A heck of a way to celebrate It began quite innocently on Wednesday the 2nd. Like most mornings, unfortunately, I woke up not feeling quite all right. Not bad, ya know, just not right. I really do yearn for the days I can wake up and feel good. Went to work, just not into things like I usually am. Then about lunch time it started. I couldn’t stay out of the toilet. Barely made it home after work. Just couldn’t even leave to go to church.
It was important for me to be at work Thursday because the two bosses were going to be out of the office for most of the day, so I pulled myself out of the bed and went. Thankfully, it was incredibly slow because I felt very light-headed all day long – the proverbial “woozy”. Then about 2 o’clock the gags and the pukes started. Again, I barely made it home. I was really friendly with the toilet by now.
Friday, America’s Independence Day, the 4th of July. No, we don’t have really big plans, but I DEFINITELY planned to spend the weekend scrapbooking. The house was clean, the dinner bought, and I had pictures and great paper, and IDEAS. I couldn’t wait! Well, I spent the entire day, feeling like I had been run over by a truck. I hurt all over. I got up, took a shower, put on clothes and laid on the couch ALL DAY. The only activity I had was moving from one end of the couch to the other because my body hurt so badly and my legs were cramping constantly.
Melanie and David Hauser came for dinner that Stephen and Paul cooked. I did go to the table, but just couldn’t stay very long. Back to the couch. Soon it was dusk and every one went outside for fireworks that Melanie had brought. I got up and went to the glider on the porch. I couldn’t see very well. I tried one of the rockers. Still not a very good view of the festivities. So I went and sat on the porch steps. Not as comfortable as my sore body wanted, but I could see better.
About this time, Calla, our 12-year old, temperamental, cranky, generally old-woman-type cat
sauntered up to get her back scratched. I scratched her neck, her back, and then her neck again, then stopped. She meowed, and moved around and I scratched her neck again. I stopped. And she turned around and BIT ME right on the thumb. I slapped at her and she didn’t quit – it was like she couldn’t retract her fang – it was embedded deep into my left thumb. IT HURT. I moved her head to get it out, she looked at me and meowed once more.
I went inside to the bathroom. There were about 6 puncture wounds all bleeding quite a bit. I pushed on them to get the bleed more, then I washed the area with lots of soap and water and then poured peroxide on everything. I was still bleeding, so I wrapped a bath rag around my thumb and went back outside for the rest of the fireworks. I can assure you though, IT HURT.
Saturday: I really didn’t sleep very well. I know it sounds really wussy to say my thumb hurt all night long, but it did. I woke up this morning with my thumb really swollen, and a long red streak from the puncture wounds to my armpit. The tenderness of the area was something similar to a deep fresh bruise. I was shocked. I fiddled around the house a little, and got dressed and Paul took me to the Urgent Care center where they were shocked that the bite was only hours old. The doctor said the cat must “really have a dirty mouth”. No, duh. This cat licks her butt and rolls in the dirt. He said that the infection was in my lymph system and needed to be closely watched.
Anyway, I got two high-powered shots: 1) an antibiotic, and 2) a steroid. Then the doctor gave me prescriptions for more of the same and told me to watch the streak and if it got worse to go to the ER and make sure I contacted my Dr on Monday.
Well, it is now Sunday night, and if you could see my hand and my arm, you would know that the FIRST thing I am going to do tomorrow is call my doctor. The streak is very dark, pronounced, and swollen now. The swelling is not only in my thumb, but also all over the back of my hand, into my fingers, and around my wrist. The redness is everywhere the swelling is. And the swelling is VERY tender. That is what is so strange, and makes this so miserable.
Miserable – that is exactly the word I want to use. Sounds very whiney, very pity-partyish, but is just the right word. I can’t sit because the two shot areas are quite sensitive and one’s even bruised. I’m tired of lying down because I’ve been there off and on for 5 days, and beside that, I can’t lay on my left side because it hurts my arm and hand. Whaa-whaaaaa. Miserable.
Can’t wait to hear what good ole Dr Maribeth says tomorrow…
Oh yeah, there was a very bright light in here somewhere – I GOT A LETTER FROM ANDREW!!! He’s happy, but homesick, yet doing very well!!!
And finally, hope you had a Happy 4th!
It was important for me to be at work Thursday because the two bosses were going to be out of the office for most of the day, so I pulled myself out of the bed and went. Thankfully, it was incredibly slow because I felt very light-headed all day long – the proverbial “woozy”. Then about 2 o’clock the gags and the pukes started. Again, I barely made it home. I was really friendly with the toilet by now.
Friday, America’s Independence Day, the 4th of July. No, we don’t have really big plans, but I DEFINITELY planned to spend the weekend scrapbooking. The house was clean, the dinner bought, and I had pictures and great paper, and IDEAS. I couldn’t wait! Well, I spent the entire day, feeling like I had been run over by a truck. I hurt all over. I got up, took a shower, put on clothes and laid on the couch ALL DAY. The only activity I had was moving from one end of the couch to the other because my body hurt so badly and my legs were cramping constantly.
