hot mess express

My left ear finally un-clogged for the first time in a week and following a month of one cold after another, I finally feel mostly normal today. The joy I feel over these long-awaited developments is somewhat diminished by the fact that I somehow managed to close the car door on my thumb last night. I squashed it right across the nail bed and it hurts like...well, like a motherfucker, honestly. Last night I tried to ignore the building constant thrum of pain for a few hours, then broke out the leftover good drugs they gave me but I barely used after my c-section. This morning I got barfy and lightheaded while changing Elliott's diaper and had to do some deep breathing. Because of how I pinched it, any pressure on the pad of my thumb hurts just as bad as any bump to the side or top. Good thing it's just my right thumb so it's not like I need it for anythi--OH, WAIT.

Things I have discovered to require more thumb-involvement than I ever realized:

>> changing a diaper
>> unhooking my bra
>> refastening my nursing bra clips
>> tying shoes
>> using scissors, especially small ones
>> typing
>> texting
>> writing by hand
>> folding socks

When I was in third grade, I shut my left hand in the door of my mom's big metal Chevy Impala. It gouged a big chunk out of my first finger, just below the knuckle. I remember being at school one day and my band-aid falling off. I went to my teacher to ask for another and she, presumably used to kids' frivolous band-aid requests, asked me skeptically why I needed it. I held up my gory finger and can still recall the burst of (probably bratty) satisfaction I felt when she visibly recoiled at the sight of it. She did give me the band-aid after that.

The good news is that while my thumb still hurts this evening, it hasn't tried to make me throw up in over 12 hours, so I think we'll be on good terms again soon. Hopefully I can avoid becoming infected with any new gross ailments or hurting myself in any additional stupid ways for the rest of the season.

Reading:  Hollow City by Ransom Riggs

Playing:  Led Zeppelin IV