The deed is done.

Apologies this will probably be boring.  I started blipping to records my hip replacement.  Now I am recording hand surgery.



Warning if you don't want to know details of my op stop reading now.



My appointment was for 8:30, we arrived 5 or 10 minutes early.  We were met outside by a nurse, the building is shared and the ground floor GPs didn't open til 8:30.  So we were escorted through the staff entrance.  The nurse pointed to two chairs and told me to take a seat.  I hadn't quite sat down when the surgeon called me in.  A quick chat and into theatre.



so laid down on the "operating table", my arm from the elbow to finger tips was sterilised with what felt like a gallon and a half of a sterilising liquid.   Then Mr Chakrabarti said "I am going to give you some injections, this will hurt".  He wasn't joking!  after a while he said something, I can't remember what.  Then he said did you feel that?  I said I felt the one while you said"insert here the bit I can't remember".  he replied "I have done 3 since then".



Next he said I am just going to fit a lead hand to keep the hand still.  I felt as if it was a sheet of metal curved to be over the tips of my thumb and first two fingers.  Part way through the op he said "can you feel that?"  I assured him that as a paid up card carrying coward I would tell him if I felt anything.  He told me if I was a coward I wouldn't be there as I wouldn't have turned up.  Then he and the two nurses regaled me with tales of men turning up with what I think is called a tattoo sleeve then saying they were scared of needles.



Finally he raised my hand and said look at your stiches'.  They run from nearly the centre of my palm to just before the bandages on my little finger.  I  was asked to gently make a fist and then straighten my fingers.  All must have been OK because he then put on a big pad and applied the pressure bandage.



The pressure bandage comes off the middle/end of next week,  Then a lighter bandage for another week during which I have to start gently making a fist and then pushing the finger straight with the other hand.



I was put in a sling, to stay on for 48 hours and delivered back to Clickychick, my chauffeur.  I had been about half an hour.



I was told to take it easy for at least 24 hours so the rest of the dat was sitting in the sun and bouts of reading.



The extra is just the hand from another angle and you can see that the finger despite the wrapping is virtually straight, something it hasn't been for a number of years.