(This was originally written Nov. 8, 2024)
Welp, I am headed home less of a woman today… I unfortunately suffered an accident and the surgeon could not save the tip of my middle finger. I had to have an amputation. 🪚🖕🏻
I was working on our house and a table saw caught my work glove. Lowell has pictures but I don’t want to see them or want them getting out there just yet. But here are some X-ray pictures.
The incident happened on Friday at 1:30 pm.
Thankfully it just happened to be that both of Lowell’s parents were there helping us on the house and watching our munchkins. Lowell acted swiftly upon seeing the bloody mess and his tourniquet is probably what helped save most my of my finger. They thought I would have to be taken by helicopter from our tiny local hospital to the big hospital in Anchorage. After the one of the best hand surgeons in Alaska saw the X-ray and pics she said it was not necessary to fly up and we just made the 6 hour drive up.I was cleared for surgery for Wednesday that week.
In the days while I waited I had 3 gallbladder attacks (due to all the stress), one bout of mastitis (because of sudden stop in breastfeeding) and started my menstrual cycle. (Terrible things come in three’s, am I right?!) Surgery went well. They amputated the tip of my middle finger, as x-rays showed, there just wasn’t enough bone for any screws to be attached for reconstruction with only confetti left for bone). But they were able to save the index finger’s tendon so I hopefully I won’t have a funky crooked finger. Hopefully all my feeling in that index finger comes back. Ring finger only had a superficial cut needing stitching, no bones or tendons damaged on that one.
I feel good. I feel at peace. The concept of amputation is familiar to me, as my mother also has a first knuckle amputation, but to her thumb. So it doesn’t seem like a big deal. Right now I am just so grateful for life. For a whole wrist, for minimal pain (only have needed ibuprofen for pain management). My whole arm was numb for a couple of days after surgery. We will be staying at my MIL’s for the next night or two and back home by this weekend.
Please pray for speedy recovery. It’s tough being away from my kids, they’re all with family.Thanks for reading this far. Love you all. If I don’t respond I am probably napping and trying to avoid another gallbladder attack (cuz believe it or not, I would much rather have another finger seed of than having another gallbladder attack). 🥴😂 And no, I don’t want it removed, I’m fighting like heck to keep my gallbladder and eat clean and healthy.
💕 Vanessa