Ever have your hand "go to sleep" on you because you were lying on it? Then the feeling of "pins and needles" as circulation returned. Well, right now, that's a constant feeling in my right hand, because it and my arm are swollen. I can barely move my fingers, but they aren't cold. I have an appointment with the surgeon in a few hours. It's probably time to pull out the suture and let the wound drain. It stopped draining yesterday morning, and the arm slowly swelled. I'm not looking forward to them pulling the suture, it's a continuous stitch along an incision that's around 9 inches long. It feels like it's burning when they pull it out.

You’ve been through the ringer - so sorry!

He asked me when they took out the drain and I said I didn't know there was a drain.  If there was a drain, then the therapist took it out last Friday.  I don't believe there was a drain, though.  He wasn't happy that I stopped taking the pain medications, but I'm almost out of them and he doesn't write for more and the area that he's targeting isn't affected by the pain meds. So, I'm taking NSAIDS, and maybe these hiccups will go away soon.  He directed the occupational therapist to put full length compression sleeve.  Under that, she first put on several strips of kinesiology tape.  Now, if I could just find that compression glove I saw a few days ago, but now can't remember where.  Stitches will come out next week in a therapy session.  He wants me back in 3 weeks.

Egads. Here's hoping it all wears off *real* soon. A person can't maintain that state for long.

my rheumatologist dropped my dosages of acetaminophen and naproxen 3 months ago for that very reason, as well as potential liver damage.