11 days post surgery - Basal thumb arthroplasty with tendon interposition

Post with the assistance of The Youngest!

High five just before bandage removal!

                                                                          


Pin is at the top and sutures covered by steri-strips. The pin on top is holding the base of my thumb across to the base of my middle finger. The pin will be removed in another three weeks.

(Really its looking pretty good - not too much blood and gore - The Youngest)

 Hand Comparison

(Left hand with sutures)

                                                                         




Left thumb with pin - no expansion of hand until pin removal -- right hand is expanded. The yellow is bruising.

                   

   Chef took a photo of my new snazzy removable splint!

                                                                                      

I've been given strict instructions to keep this on for six weeks until my next re-check. I can only remove for showering; patting dry the incision area. They want me to move the tip of my fingers and move my thumb tip. My thumb is numb to the touch. 

Surgeon said not to panic.

Pain: No more than before surgery, and better most days. Major pain today - more about that later!

Meds: Last T3 with codeine was the day after surgery. Most days nothing. Once every couple of days I may have taken 2 extra strength Tylenol. I have been able to kept it under control with ice.

Sleep: I only wake up to re-position my hand when it's sore. 

Quilting/typing/using left hand: absolutely NO - The surgeon will review after I attend physio after six more weeks. No using my left hand other than moving fingers. Continue immobilization for 6 more weeks.

But all is not lost, the Youngest is going to come over and we are going to sew ... well the Youngest is going to sew I am going to be the one handed presser ☺

(Almost sounds like a carnival act - step right up ladies and gents ... your eyes will be amazed when you see the one and only ONE HANDED PRESSER!! - The Youngest)

Until Next Time !

Day 4 - recovery time!

one finger typing

drugs are good

refused nerve block

apparently have high pain tolerance

constipation not good

chef amazing and taking good care -- he did my hair!

surgeon said lots of bone chips

thumb wired to base of pointer finger for 4 weeks

peekaboo next week with surgeon

incisions starting to itch

ice is my friend

sleep better sleeping sitting up

right hand hurting from using it too much

i can pull up my pants by myself!

happy quilting everyone!

always, Margo

The Youngest - Edition #5

After another week up NORTH my BF and I were ready to complete the Hungarian sewing desk. It took a "little bit" of wine and another coat of paint but it is finally done. We couldn’t be happier with the results.

At first I thought this would be a quick weekend project, Sand, Prime, Paint Bing Bang Boom were done. Well it turns out that it takes a lot of time and patience but it is 100% worth it!

Here is the Before and After, hope you like it as much as we do ☺

  

 

The Youngest - Edition #4

Okay Okay I know I have put it off long enough it is time to paint the Hungarian sewing desk. First to run through my check list: Sanded Check, Primed Checked, Sanity … well that ones in question.

It was recommend by several Do it Yourselfers to use Benjamin Moore – Advance [Satin Finish]. We have a Benjamin Moore paint store in the town so I figured why not go over and chat up the sales staff to see what their take on the proper paint would be.

Turns out the Benjamin Moore – Advance [Satin Finish] is the paint for the job. This specific paint has a lengthy drying time [approximately 16hrs. to full dry & 72 hrs. for a full cure]. The reason this is the best paint for furniture is because of the lengthily drying time which allows for brush strokes to smooth out.

My number one apprehention with this entire project was that the desk would look streaky and like a toddlers finger paint project.

I found out the most common reasons brush strokes are commonly seen on painted furniture: 

1) too much paint was applied at one time

2) The wrong bush is being used

3) The paint is drying to quickly not allowing for the brush strokes to level out prior to drying

Armed with the information to prevent those pesky brush stokes I had a newly instilled confidence that the desk would be a success.

I confidently left the Benjamin more store with a handful of white paint chips. Going off of the newly built shelving in the sewing room "as suggested by the oh so wise BF" the two paint chips that matched the closest were Snowfall White and Chantilly Lace. I decided to go with the regal Chantilly Lace. (Top colour in the picture below)

Armed with my DIY research my BF and I painted the first coat of Chantilly Lace. After we "patiently" waited 16ish hours for the paint to dry I just had to see the desk in its new home. So I made my loving BF help me carry it into the sewing room. I have to say I am pleased as punch with how it looks after just one coat of paint.

Best advice thus far from the DIY bloggers – Use good paint!!!

The Youngests - Edition # 3

HOWDY Y'ALL

Well I’m back and all tanned and rested up from our vacation in Palm Springs, California. Two girlfriends and my patient BF went to a 3 day Country music festival “Stagecoach”, it was a blast.

I’m now re-energized and ready to tackle this Hungarian sewing desk. ….. Where did I leave off? Oh right we were all primed and ready!

Now comes the finicky part, the Painting. I have been dreading this part and that may be why we did a whole vacation before we attempted to tackle the painting of the desk. I have been doing everything I could think of besides doing the painting. I even opted one day to clean the washrooms over painting the desk =S

Now it’s down to the final hour and I have to get this desk done. We were living in a bit of chaos with the garage and front room in shambles. I have a somewhat fuzzy idea in my head of what I want this room to look like. The BF and I decided the best plan of attack is to get the cabinetry and then match the paint colour for the desk off of that.

 HI HO HI HO it’s off to IKEA we go – we head into the big city to pick up the cabinetry from IKEA

We all know that putting together IKEA furniture can be like pulling teeth and have caused many divorces hahaha. With that said I am rather impressed with the BF and I. I only had to leave once because I was getting Hangry. Hangry - it means to be angry as a result of being hungry. SO I promptly left the front room whipped up a quick dinner of lemon butter shrimp and rice for the BF and I, problem solved.

After a couple hours, dinner and a visit from our neighbor and their beautiful little girl we finished!Next stop is the paint store but we will leave that for another day. Oh and how could I forget that I need to start filling those shelves with stash =D