I had hand surgery yesterday. They have been dealing with a trigger finger of my left index finger for close to 2 years with shots, trying to get it to cooperate. It hasn’t. Surgery was scheduled for yesterday. But there is a twist. I was to meet the surgeon on Monday, July 27th. That morning I woke with my left ring finger in locked position. It eventually let up and you can’t tell, but after talking to the surgeon I was given a choice of doing the shot regimen again or having surgery. I told him, “You are already working on my hand. Let’s get them both done.” The total procedure is done under local anesthetic (I’m awake and talking the whole time while he works behind a sheet place between me and my hand) and one finger takes 5 minutes. Needless to say, typing may be an issue. 🙂 Recovery is supposed to take 5 weeks. At least I’m not allowed to ride my bike or lift weights (upper body) for that long. The stitches come out in 2 weeks. My fingers will be in splints so I’m not sure how much typing I will be able to do. I have been working frantically to finish my sermons and have one left in this current series called “Break Those Chains.” (It, by the way, is called The Elephant in the Room. It is a sermon on suicide.) Please pray for a quick and complete recovery. Thanks.
For today, I thought I would share another quote from Out of the Blue by Greg Murtha.
The best argument for Christianity is Christians: their joy, their certainty, their completeness. The strongest argument against Christianity is also Christians-when they are somber and joyless, when they are self-righteous and smug in complacent consecration, when they are narrow and repressive, then Christianity dies a thousand deaths. Sheldon Vanauken (quoted on p. xv)
Greg says that without cancer he would have remained that somber, self-righteous, smug, narrow-minded Christian who turns people off. Yeah…don’t want to do that either. I’m eternally grateful that God’s grace has ramrodded my life. It took me from a legalistic, pompous fool pretending to be religious and having all the answers, to (hopefully) one who is grace-filled and loves people genuinely for who they are not what they can give me. I don’t want to be one who misses the joy of following Jesus and doing His will willingly for any amount of money in the world.
Join me will you?
I wrote and scheduled the above yesterday
{Update: the surgery went well. But typing is a challenge. There is no splint, but my hand is wrapped in this big bulk of gauze and wrap. I’m supposed to put ice on it but I’m not sure how that is to be done. I slept in my recliner last night to keep it elevated. Not sure I will do that tonight. 🙂 Some good news: the doctor said if it heals well I can start using it and riding in 3 weeks, not five. YAY!! Continued prayers would be appreciated}
Praying for a quick and complete healing for you, Bill. You could try speaking your posts and sermons into your computer’s microphone and letting it type, although what mine types often makes me think I must have a speech problem. Lol!
Thx for the suggestion Pam but I see what happens when I do that while driving or voice texting and often it is nowhere close to what I said. 🙂
This is great news, Bill! Just do what the doctor told you and your hand will be as good as new in no time. Yes, I’ll certainly keep you in my prayers.
Blessings!
Thx Martha. Prayers are appreciated
Praying for a speedy recovery Bill, I am praising God that He has already sped things up by two weeks, thank-you Father. I hope doing both fingers at the same time, you received a surgery discount, got the second finger for free. LOL 😁
Thx Gail. And on that last thought? I’m guessing probably not. I will have to wait to see whenever IU Health gets around to sending the bill. 🙂
I was developing it in both hands, affecting the ring fingers. It’s genetic — common in males of northern European descent – Scandinavia and the British Isles (blame the Vikings). My wife’s Pilates instructor suggesting using a melt ball for a few minutes daily. Every evening, while watching television, I press each finger individually into a melt ball in the palm of my hand. It worked for me – pain stopped, curving flattened like normal. I still have the bump in the palm from the bunched cartilage, but it works for the pain and curving.
Mine involved the tendon sheath. He showed it to me and let me feel it. It was like rubber band. I had waited too long. I will give your method a try on my other hand has begun developing it. Thx for the tip.
Praying for a quick recovery Bill!
Thx Ryan. And thx again for lunch on Sunday