Edith here, writing from north of Boston and feeling a bit anxious.
Anxious about what? I had two books release last month that are selling well. I’ve completed the first draft of novel #27. Neither I nor anyone in my family has contracted COVID-19, and I have a roof over my head and a good heating system heading into a New England winter. All good, right? Of course.
I’m anxious because of that unfortunate picture. I am heading into the literal body shop on Thursday to have the disintegrated base of my left thumb rebuilt. It’s a problem that has grown increasingly more painful over the last four years, with bone on bone and no joint space left to put an injection into. A surgical procedure called opponensplasty can fix it.
I shouldn’t be anxious. It’s day surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital with a highly regarded surgeon experienced in the procedure. I won’t have general anesthesia. I’ll be in good hands and am having the required COVID test this afternoon. Still, it’s a medical procedure, and ya just never know on all kinds of fronts. (Yes, I have already cast my ballot for November 3. Ya just never know…)
And then? Uh, six weeks without the use of my thumb. Gah! I’ve been trying out doing all kinds of things without using my left opposable digit and discovering how much will be impossible. If you came to visit starting on Friday – which you won’t, so that we all retain our COVID-free status – you would find me braless and wearing elastic-waisted pants. Yeah, that thumb thing. I’ll be relying on Hugh for a lot as it is, and asking him to button my jeans and fasten my bra might put him over the top.
I am nothing if not a list maker. About a month ago, I started drawing up a list of everything I needed to get done before October 22nd. It kept growing and it’s still not all crossed off. I included blog obligations for November, because I want to save any strength in my fingers for writing fiction.
I’m hoping to get to the garden chores today. And I can cross off the Oct 20 Wickeds item – this post! Actually, I should have gotten the newsletter item sent out by today, too, and I now see I never added VOTE – also done.
If you have any prayers, good thoughts, or healing energies hanging around, I could use them on Thursday morning!
Readers: What do you do to calm anxieties? Are you a list-maker?