Well, I have managed to keep my promise and get a post up before the end of the month. Hurrah! However, my writing has slowed down considerably but for a hopefully understandable reason.
For the last two years or so, I had been suffering with a lump growing in the valley between my thumb and forefinger on my left hand. I had put it down to the dislocation of my thumb from around eight years ago when I was playing football, but suddenly, more lumps started to appear and then the pain followed.
Covid affected the speed of which I could get into my GP and to be fair, once I did, I was referred on to a hand consultant. There was a brief interlude of around three months but again, once I saw him, things moved very quickly.
The initial assessment, he thought I was suffering from Dupytrens Disease, but that he was confused as where my lumps where is not the normal place that the disease affects. Therefore, having told him about my dislocation, he said it was more than likely to be ganglions, which is growths on the tendons, probably a result of my injury. So he put me in for an ultrasound.
The ultrasound ruled out the ganglions, as well as cysts and, more importantly, tumours! That had been playing on my mind, after all, if you have lumps that are growing, what else other than a tumour could it be?
Back to the consultant and he said the only real option would be surgery. However, he did want a clearer picture before he opened me up and would I be able to cope with the pain for another month while he arranged for an MRI scan. Not wanting to a) be a wuss and b) wanting him to know what he was doing, I said yes.
The MRI was one of the most uncomfortable forty minutes of my life. Stretched out, face down, arm up front twisted at an awkward angle, in a low tube that fully surrounded me from the waist up with instructions not to move. For forty minutes! While clanking and groaning sounds erupted from the machine! Not my most fun experience.
However, it got done and when I saw the consultant again, he said it definitely ruled out those three options that he previously had dismissed. He mentioned Dupytrens again but said that either way, the procedure would be the same. A zigzag cut and open my hand up, cut out the offending material and sew me back up. The offending lumps would be sent for a biopsy.
So I waited with bated breath, having told him about two holidays that I had coming up and finally I was off to the Edgebaston Hospital for my operation on Tuesday 15th November. The room was almost like a hotel room ... almost. I got there for 8am and was looked after by the wonderful nursing staff until I was called up to theatre at 11am.
Thank god they put a screen up to block my view! Several injections numbed my hand (yes they did it all while I was awake!) and the tourniquet tied around my arm to stop the blood. As soon as he opened me up, he said that he was 99% sure it was Dupytrens. Nineteen minutes and thirty two seconds later, the tourniquet was released (I know this only because one of the nurses called out the time) and I was left with this monstrosity.
Two hours and a prawn mayo sandwich later, I was back home, nursing a very sore hand, once the anethestic wore off anyway.
Now I had no idea what Dupytrens Disease was. So, of course, researched followed! Dupuytren’s disease (also referred to as Dupuytren's contracture) is a common condition that usually arises in middle age or later and is more common in men than women. Firm nodules appear in the ligaments just beneath the skin of the palm of the hand, and in some cases they extend to form cords that can prevent the finger straightening completely.
Thursday was when I got to see what they had done to me. (Turn away if you don't want to see it!). I went for my dressing change, another painful experience as it had stuck to the stitches and the wound. Once I saw it, I was really happy that I had elected for the screen during the operation.
I can defintiely see why it had been hurting me! A new thinner dressing was applied and back to work I went. The benefit of my day job is that I was already a hybrid worker, doing three days in the office and two days working from home so for the foreseeable, I am home five days a week.
Stitches are due out on Tuesday 29th November, another uncomfortable experience I am sure but one that will hopefully mark the journey to a pain free life, and one when I will be able to start driving again!
So with all of that going on, my keyboard skills have dropped off dramatically. One finger typing is driving me up the wall to the extent that I am already grinning and bearing stabs of pain as I start to use my left hand, albeit one finger so at least I am typing with some normality.
In terms of writing, JAMS have put the finishing touches to our latest short story anthology, Words Don't Frive (yes thats a play on words). Book five of our homework assignments which I am currently formatting for kindle and paperback for release in the first week of December.
A Soul Reclaimed has edged along. I am now into chapter four, having done my usual trick of re-reading what I have already written and edited it. It's now around the 11500 word mark, and I am really getting into the story now. New characters are appearing all of the time, which is exciting. I remember writing the first novel, For the Lost Soul and it was only after around a thrid of the story that my little blue demon, Durchial, made his appearance. If I had plotted it out, Durchial probably wouldn't exist so while I have planned this one, I am still wandering off the path, just not too far.
Well, that's about it for now. The World Cup is well and truy under way, with a magnificent 6-2 win for England, and several big shocks as well. Do we start dreaming yet?
Take care everyone and catch up once I am typing properly once more.
