My finger, which became deformed when its tendons were snapped several weeks back, has straightened out pretty good now. I've been faithfully wearing a splint to keep it flat, and it seems to be paying off. I doubt my digit will ever be as flexible as it used to be, but at least it looks quasi-normal.
Or will look quasi-normal once I can take my splint off in six more weeks.
In the meanwhile, I get to keep wearing this massive bundle of steel and Velcro...
To be honest, I barely notice it anymore. Even when typing, my brain has re-mapped the letters I typed with it to other fingers, so it's not a big deal. About the only time it bothers me is when I go to wash my hands and have to go to the hassle of taking it off and putting it back on again.
The problem is that other people notice it.
Usually, it's just to ask "What did you do to your finger?"But sometimes it's worse. Like today after work when I went to pay for my groceries at Safeway and the cashier jumped back once she grabbed the money out of my hand. Apparently, she thought my splint was a bug. It's been a while since I've worked retail, but I don't recall people ever handing over insects with their money, so I'm guessing this is a new thing.
So now I'm self conscious about my splint... trying to hide it from people and using my left hand when I have to interact with them. Since I'm right-handed, this leads to even more embarrassing situations so I guess I just can't win. But it beats people thinking that I have a bug infestation problem, so what can you do?
NOTE: I was going to draw a DaveToon here where a giant cockroach is peeking over Lil' Dave's shoulder, but I freak out when I see creepy insects. The idea of Googling pictures of roaches, cutting one out in Photoshop, then compositing it with a DaveToon is enough to make me want to pass out. So instead, I put an ice cream cone back there...
Just picture the ice cream as a cockroach, and everything will be fine.
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You DO realize that they won’t allow you into Dutchyland with a crooked finger, right? Just sayin…
Mmmm, ice cream.
You know I’ve heard that Suzanne Somers could have straightened out your finger with her ass. Just sayin’.
This story reminds me of finding out that Gary Burghoff’s left hand is misshapen and that they almost always shot him from the right or the waist up. Not saying you’re weird just that I never noticed until Cameron pointed it out.
Now you’re all offended. I hate me!
After both my neck surgeries I felt totally self conscious about my wounds. My doctor said they had to stay open to the air in order to heal, but people freaked out when they saw them. I totally understand about the self consciousness. I also understand about it not being a big deal to you, just to other people. I am thinking healing thoughts for you. Hey…maybe I could knit you a mitten or something to wear on that hand to cover it. Because that would definitely be less noticeable than the splint, right?
People keep asking me what I did to my wrist. Ugh. But you can’t mistake it for a creepy bug! I hope your finger heals faster than in 6 weeks!
On the other hand? Kinda looks like he has a cone stuck to his butt… Just sayin’. 😉
(wow, just read the other comments, and it seems a lot of us are “just sayin…”)
Yuuuummmmmmm, ice cream.
Mmmm… ice cream!
(I am ignoring the roach part. But glad your finger is healing, buggy. 🙂
Your post reminded me of this new show on A&E called Obsessed. It’s about how OCD people trying to overcome their fears through therapy. Last week, they were showing a lady which she can’t stand seeing hands moving loosely for no reason. Like, someone talk with hand gesture moving around, she’ll freak and force the person to hide his/her hand. You can be BFF with her for the time being 😀
Thank you so much for not putting a picture of cockroach in your post. Saw all too many when I lived in Florida, and they give me the heebie-jeebies.
Glad your finger’s getting better though.
I have yet to receive any bugs from customers. I guess I just don’t look like I need one bad enough.
Thanks for the ice cream. And regarding the responses to your finger, I think you should shout like Joseph Merrick, “I AM NOT AN ANIMAL!!!”
Uhhhhhhhhh… dude, there’s makeshift anti-static strip on your finger. 🙂
I have a crooked finger from the time I broke it but no one but me thinks it looks crooked.
I also have a scar across my chest that I am really self-conscious about. So, I can understand how you feel, because people would stare at me when I was a kid and say, “What happened to you?”
I think you should attach a plastic cockroach to the splint.
Roaches freak me right out. Ice cream, on the other hand, is happy. Now I’m craving a chocolate cone.
You think that splint is bad??? AMATEUR!!! I’ve had to wear ginormous leg immobilizers that made people veer around me as though I had some kind of body-deforming contagion. Recently I had to wear this HUGE shoe-clog for a month due to foot surgery. It looked Fan-freaking-tastic in the season of short skirts and capri pants. I got a LOT of odd looks and a few, “Holy crap…what’s that on your foot?” People are dumb-asses when it comes to healing devices! Wear that splint with pride…and make up a story about how you were climbing Mt. Everest and slipped and held on for dear life with that one finger for 10 hours while the wind and snow whipped around you.