my healing hand and his not healing heart

I can type again. My hand only has a waterproof bandaid for the next week.

It's spring break this week. I had planned to paint or to wash windows or to organize stuff in the house. Well, that plan has come to naught. I can wash dishes with rubber gloves; but I am not able to do much that requires me to squeeze my right hand.

Last week at this time: I had a rigid wrapped bandage on my hand and wrist that resembled a cast--only without the plaster. I had a pain block on my hand that kept me from moving my index and smallest fingers easily.

This week: I have just a small bandaid over the incision on my palm. I can move my fingers more, but my middle and ring fingers are still somewhat stiff and, while they can type, they aren't yet good for anything requiring strength.

The husband and I had a brief talk yesterday morning about the surgeon's recommendation for his heart. I wasn't totally aware that when we went to the doctor last week, he wasn't really absorbing what the doctor said; nor did he totally understand what his cardiologist said after the angiogram. I have a feeling that if and when the doctor calls, Husband will politely refuse the procedure. I had thought that he might go for it.

Guess not........

bad hand days

Big bandage on my hand--pain block--useless dominant right hand--short post.

wheelchairs, wheelchair lifts, vacations......

Holey, moley! While it's wonderful that the insurance company will cover the cost of a wheelchair for the male person in my household, it's disappointing that they won't cover the lift for our car. So if you use a wheelchair and need to take it somewhere, I think maybe you need to use public transportation? Or, if we get it together to go on a trip, how do I get him there without spending the vacation money to buy the lift?

Of course, lifts aren't essential, but they sure do promote independence!

Nuts!

On my personal bright side, I have my hand surgery scheduled for this Friday! Yay! With the kind of luck one of my teachers had, I might be able to hold things again without dropping them. I used to be able to hold a wet glass when I washed it without worrying about breaking it. Not now. Along with trigger finger came a weak grip in my dominant hand. Looking forward to Saturday!

This post sounds like I am really old! I don't feel old. I still have several years to what I hope will be an active, fun retirement.

Gotta get everything fixed while I still have good insurance!

cardiac update

He had a consult with a cardiac surgeon who specializes in valve replacements. The surgeon was amazing! He took time while we were there to review the cardiologist's report and to try to look at the CDs we brought with us. He spent a good amount of time explaining the process of the procedure he is recommending for hubby. He recommended cardiac resynchronization therapy which would hopefully coordinate the 2 sides of the heart (I think) and also have a defibrillator component. Not sure if he'll go for it. Last summer, he refused an implanted defibrillator because of the risk of the implantation...

got an itchy trigger finger

I have Trigger Finger. A year and a half ago, I didn't know it had a name. A teacher in my department had mentioned the condition with respect to her husband a couple of years ago. But last spring she had trigger finger corrected by surgery. I'm going in next Friday to have it corrected too.

You ask, 'what is trigger finger?' It is this weird condition where one to three fingers on your hand either "lock" bent or straight. In my case, I am often unable to open my right ring finger without using my other hand. I have difficulty openings jars and bottles. I also seem to be dropping things regularly. I hope that's part of the trigger finger. I also have a decreased grip strength in both hands. The trigger finger is also present in my left hand, but it isn't as annoying as it doesn't happen as often.

In 7 days, it'll all be over but the Vicodin...

hard things to think about...

Last Friday, he had an angiogram that went well; however, the news after was about as bad at it can get. The cardiologist said that my soon-to-be-60-year-old husband's heart is failing much faster than we had expected to hear. He had a quadruple cardiac bypass 10 1/2 years ago and 3 of the bypasses have failed. In addition, his heart has enlarged to the point that his heart valve is unable to close completely. A valve replacement is too risky. He's been given a 50:50 chance that his heart will last for another year.

We have been pretty much stunned and are still absorbing the news. I've told my brothers and mother. We haven't told his mother or brother. I need to let him do that when and if he is ready.

Since it looks like we don't have a lot of time, I'll be looking for things for us to do and/or places to go. We haven't traveled much in the 27 years we've been married. The dogs and a general lack of cash have always kept us from traveling together.

We'll be considering finally using our timeshare, maybe visiting Virginia where he went to high school for a year and spent most of his 20's, and maybe a trip to Hawaii.

The hardest thing for me to do is bring up the subject of travel or going somewhere. If we talk about it, it's real.............