Friday, April 11, 2008

Cars And Thumbs

Apparently my car took offense when I said it couldn't take four round trips in a day...because it wouldn't start when I tried to come home from the food bank yesterday afternoon. Either the keys or the locking mechanism in the Saturn has a weak spot or we just have bad luck with cars as this is the third time in two vehicles that this had occurred. It starts as a sticking or a clicking when turning the key in the ignition. Once it engages there is no problem but sometimes it can take quite a bit of jiggling to get it to start. It usually takes months to get to the point of not being able to turn the key at all but yesterday we went from turning easily to zero movement in about three hours. I don't know if it was the sun, the car being ornery, the fact it was Thursday or what but it was annoying. I called Tarzan and he said to call AAA. I probably should have but we would have had to get it towed and then wait with it or have Tarzan come and get me or whatever. Too irksome. So what did I do? Sat in the car for almost an hour; at intervals, coaxing and cursing the car. In the end it started and it didn't have a problem later that evening when Tarzan came home. (Of course it didn't.) I gave myself a blister on my right index finger though, from turning the key so hard, so often and with so much exasperation.
Speaking of digits, apparently this thumb thing is a condition called "trigger finger." How ironic that I should get it in my thumb no? It's the result of an inflamed tendon, so I was partially right six months ago when it first started to give me troubles. I finally went to the doctor because the middle finger on my right hand stopped bending really well and I figured if this keeps up I will have to become a grape stomper. Anyway, the results are these: my middle finger is just stiff and I need to stop using it for things like, say, scrolling with the handy little wheel in the middle of my mouse. The thumb, however, needs a Cortisone shot to make it all better. I should stop using IT also, but well, I'm left handed so there goes that idea.

This is me and my itchy trigger finger (thumb).

2 comments:

Elizabeth said...

:) rocketgirl and I were armless (she had tendonitis, I had carpul tunnel) at the same time. It was...well, not awesome. But we went through it together. She had it much worse than I did, for SURE!
Cortisone shots are horrible and fabulous at the same time. They freeze your skin, and then stick this shot in you that feels like they are burning your flesh away. But they do help.

Rocketgirl said...

How on earth did this happen?! Did you really use the mouse that much at your job?! I did meet a pianist in Australia that had the same condition just from using his mouse. Honestly, I deserve trigger finger, but since I'm always on a laptop and I use that pad thingy, I guess that's what saves me:) Make your man fix your car. You hear me, Tarzan?!? You better make sure your woman doesn't get stranded, or we'll leave YOU stranded!

From Whence You Cometh