Until November 16, 2008.
We were playing High Performance Diesel, a formidable opponent lead by my friend, and frequent blog commenter, Hank "Big Country" Myers. It was the third game and I set up across from Hank to block. Apparently, he thought he could blow one past my outstretched arms. He was wrong. (Of course, usually he is right, and pounds the ball past me easily, on this occasion, I got the block.) Unfortunately, Hank's hit smashed into the tip of my thumb with great, GREAT force.
Now, dear friends, I'm not going to lie to you, my thumb hurt, bad. But my first instinct was that he bent my nail back, maybe jammed it a bit, but nothing more. The first thing I looked at was the nail. It was white and bruised, like a nail would be that was bent back.
(My nail...I thought the ball just bent it back.)
When the play was over, I called a time-out. I shook it a little, and said let's go. Dad asked if I wanted some tape, I thought that would be a good idea, you know, to keep my thumb nail from bending back again. I was on the weak side when the play happened (for those of you not in the know, it's the right, front) and when the match was over, I was in the middle front. So, I made almost a complete rotation on the court.
I joked around after the game that he got me good. People started to mention that it "looked broken" and one guy even got nauseous when he saw it. It did look kinda strange, but it couldn't be broken, right? I mean, if it were broken, I would have run off the court screaming, right?
When I got home, I snapped a few picks.
(The pad of my thumb...a little bruised.)
(The money shot...does this look broken to you?)
(Bending my first knuckle...I think something is wrong here!)
I re-taped it and went to bed. I couldn't sleep. My thumb was throbbing. I took some stuff, and drifted off. The next morning, the pain was back and my thumb was turning black. Becky called in sick to help with Hendrix, and I went to PromptMed.
(The swelling was worse on day 2.)
I arrived at PromptMed at 7:30, and let's just say, "PromptMed" isn't very Prompt. I was told the X-ray technician wouldn't be in until 9, so I took a nap in the doctor's office.
I was finally whisked away to the x-ray room, and then after another wait, the doctor returned.
"I hope you're proud of yourself," she said, x-ray in hand.
(Thumb position in x-ray.)
(X-ray number 1.)
(X-ray number 2.)
Um, yeah, I guess it was broken.
I went to see another doctor (not for a second opinion, but because PromptMed couldn't do anything else) and he said surgery was in order. I was thinking, "Ok, they will re-set the bone, I'll tape that bad boy up and I'll be ready for the tourney in 2 weeks."
But, then he said they would be inserting a pin...I knew my season was over.
I went to the Surgery Center, where the nurse instructed me to strip down to my socks and underwear and put on the lovely surgery robe. This was difficult...ever try tying the strings of a hospital gown, you know, the ones in the back?? Now, have you ever tried tying those with a broken thumb?? Not easy.
I sat in the bed for over an hour before the doc came and took me to surgery. They started by giving me shots to numb my thumb. This, my friends, felt like an injection of molten lava into my thumb...with each CC of the numbing med, it felt like my thumb was about to explode. After three shots, he began.
It was pretty cool to see him manipulating my thumb bone on the x-ray screen until finally it was back into place. Then he busted out the drill. The nurse began asking me arbitrary questions that i'm sure were designed to take my mind off the drill. But, I felt no pain. He drilled into the tip, straight down past the knuckle. He inserted the pin and put a little yellow ball on the end to hold it.
He "baby-proofed" my thumb by giving me extra wrapping...I do have a five month old, you know, and he can kick like nobody's business!!
(My baby-proofed thumb...note the ginormous bruise on my palm!)
(Another view.)
Ok, now this is where the photos get gross. Below is the yellow ball that holds the pin, followed by three links...click them AT YOUR OWN RISK!! They are pretty gross, but not way gross. Thought you would like to see them...
(Yellow, pin holding, ball.)
Disturbing Thumb Image #1
Disturbing Thumb Image #2
Disturbing Thumb Image #3
I have a doctor's appointment Wednesday, the 10th to hopefully get the pin out after 3 weeks of immobility. A few weeks of rehab and I should be good to go for co-ed in January!
(On a personal note, thanks for breaking my thumb, Hank! That was the most expensive block I ever had. Can't wait to get healed so you can buy me that steak...because, as you said, I have to be healed because you won't be cutting my steak for me!! ha ha.)
(Also, much thanks to my mom, who came and helped with Hendrix the first week...you just don't know how much you use your thumb until you can't! Thanks to Becky for week 2 help, and thanks to dad for helping when mom and Becky couldn't.)
