Is this old age? lol