I give you: the finger :p

 I know: I`m waaay behind on posting. I had (and still have) discomfort on my right ring finger. 

Diagnosed with a so called `trigger finger` I first went to the handtherapist. After 6 weeks of fruitless exercises and massages (on what turned out to be the wrong spot) my doctor sent me to a plastic surgeon.

Two weeks later I had a `trigger finger release operation` Ah the medical phrases you learn. What hurt the most (and I mean really hurt) was the numbing injection. When the nurse removed the cloth they cover you up with, I was sent home with this..

I thought they must have sliced my entire hand open. A little anxious i removed all this after 2 days and found a lightning shaped little cut that could easily be covered by a cheerfull green plaster. I guess they like a bit of exaggeration at the local hospital.

After another 2 weeks the stitches were removed, it took about the same amount of time for all the dead skin to dissapear and now I have this

Looks all healed but: my finger is still rather swollen, it hurts when used. Can`t bent it properly and the scar itself hurts rather a lot when touched.

So here we are: can`t cut fabric and although I can hand quilt, I have a speed from 10 stitches/hour.

I read, I played internet games, I took several walks, went to Ikea, got bored.

According to the surgeon it can take another 6 to 8 weeks (aaaaaaagh)and if not better by then: back to the handtherapist (aaaaagh)

Oh, and she (the surgeon) found a similar obstruction at my index finger. I think the phrase f….ing hell is indeed appropriate here.

(I noticed that it is hardly possible to react on my blog. I read somewher how to fix that, but I forgot where… If someone really wants to contact me: carpequiltem@gmail or hop over to my carpequiltem insta.

Dianne: your lovely comments just popped up: thanks and sorry I missed them at the time)

Keep calm and quilt on

 Lately I noticed that I couldn`t bend and stretch my right ring finger as freely as it should. And while bending and stretching, it made a soft cracking sound. It became increasingly painfull as well. My doctor diagnosed it as a “trigger finger” and sent me to a fysiotherapist. 

I had the intake there yesterday. The therapist asked about my hobbies. Ofcourse she had no clue what patchwork and quilting was. When I explained she said (while typing):”ah, with a sewing machine “ and was horrified when I replied that I am a HANDquilter…LOL

Anyway, she made a brace and told me that it had to stay on 24 hours, 7 days, for starters and that I should not use that finger at all if possible, except to do prescribed excersises. 

I considered myself lucky that it was this finger. After all, you don`t use it while quilting!

Phew!

How wrong was I!! You use it all the time when grabbing something. I couldn`t pull a needle through anymore. And I was making such good progress on the Granny Square!

(The sun made some strange shadows on the picture, but the quilting is visible..)

I didn`t have a needle puller at hand, so I made one myself.

I padded the pair of pliers not to damage the needle and although it slowed me down considerably, it worked. Sort of.

Another nifty tool I gifted myself is a ergonomic rotarycutter. I choose one from Marti Michell.

What a difference this thing makes!! I never ever cut so many layers at once with so little effort. I cut a bunch of scraps to shreds just for fun, because I just couldn`t stop cutting haha. I forgot to take a picture, the orange pieces were the last ones left on the table.

Now let`s order a genuine needle puller and see if that keeps me quilting on (with the wretched brace)…Not quilting would mean I need a psychotherapist and probably a divorce lawyer in the near future.