...on the afternoon of the 5th day of Christmas

I just returned from a visit with my Dr. about my finger...
definitely dislocated in 2 places...
and decidedly NOT straight like the other one, anymore...



he referred me to an orthopedist...
I just got the call that a consult & 2 "follow-ups"...
were authorized by my insurance...
my doctor thinks that the finger "should" straighten-out...
& heal on it's own without any "invasive procedures"...
[surgery, pins, screws etc...my finger hurts just thinking about it...]



however, he did say that if it doesn't straighten-out...
the orthopedist might have to correct it...
he gave me a cool splint to hold it straight...
and protect the tip from bumps...

I secured it with the same sticks to itself stuff...

the splint allows the rest of the hand to move around more...
and although it hurts more from the added motion...
the swelling is going down in the rest of the hand now...
and I can wiggle all my fingers from the knuckles...
[except that one, of course...]

bending from the middle joints is still hard...
in the index & 4th fingers...but doesn't hurt as much as it did...
[sore & swollen still, though...]
the dislocated 3rd finger is NOT bending yet...
and attempts to do so bring instant pain in both dislocated joints...

my hand around the knuckles seems much less swollen...
and isn't really sore when probed...
that's a big improvement from this AM...

I'm waiting to hear back from either my dr's office...
or the orthopedist about my appointment...
[just heard...appointment at 2:45 tomorrow...]

the really good news is that once they start the treatment...
my current insurance company will follow through the course...
saving me from the giant looming deductible...
that would be kicking-in on treatment started after 1/09/09...



I'm typing fairly normally again...
[using more than one finger...]
and it hurts a bit, but I'll live...

I'm really tired today... so I'm going to heat up some soup...
[now that I can open it...] & turn in early...
I've stopped taking the double doses of OTC Excedrin...
and it's time for a good sleep...

thanks again to all the kind souls...
who "helped" me out when I was really disabled...
on Saturday & Sunday when anything was almost impossible...
I do appreciate all the kindnesses...

may God richly bless you all...