Surgery Day = Self-Care Day
This week I had thumb surgery.
In a large metro area full of hospitals somehow it had to be done at Swedish Issaquah, where my late husband, Dennis, had radiation treatments for his brain cancer.
It’s a hospital I’ve only been to once or twice, except for taking him to those appointments – so it was impossible to walk in without flashing right back to that time.
But I digress.
My thumb has been terribly painful for the last six months. I was managing, sort of – but when I looked at the situation in terms of needing a functioning hand for the next 50 years, I said yes to surgery.
What started as basic arthritis devolved to a point where more drastic action was needed after I replaced my hot water heater last fall. The gripping required to loosen the old metal pipes was so much that I almost gave up and called someone stronger to help. Eventually I did get the pipes apart myself – and my hand was never the same.
As I understand it, the arthritis flared so badly it would never un-flare, so on Thursday the surgeon took out a little bone and worked some doctor magic to make the thumb joint functional again. (After much upcoming hand therapy, of course.)
All of this has me thinking: In a world where we are constantly being told we need to make time for self-care, is fixing one’s hand so it remains useful in the back half of life a decisive step in that direction?
Is fixing one’s hand so it remains useful in the back half of life a decisive step in the direction of self-care?
Self-care is a popular topic these days. Instagrammers and TikTokers have all sorts of suggestions for how we might engage it in, plus exhortations about its importance. If you’re anything like me – a widowed mom with two teens, a full load of work, and a home to manage (including that blasted water heater) – it can feel like yet another obligation.
Because let’s face it: It’s hard to make time for self-care. I got a massage gift card for my birthday a couple of months ago but haven’t scheduled anything yet. I have a beautiful set of bath bombs, but they are infrequently used. And sure, I’d love to take a relaxing vacation to someplace amazing (and warm!), but that isn’t likely happening any time soon.
But you know what? This week I got my thumb fixed. Post-op me has been pretty miserable, but future me will be happy about it.
And that, my friends, is one very important type of self-care.
By the way, everything about this ordeal has increased my resolve retire myself from future home improvement projects.
And you know, I think I’ll get that massage scheduled just as soon as the doctor clears me for it.
