Very Exciting News Bulletin

Wait for it......

I TURNED MY OWN DOORKNOB TODAY!!!! AND WROTE MY NAME!!!!! WITH MY RIGHT HAND!!!!!

Big news indeed....Today I got my stitches out, got a new (MUCH lighter) splint, and can now take a shower without a complicated set of machinations involving two plastic bags and three rubber bands. I hope to get back to regular blogging soon, but typing is still a struggle. The doctor says everything looks great and I no longer feel like I am dragging around 75 extra pounds on my right arm.

Meanwhile, my students are amazing. I ended up being gone for four days in a row and they did a great job and there were no problems. I love these kids!!!

Recovering

I made it through surgery....yea!! The first couple of days were pretty rough but I made it, thanks to the miracles of painkillers and my mom taking care of me. The surgeon was able to go with the best option - putting the pieces back where they belong and screwing everything in place. My arm is currently wrapped up in what feels like 20 pounds of bandages, and to make sure everything heals right, my arm is actually twisted up inside the cast....my elbow is twisted slightly out and my wrist is twisted slightly in. That is uncomfortable. I am going slow, but hoping to make it back to school on Monday. Thanks for your prayers and well-wishes....

I shall hereafter be referred to as the Bionic Woman

I went to the orthopedic surgeon today, and here's the latest on my arm:

I not only broke the tip, I broke it in two pieces and while one piece is in more or less the right spot, the other piece is very much in the wrong place. So the doctor will have to go in to fix it. Best case scenario, he goes in, puts the piece back, slaps a metal plate on it and wah-la, I'm done. Worst case scenario, he goes in, the piece that looks like it is broken off may actually be in many tiny pieces, and they would replace the bone tip with a metal tip. Either way, I'll be setting off metal detectors....yet another deterrent to flying.

Good news is that it doesn't look like this will be as traumatic as my last surgery, so while I will be taking Wednesday through Friday off this week, I should be back to work on Monday. Fortunately, the kids were already scheduled to take a test on the block day (Wed and Thur), so I just need to come up with something for Friday.

I would appreciate your prayers, the nurses generally have an extremely difficult time finding a vein for the IV and I always get a little freaked out when signing documents warning me that I may die in surgery AND IT'S NOT THE FAULT OF THE HOSPITAL. The surgery is scheduled for 9 am on Wednesday. Thanks.....more updates post-surgery.

i feel stupid (edited)

it's official, my right arm is broken where the radius meets the elbow - the "radius head." i'm in a soft cast now until the swelling goes down, then off to see an orthopedic surgeon.

this will teach me to listen to teenagers.