On Sunday, January 10th, we were finishing up breakfast and getting ready to go to our neighbor’s house for a get-together. They had invited other families from the neighborhood that had children and we were very excited because we missed their party last summer because we were in the States. Well, just as I was finishing up the dishes, I had washed a Pyrex measuring cup and put it on top of a pile in the drying rack. I wiped down the sink and thought to myself that the measuring cup may fall so I should dry it and put it away. As I started to go to grab it, it fell. As I tried to catch it, it hit the counter top first and shattered into my hand! As I watched my hand bleed, I screamed for Randy, grabbed a towel and wrapped it up. My hand was throbbing with pain, feeling my heartbeat through the cut. The kids and Randy all came running. They saw the floor and my towel wrapped hand and started scurrying. Randy told the kids that he was taking me to the ER, they were to stay here and we would call the neighbor to get them. Colin started to take charge and help out (he is my little helper!). Randy and I got in the car and headed off as I called our friends (the other Woodbury’s) to go check on the kids. They were amazing! They got the kids, fed them lunch and kept them all afternoon. We waited in the waiting room for what seemed like forever. After seeing the nurse, who looked at it and wrapped it up a little for me, we went down to x-ray and then came back. They wanted to make sure there was no glass in the wound. When we got back to the ER, we saw a hand specialist because I couldn't feel my forefinger. He then told us that he would see us on Wednesday for surgery. I looked at Randy with much concern. I was in a foreign country, did not know any doctors and was a little scared.
Wednesday came, we dropped the kids off at our friends to catch the bus to school and we went to the hospital. I prayed several times while I was waiting because I don't do well with general anesthetics. In all honestly too, I let me mind wander and thought untrue things about not waking up and leaving Randy with three kids in a foreign country. God calmed my heart and mind and I said goodbye to my husband. I went into surgery at 10:30a and according to my chart was in the recovery room at 11:08a. I woke up around 12:30p and my arm was in a "beautiful" purple sling tied up and hanging. I couldn't feel my entire hand - that was when I freaked out! I thought to myself “This is why I came in here to get this fixed and now they ruined it!” I made eye contact with a nurse and asked them about it and they assured me that this was normal. I finally got to see Randy about 2:00p and he had had no updates. No doctor nor nurse ever came to tell him anything. He finally asked about 1:00 what was going on and they said I was out of surgery…poor guy!
The week following my surgery was hard. I am right-handed and I was supposed to keep my hand in a sling…yeah right! I had no feeling in my forefinger or pinky for 48 hours. I was more than happy when I got feeling back. I had to go back in to get the wound redressed a week after surgery. (Of course, that is when I had to snap a few pictures for my son!) I then had to go down to therapy were they gave me four exercises to do, four times a day. I did the exercises in a lot of pain the first two days but then noticed improvement each time I did them. On Monday, the 25th, I went in to have the stitches removed. Then another trip to therapy - not fun. They want me to massage it four times a day for five minutes with some lotion, it is to remove the scar tissue build up. It KILLS, as I can barely touch part of it. I know it will help in the long run, so I am being good and doing them.
We had so many people that so graciously gave us meals, took the kids, gave them rides and helped out. God definitely blessed us with those people!
My pretty sling. :s
Gouge in my pinky.
Stitches, a week after surgery.
Beautiful flowers that were sent from Randy's work.