Melanie and David Hauser came for dinner that Stephen and Paul cooked. I did go to the table, but just couldn’t stay very long. Back to the couch. Soon it was dusk and every one went outside for fireworks that Melanie had brought. I got up and went to the glider on the porch. I couldn’t see very well. I tried one of the rockers. Still not a very good view of the festivities. So I went and sat on the porch steps. Not as comfortable as my sore body wanted, but I could see better.
About this time, Calla, our 12-year old, temperamental, cranky, generally old-woman-type cat
sauntered up to get her back scratched. I scratched her neck, her back, and then her neck again, then stopped. She meowed, and moved around and I scratched her neck again. I stopped. And she turned around and BIT ME right on the thumb. I slapped at her and she didn’t quit – it was like she couldn’t retract her fang – it was embedded deep into my left thumb. IT HURT. I moved her head to get it out, she looked at me and meowed once more.I went inside to the bathroom. There were about 6 puncture wounds all bleeding quite a bit. I pushed on them to get the bleed more, then I washed the area with lots of soap and water and then poured peroxide on everything. I was still bleeding, so I wrapped a bath rag around my thumb and went back outside for the rest of the fireworks. I can assure you though, IT HURT.
Saturday: I really didn’t sleep very well. I know it sounds really wussy to say my thumb hurt all night long, but it did. I woke up this morning with my thumb really swollen, and a long red streak from the puncture wounds to my armpit. The tenderness of the area was something similar to a deep fresh bruise. I was shocked. I fiddled around the house a little, and got dressed and Paul took me to the Urgent Care center where they were shocked that the bite was only hours old. The doctor said the cat must “really have a dirty mouth”. No, duh. This cat licks her butt and rolls in the dirt. He said that the infection was in my lymph system and needed to be closely watched.
Anyway, I got two high-powered shots: 1) an antibiotic, and 2) a steroid. Then the doctor gave me prescriptions for more of the same and told me to watch the streak and if it got worse to go to the ER and make sure I contacted my Dr on Monday.
Well, it is now Sunday night, and if you could see my hand and my arm, you would know that the FIRST thing I am going to do tomorrow is call my doctor. The streak is very dark, pronounced, and swollen now. The swelling is not only in my thumb, but also all over the back of my hand, into my fingers, and around my wrist. The redness is everywhere the swelling is. And the swelling is VERY tender. That is what is so strange, and makes this so miserable.
Miserable – that is exactly the word I want to use. Sounds very whiney, very pity-partyish, but is just the right word. I can’t sit because the two shot areas are quite sensitive and one’s even bruised. I’m tired of lying down because I’ve been there off and on for 5 days, and beside that, I can’t lay on my left side because it hurts my arm and hand. Whaa-whaaaaa. Miserable.
Can’t wait to hear what good ole Dr Maribeth says tomorrow…
Oh yeah, there was a very bright light in here somewhere – I GOT A LETTER FROM ANDREW!!! He’s happy, but homesick, yet doing very well!!!
And finally, hope you had a Happy 4th!
One Post Script: It has been a long and expensive Monday. The good news is that Calla did not knick the bone when she bit me;the bad news is that I'm not responding to the antibiotic like I should. They changed the meds, gave me another shot, plus a tetanus booster, and told me if things weren't better tomorrow, I would need to have my thumb lanced and drained, or else it wasn't going to start healing. I can't believe all of this!
Melanie asked me if I needed to have a serious talk with God to see what I had done to warrant this "attention". Thanks Melanie.
5 comments:
Oh my goodness! I pray (literally) that you're responding to treatment. I'm sure you're in a lot of pain... nothing wimpy about it!
Let us know how you come along with it.
Thank Goodness that it is responding! It looks nothing like you described when I saw it this afternoon. You know when you don't feel good...you just don't feel good...and its okay to whine about it. (Even if no one listens...it still feels better to whine sometimes!)
Amanda
It scares me sometimes these doctors that are still "practicing medicine". With the correct meds, my thumb is almost back to normal, and the redness and swelling are almost gone. If I would've, could've, should've...
The hand doctor that gave the right stuff said, "Every doctor knows that Augmentin is the medicine of choice for animal bites..." Really!?!?!?!
Hard lesson learned...kan
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I am so feeling for you! Talk about a "HORRIBLE" weekend. Glad to hear you are doing better. I was so happy to hear you had a lil sunshine with your letter from Andrew. Luv ya, talk at ya later Sis A
man, we could have had great 4th together! Tremayne was in Mozambique, no internet so couldn't communicate with him. Timo and I were in bed with bronchitis and it generally was a lousy day! I missed Lauren something horrible. My sweet daughter in law called to ask how to make banana pudding her and Micah were right around the corner from you at my in laws - their new weekend home.
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