I Am a Mess...

When Bailey was born, Michael brought Hayden in to see her for the first time at the hospital. Hayden was two years old. Michael held him up to look at Bailey in the bassinet and he got one glimpse of her with a bruise or two her little belly button sticking out and looked up at Michael and said, "Bailey is a mess!!" That has been our comment from that point forward when life gets a little sloppy for us. 

This last few weeks, "Ma is a Mess!"

Friday, June 15th, I had an appointment at the dermatologist that Claude sees all the time. I had a spot on my chest that was itchy and wouldn't heal. So, prior to our vacation, I set up this appointment. Miracle of miracles, it healed completely while on the Baltic Sea. However, I had another spot on my nose I was not as concerned about so I kept the appointment so Dr. Wilson could check it out. He looked at it with a magnifying tool and immediately pronounced it basal cell and wanted to do a biopsy. He assured me he felt I would need Moh's surgery after so it didn't continue to grow. Basal cell is the least offensive of the skin cancers. So that was a good thing. My father has had cancer removed from his lower lip, cut off part of his ear and cut out of the top of his head. So I have that history going for me. In addition, my sister had this same Moh's surgery on her nose a couple of years ago. So, here I go. 

This is a picture of my bandage after this tiny biopsy was done. I have watched this twice with Papa. The goal is to apply pressure for 24 hours to be sure you don't bleed. So a cotton ball is compressed and put under tons of tape to securely and tightly hold that cotton over the wound to stop bleeding. Is this just the cutest bandage ever?!?! NOT...

I can tell you that this was the first errand I ran that Friday morning. Immediately after I went to the nursing home to visit with Papa. It was amusing to watch people do a double-take as I drove. You know how you peek at the person in the car next to you at a light or intersection, then you turn around really quick to try and get whatever you saw to register and make sense in your brain. Lots of that as I drove across Georgetown. Then I entered the nursing home where I have been every week or day for the past 13 years. "What in the world happened to you?" was a question asked a lot. It really didn't hurt or bleed but it sure attracted a lot of attention.

The next day I took the bandage off and this is what it looked like. 

Fast forward to Thursday, June 21st. I went to visit Papa. When we visit in his room, I sit on his walker. As I sat there, I moved to get a more comfortable position as the walker is okay but not at all comfortable. I lifted my left arm to put it over the place Papa puts his hand on to walk. I felt a sharp pain in my arm. What in the world was that? I thought it was just a fluke. I spent 2 hours the morning before weeding and had absolutely no issues. Other than that, there had been no strain on that arm. I moved the arm back over the hand rest and sure enough the pain was there again. The longer I sat there the more it hurt, even just resting in place. By the time I left and went to my care I couldn't barely lift my left arm. Not good folks, not good. 

In November 2011, I fell and stretched out my left arm to catch my fall. I tore the rotator cuff in my left shoulder as it took the brunt of the fall. We opted to do physical therapy to strengthen that shoulder as it healed. It worked well and I have had no problems with it at all. 

Claude was out of town that Thursday so I went home, put a pillow under my arm and sat on my sofa watching television all evening to just give the arm a rest. I took an ibuprofen before going to bed to cut the pain and try to get some sleep. Not much sleep that night I tell you. Friday I hurt again all day. I visited Papa and bought groceries before going home to find my hubby back from his trip. Thank heavens this was my left arm and I am very right handed. Amazing what one can do with one arm. Friday I rested again and Claude took over doing everything. I assured him I would call the doctor on Monday. Nissa and Todd visited and I just rested that arm on a pillow beside me.

Monday, June 25th, I went to see Dr. Lyon. He did the same kinds of physical tests they did when I tore the rotator cuff. Things like raising the arm and turning it to see what movements caused the pain. Resistance against his hand to see how much strengthen and where the pain was. Just love Dr. Lyon. He likes to take things a step at the time. He assured me he didn't think I had torn it again but maybe the weeding strained it. He gave me a 10 day supply of prednisone and told me not to use the arm for 10 days. Okay. I could do that. Don't care for the side-effects of prednisone but I could be obedient to those rules. If this doesn't work, I will go to physical therapy next.

So far, I can tell a difference. The sharp pain is mostly gone and a dull ache is there. 

Sooo...Sandi is a Mess!! The Moh's surgeon has not scheduled yet because of the volume of requests he has for this surgery. That may happen this week. The shoulder is better but not 100% yet. I shall press forward and try to get me out of this mess!!