Healing and Reeling

The past week has left me in a state of disbelief.  I'm amazed that a cut on my finger rapidly turned into something very serious.  So lets add cuts to my list of things that will send me running to a doctor now. First on the list is mosquito bites after that fun little incident where I had an infection making its way along my veins last year.

The big lessons from my recent experience are these: 1. NEVER EVER EVER take skin and put it back over a cut, unless you want to spend a few days at the hospital.  2. Any red streaking coming from a bite or cut should send you running for medical attention.  If you aren't sure, see a doctor.  The wait and see approach with thing such as this is a dangerous game.  3. Ask around and find out which of your local hospitals have a reputation for bad care and mistakes and then make a mental note to avoid those facilities at all costs.

I started to write the story of how I landed myself in the hospital on Sunday but an infectious disease dr. asked me to please stop using my right hand to type so I could allow that hand and arm to rest since they had just been ravaged with a pretty serious infection.  So the story sits partially written in my drafts folder.  It may be a two or three part story, it's that bad.

Thinking back on the past week really upsets me.  It clearly illustrates that even when we think we have everything under control we really don't.  And honestly, if Bryan hadn't woken me up from the couch where I spent most of my Friday I might not have realized quickly enough that I really needed medical attention until things, which were pretty bad, had gotten to a point that was far worse.  You know you're in a fix when an urgent care doctor freaks out and tells you to get to an ER right away.

So I've been spending the past four days at home trying to recover.  But I'm awful at resting so I keep doing things like laundry, straightening things and worrying about making sure Madeline doesn't fall too far behind with her schoolwork.

Simple tasks that require two hands or run the risk of exposing my finger to germs are pretty much off the table.  I haven't changed a diaper since maybe last Thursday.  I can't exactly cut wrapping paper with scissors (I'm a lefty that can only cut right handed.) and that pretty much leaves me unable to wrap gifts.  It's a good thing I wrapped most gifts before this happened but I still have plenty to go.  I won't even be able to bake cookies since I can't risk my finger coming in contact with the cookie dough.

The past few days I've been feeling like I just want all the Advent and Christmas stuff packed away.  I shared this feeling with Bryan and he actually decorated one of our trees when he came home from work today and then helped me to get our family room tree decorated.  I feel a little better now that our trees are decorated, but I'm still not feeling that Christmas spirit.  It just doesn't feel like we're less than a week out from Christmas.