On the Road to Recovery

Well, it's now been five weeks since I cut my hand on the lid of that bleeping applesauce can. The laceration itself is healing really well, and the scar isn't anything even close to the hideous disfigurement I once feared it would be. I still don't have any sensation along one side of my pinky though, as I damaged the nerve that runs along the outer edge of the hand and out to the tip of the pinky.

From what I've read, nerves can take a long time to heal. As in, many months, or sometimes over a year. So I'm still hopeful (i.e. counting on the fact) that I'll get the feeling back, as I'm pretty attached to all of my fingers. I'm afraid I didn't appreciate that littlest one as much as I should have before, but then you never miss a good thing until it's gone. Or at least not speaking to you.

Although it's still tender, I'm able to do most everything that I need to with my pinky these days, like typing, scratching, carrying bags, shampooing, and even (gently) high-five'ing. Even so, it's odd to have a part of your body not feel like you, and not respond to your brain's signals the way it used to. Even if it's a little part. My numb finger allows objects to slip out of my hand on rare occasions, and delays my reaction time to remove the stir spoon from a hot soup pot by a split second, and (most discouraging of all) it just doesn't hit a piano key quite right.

I'm healing though, and the photos below track my progress. (We didn't actually get a photo right after the incident, as we were distracted trying to stop the bleeding and get to the clinic, etc.)

Same Day, after the first round of cleaning and bandages

3 Days Later

10 Days Later

1 Month Later