Oh man, what a week. 2012 is off to a rocky start.
On Monday around 9:15 in the morning Clark cut his thumb (essentially) off while using his table saw out in the garage. I know it was 9:15 in the morning because right after it happened I remembered to look at the clock. I had a feeling that time would be of the essence. Turns out it was. We got to the hospital and it wasn't long before they wheeled him off to the OR to either amputate his damaged thumb or try to repair it. Luckily, they were able to reattach it.
Since Monday, I've made the 35 minute drive to and from the hospital many times. I think about how Clark sat quietly in the front seat for 35 minutes holding his severed thumb and apologizing for "ruining" the day off that we had planned to spend as a family. Before we left, I asked him not to tell me how bad it was until we got to the hospital. I can't believe he honored that. You better believe if the tables were turned, I'd be screaming like a crazy thumbless troll and begging for morphine popsicles.
Here's Clark right after getting out of surgery. He will have no recollection of this picture. That tube thingie was blowing warm air on this thumb to improve blood circulation.
Like I said, it's been a long and crazy week. But my heart feels full right now:
- I'm grateful that I didn't have to go search for my husband's thumb in a pile of sawdust out in the garage and put it on ice before leaving for the hospital.
- I'm grateful that we live next door to awesome neighbors with firefighter/EMT expertise. Jared took a look at Clark's thumb and told us to go to the right hospital. Had we gone to any other hospital, we would have wasted precious time being transfered.
- I'm grateful for modern medicine, titanium rods and a determined Turkish plastic surgeon who, despite my best (and poorly timed) efforts to make conversation about the Hagia Sophia, was more focused on getting Clark into the OR.
- I'm grateful for Clark's new Kindle Fire. It was a great distraction while I sat in the OR waiting room imagining the possibility of life married to a short-thumbed man.
- I'm grateful for our ward family and particularly for the bishop of our ward who showed up at the hospital unannounced on Monday night and didn't laugh at me when I finally decided to unleash some of the "weepiness" that had been building up all day long. I am also grateful for Priesthood blessings.
- I'm grateful for my mother-in-law who hit the road just hours after the accident to be with my kids and my sister-in-law Callie for picking up where she left off. There were times when I wished I didn't have so much help available. That hospital cot was no where near as comfortable as my bed at home. And did I mention that the doctor insisted on keeping Clark's room temperature at a minimum of 83 degrees and checking his thumb temperature every hour AROUND THE CLOCK?!? Yeah, not ideal sleeping conditions. And as much as I begged, they wouldn't give me any morphine popsicles to help me sleep. Still, I'm thankful for the resources I have that allowed me to stay at the hospital.
- I'm grateful for my sister for driving three hours from Prescott to spend two nights here at my house. I am deeply touched when I think of her folding my special underwear and emptying all the trash cans in the house. Even the really stinky one full of dirty diapers in Asher's room. Holy cow, I love my sister.
- As much as I hate dealing with our insurance company, I'm super grateful we have health insurance. When all is said and done, Clark will have spent a total of 6 nights in the hospital (fingers crossed that he gets released tomorrow). We probably could have gone on an all expense paid 10 day cruise for the amount we'll spend to meet our deductible and co-insurance for this hospital stay. But it could always be worse. Much, much worse if we had no insurance at all. Plus, this was a vacation of sorts. I haven't had this much uninterrupted alone time with Clark in awhile. There's nothing quite as romantic as giving your spouse (who has been confined to his bed for three days in an 83 degree room) a sponge bath.
- Most of all, I'm grateful for Clark, his calm nature and his sense of humor through all of this. I know it's just a thumb, but this small brush with debility has reminded me of how grateful I am for his good health and well, for him in general. I sure love that thumb and the man attached to it.
On Monday around 9:15 in the morning Clark cut his thumb (essentially) off while using his table saw out in the garage. I know it was 9:15 in the morning because right after it happened I remembered to look at the clock. I had a feeling that time would be of the essence. Turns out it was. We got to the hospital and it wasn't long before they wheeled him off to the OR to either amputate his damaged thumb or try to repair it. Luckily, they were able to reattach it.
Since Monday, I've made the 35 minute drive to and from the hospital many times. I think about how Clark sat quietly in the front seat for 35 minutes holding his severed thumb and apologizing for "ruining" the day off that we had planned to spend as a family. Before we left, I asked him not to tell me how bad it was until we got to the hospital. I can't believe he honored that. You better believe if the tables were turned, I'd be screaming like a crazy thumbless troll and begging for morphine popsicles.
Here's Clark right after getting out of surgery. He will have no recollection of this picture. That tube thingie was blowing warm air on this thumb to improve blood circulation.
Like I said, it's been a long and crazy week. But my heart feels full right now:
- I'm grateful that I didn't have to go search for my husband's thumb in a pile of sawdust out in the garage and put it on ice before leaving for the hospital.
- I'm grateful that we live next door to awesome neighbors with firefighter/EMT expertise. Jared took a look at Clark's thumb and told us to go to the right hospital. Had we gone to any other hospital, we would have wasted precious time being transfered.
- I'm grateful for modern medicine, titanium rods and a determined Turkish plastic surgeon who, despite my best (and poorly timed) efforts to make conversation about the Hagia Sophia, was more focused on getting Clark into the OR.
- I'm grateful for Clark's new Kindle Fire. It was a great distraction while I sat in the OR waiting room imagining the possibility of life married to a short-thumbed man.
- I'm grateful for our ward family and particularly for the bishop of our ward who showed up at the hospital unannounced on Monday night and didn't laugh at me when I finally decided to unleash some of the "weepiness" that had been building up all day long. I am also grateful for Priesthood blessings.
- I'm grateful for my mother-in-law who hit the road just hours after the accident to be with my kids and my sister-in-law Callie for picking up where she left off. There were times when I wished I didn't have so much help available. That hospital cot was no where near as comfortable as my bed at home. And did I mention that the doctor insisted on keeping Clark's room temperature at a minimum of 83 degrees and checking his thumb temperature every hour AROUND THE CLOCK?!? Yeah, not ideal sleeping conditions. And as much as I begged, they wouldn't give me any morphine popsicles to help me sleep. Still, I'm thankful for the resources I have that allowed me to stay at the hospital.
- I'm grateful for my sister for driving three hours from Prescott to spend two nights here at my house. I am deeply touched when I think of her folding my special underwear and emptying all the trash cans in the house. Even the really stinky one full of dirty diapers in Asher's room. Holy cow, I love my sister.
- As much as I hate dealing with our insurance company, I'm super grateful we have health insurance. When all is said and done, Clark will have spent a total of 6 nights in the hospital (fingers crossed that he gets released tomorrow). We probably could have gone on an all expense paid 10 day cruise for the amount we'll spend to meet our deductible and co-insurance for this hospital stay. But it could always be worse. Much, much worse if we had no insurance at all. Plus, this was a vacation of sorts. I haven't had this much uninterrupted alone time with Clark in awhile. There's nothing quite as romantic as giving your spouse (who has been confined to his bed for three days in an 83 degree room) a sponge bath.
- Most of all, I'm grateful for Clark, his calm nature and his sense of humor through all of this. I know it's just a thumb, but this small brush with debility has reminded me of how grateful I am for his good health and well, for him in general. I sure love that thumb and the man attached to it.
2 comments:
Oh poor Clark! I'm so glad everything turned out the best way possible. And poor Margaret! Hope things stay calm for a while. Maybe you should take that ten day cruise! Hugs from St. Louis!
I can't believe he apologized for ruining the day off. I love that guy too. You make a great couple.
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