Fingers-Update; Christmas Shopping

Been resting a lot lately. This stupid hand is making me tired.

So last Thursday when I went back to the doctor (myself), he gave me medicine for 2 more days, and apparently told me to come back in 2 more days as well. Which I...did not catch.

On Tuesday at Dong Sang, I was talking with my CT and telling her that the doctor had said that I have to have the cast on for 4 weeks. We were looking at the calendar and I (miscalculatingly) thought that that day came close to the Christmas holiday, so I was worried about having to keep the cast on for an extra week if I didn't get it off on the 23rd. My CT said, he didn't tell you when to come back? And I said, no, he didn't give me a specific date...so that in addition to the fact that I told her that my parents wanted to see an xray or the doctor's notes about the fractures prompted her to suggest that we go see the doctor after school on Wednesday. I was so happy that she suggested that, because I hate asking people to come with me places all the time like I am a 6 year old.

When we got there, I found out that I was supposed to have come back to the doctor's on Monday...so it's lucky that my CT is so awesome and insisted on taking me. It was particularly lucky because we needed to make some changes to my current treatment. At that point I was only in a half-cast which started at the back of my fourth finger and went 270 degrees around my hand in the direction towards my pinky. Actually, maybe only about 210 dgrees, because my fourth knuckle was exposed. Anyhow, when the doctor took a second xray to check the healing progress, he discovered that there was none. Thus, he told me that I had to switch to a full cast (no slipping out of this one) in order for healing to occur in a timely fashion. I'm thinking, man this smells - I have hardly been using the hand at all - why has it not gotten better? Now I have this neon-green piece of fashion spanning half-way up my arm, which, if not expediting the healing process due to some malfunction in my body which is attempting to ruin my 2009 triathlon career, functions merely as warmth, as well as potential weaponry (is it classified as weaponry if I maintain stasis and a child comes crashing into me due to disregard of any and all other objects that might exist in his vicinity?). At least it is neon green though. I gotta hand it to the doctor - he knows how to create silver lining. At least for someone as easily amused as myself.

Anyway. I have to be without-hand until December 30, minimum. At that time I am to return to the doctor and get another xray to see if I am ready to break free and commence therapy...although being realistic, I don't think that freedom will be granted on that day, especially since there was no progress in one entire week of almost exclusive rest. But I'm hoping!

I went back yesterday (Thursday) - doctor's orders - so that I could voice any discomfort, etc that I might be having, and to have one last check before my vacation from my busy schedule of visits to the doctor. He also informed us today that while cycling indoors and running are acceptable activities, sweating is not conducive to a speedy recovery...hmmm.... that is NOT good news. I mean I have to exercise...so maybe I will just severely cut down on food and water intake prior to exercise so that my body cannot generate the profusion of sweat that usually accompanies my exercise...(don't worry, that was partly a joke...). BAH.

But no time to dwell on that, because I had to finish my Christmas shopping last night so I can send it out today and hopefully have it arrive in Weymouth by Christmas Eve. Actually, most of my shopping was done last night...it was almost embarrassing how many bags I had. Towards the end I actually couldn't fit down some aisles because of the extra width I had accumulated. But I got some great stuff (although I wish I could have gotten more - there are some great gifts that I wish I could have gotten 10 of and given to everyone, but I only had limited limbs for carrying and limited space in the package I am going to send (although it is still going to be monstrous I think...some of my friends have already sent packages and one girl said hers was 15kg...I think mine might be similar...haha :) ). So I will have to wait to send over more things. Anyway. That was fun - good times shopping with some great friends who I haven't seen in a while...oh man...there were some great laughs, let me tell you. Good times.

On a separate note, I want to include a priceless conversation with a student yesterday. It was between classes and I was writing notes that would accompany my gifts, and a student came up to me and we had the following transaction:

Boy: Hi!
Me: Hello!
Boy: What are you doing?
Me: I'm writing a a letter to my sister!
Boy: (Starts to smile meekly, then bows). Thank you. (And runs away.)

Hahahaha. I thought that was great. That entertained me for a few hours.

Ok I must go to class. Yay for Fridays...

The Dinner

Saturday was the dinner that I have been nervous about for the past few weeks. I'm not going to go into too much detail here (I will save that for an email), but lets just say that there were many surprises, lots of nausea, and (thus) lots of imbibed alcohol. I'll give the focal points: the whole team was there (surprise #1, achieving highest level of nausea); after dinner we moved on to another venue for some more talking/drinking (and it was actually a REALLY nice venue at that...); it lasted 5 hours. The rest is email material.

On Sunday I did my longest consecutive run ever: 2 hours!!! (Actually I stopped once after 105 minutes for one minute because I had just run up a monkey load of stairs and my legs were really tired so I stretched briefly, but other than that (and one brief bathroom break), no stopping! My legs are still sore. I went home after that and did almost none of the things that I had planned to do for the remainder of the day, so I think I am going to have to forego Korean today to get some of those things done (unfortunately) :(. But I am very proud of myself to have surpassed the 2-hour mark!

Current typing speed: 37 wpm (left-handed). Goal by the end of December: 50wpm.