Reub's journey

09 August 2012

Morphing

 
The beads that I've sported on both wrists for a few years are there for a reason. I bought these trinkets from smiling women sitting on the sidewalk in front of the hospital in Niamey, Niger, patiently supporting themselves as they wait months for fistula surgery. Whenever I look at these beads I'm reminded of how lucky I am.


 
But today I had to take a scissors to the bangles on my left wrist.


My hands usually look like this. After a sting from a tiny black wasp yesterday, though, my left hand and arm gradually swelled up.



 
 Until today it turned into this. The beads had to go.

I went to the doctor, and the receptionist (noting what I'd said when I called for an appointment) didn't even look up, saying only, "Are you able to sign forms?"  That was pretty crass, but what was I expecting? Maybe something more along the lines oh "Oooooooh honey, I'm so sorry! That looks terrible! Don't worry about these silly forms!"


I feel like I'm slowly morphing into another person. Pillsbury Dough-girl? Miss Piggy? No. I'm quite obviously heading towards being a super hero, like the Incredible Hulk. 

Go here to become your own Super Hero. (I owe this awesome site to Reya. Thanks Reya!)

Here is the amazing result of my first Super Hero try:  

Kerry can change shape into a dog. She also has mastered the ability to block vibrations and deflect them toward a single foe, however only when happy. Kerry lords over an  array of cows and she is able to copy the size of her attackers. Additionally, she developed the talent to confuse the hearing of an antagonist, but using this power draws a lot of attention. Kerry has been known to create magic out of thin air and she has learned to erase the memories of others. Tragically, Kerry is especially vulnerable to fluid-based attacks.

 What's your super hero?

Anyway. I guess I'll idle away some time pretending to be a super hero until my hand and arm return to the size of an ordinary mortal's. Then I can put my beads back on, and be grateful that my misfortune is only temporary.

34 comments:

  1. So sorry about your hand, it looks painful. I hope your bracelet can be repaired.

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    1. It's only painful when my arm is down. So I have to go around with my hand raised, like I'm wanting to answer a teacher's question.

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  2. This looks nasty. Hoping they find it is just a reaction to the sting and not a serious allergy or infection. Take care!! Glad you still have a sense of humor. You thus have the power to stop thieves by immobilizing them with laughter.

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    1. Tabor has the power to soothe slightly-off-kilter bloggers, but only when she leaves comments in the night.

      Thanks for the laugh, Tabor! Fun to wake up to it this AM.

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  3. oh, dear! i hope you can get the beads strung back together (after your dexterity returns, of course!)

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    1. I cut the beads off and left them in a cloth napkin. John, mistaking the cloth napkin for a cloth napkin, picked it up & the beads scattered all over the deck, and below. Doesn't matter, I have many more bangles.

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  4. Replies
    1. I thought of your snake bite when this happened. It's crazy how big the swelling gets, and how long it lasts.

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    2. First thing I thought of, too. We're being initiated into our crone powers. It really hurts!

      Kerry are you left handed?

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    3. Crone powers! Bring them on!

      Luckily I'm right-handed.

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  5. Oh my gosh, Kerry! I can't believe that hand belongs to you! Is it getting better?

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    1. John says it looks like a fake hand! It does! A little better today, though, then yesterday.

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  6. Ouch. That swelled pretty darn good. I hope you got something from the doctor to make the swelling go down and relieve the pain.

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    1. The doc said nothing would help except for an ice pack & benadryl for the itchiness. I'm taking aspirin too. This afternoon I'm going to make a fresh mint poultice to use up some of the excess mint in the garden, and hope it works to soothe things a bit.

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  7. Replies
    1. Still pretty swollen, but not quite as bad as in these pics. I'll be fine.

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  8. Oh my gosh! That looks pretty painful. You poor thing. I'm sorry the doctor's office greeted you that way. I think they get desensitized after having seen it all day after day and forget to show compassion. I hope you get your hand/arm back to normal size soon. Yikes!

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    1. Thanks Gail! I'm improving and soon John will have to stop calling me The Incredible Bulk! I'll miss that endearing term.

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  9. That really does look beastly. I just hope that the doctor was more sympathetic than that cow of a receptionist. Thank God we have the NHS!

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    1. I was quite taken aback by the receptionist. I wish I were a clever person who could come up with a quick response, but all I did was to mumble..."umm, yes, I'm right-handed..."

      The doctor was a young woman who was able to answer my question, which was: "Is this just a bug bite, or am I going to die within 48 hours of sepsis?"

      The NHS is more empathetic, I take it.

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  10. ooooh, honey, that looks terrible! don't bother with the - oh man. so sorry! dan reacts this way too, to yellow jacket stings; the yellow jackets who are living in our compost pile...yeah. bad. hope it goes down soon!

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    1. Finally the words I longed to hear! Thanks Debbie!

      This little wasp was new to me; I don't remember seeing it before. All black and ooh what a sting.

      I wouldn't want yellow jackets in my yard. There's a guy here who removes them for free and makes serum out of their venom. I wonder if there is anybody like that where you are?

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  11. Sometimes the next allergic reaction to a sting escalates so you should ask your Doctor about an Epipen.

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    1. This thought has occurred to me. I hate needles. But I suppose I should consider the consequences.

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  12. Ooooo Kerry! I can feel the throbbing way out here! Alissa used to be affected this way from mosquito bites when she was small: hand would swell up, even her cheek swelled so big that she couldn't see out of one eye! She finally out-grew this, so maybe, when you're a big girl, stings won't be so bad. I hope you know a lot of us are wincing uncomfortably for you and hope you'll be back to normal soon. So sorry this happened, but better it happened at home than in Japan!

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    1. I'll outgrow it! That's the ticket! No need for an epipen!

      Yeah this would've been bad in Japan. But I bet they would have been nicer to me in the hospital there. Somebody would've bowed, at least.

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  13. I was just thinking how your hand matches Ellen's snake-bitten foot. Oh Kerry, that looks so painful. I hope you're on the mend very soon.

    The receptionist needs to learn some bedside manners.. so to speak. When I sprained my ankle very badly last year (it appeared fractured) the receptionist at the hospital winced loudly and ran for a wheelchair. I wondered if I should have been more worried than I was but I was still grateful for the compassion.

    Wishing you quick healing, Kerry.

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    1. It's Sunday today, and there is still some swelling, but overall it's much much better. Kinda itchy, but the pain is gone.

      Gee, the receptionist at your hospital would have alarmed me! Especially after the treatment I'm used to.

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  14. OMG your hand is badly swollen.Must have been a really venomous wasp. Its a pity the lovely & charming beads had to be cut. That receptionist needs to be taught manners. I bet no one has caned her during her growing up years. Hope you have a peaceful,comfortable and painless Sunday.

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    1. RR: I hope I never see a wasp like that again. And thank you; my hand is much improved.

      All rude people should be caned!

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  15. Why does Augustus Galloop spring to mind when I look at your swollen hand? I guess that wasps poison confirmed your vulnerability to fluid-based attacks - please be careful of spitting cobras and crocodile tears, we wouldn't want you turning all Mike T.V on us...

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  16. I see myself as more of a Violet Beauregarde, swelling into a giant blueberry. Considering how many blueberries I've eaten lately, this seems likely!

    I will take your advice and certainly give the spitting cobras & crocodile tears a wide berth. But first I will confuse their hearing.

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