Balancing Work and Health: a New Concern Arises

Do you know how hard it is to type one-handed? I’m a home keys girl all the way. Yet, single-handedly this post must be written. Read on to find out why.

Where’d that come from?

I noticed a small bump on my left wrist yesterday. It wasn’t painful except for an occasional dull throb every now and again while I was working. This morning I woke up to discover my bump had become a lump.

It had grown to a constant dull pain with an occasional sharp stabbing one. Gripping things seems to aggravate it a bit more. The lump is firm but not hard. It is, however, rather noticeable.

Rather than aggravate it further, I called off from work. Fortunately. it’s a Saturday, so I shouldn’t find myself in too much trouble. Unfortunately, I gave up six hours of overtime pay.

Appointment made

Knowing that one of the doctors would be in the office for a half day on a Saturday, I called as soon as they opened. I was able to get an appointment.

When I arrived, the parking lot was nearly deserted with one car leaving and another parked near the back of the lot. I chose a spot midlot, across from the doors. Inside the reception area, a woman sat scrolling on her phone. I signed in and took a seat.

That was fast

I’d been there only minutes when the woman was called back. Soon after that, the receptionist called me up to complete my check-in and collect my money. I’d barely returned to my seat when the medical assistant appeared.

I was the only one in the waiting area, so she didn’t call my name. She just asked me, “Are you ready?” and held the door open for me. We skipped the scale because it wasn’t long ago that I was there when I was sick. We talked about the weather as she led me to the exam room.

The examination

The MA was quick and efficient. She promised the doctor would be with me shortly. I enjoyed a beautiful painting of a sunrise on a lake surrounded by beautiful, lush trees. The painter’s view was from the middle of the lake. Though there was no bow to indicate they were on a boat. I imagined myself lounging on one as it bobbed along in the quiet of the morning.

It didn’t take long for the doctor to make it to my turn. We talked about my wrist and my pain levels. I told him how my hand felt stiff and tight. He examined the lump visually, and then he pressed on it gently. As he did so, he asked me questions. He then checked me for range of motion.

The diagnosis

He tells me I have a ganglion cyst. He says he’ll need to refer me to a specialist. He says that the treatment will either be aspiration (draining it by inserting a needle into it) or excision (surgical removal). In the meantime, I can continue to work. I have to do so while wearing an immobilizing wrist brace. I’m to ice it after work every day.

Work

My job is very hands-on and physical. I use a 5-axis laser cutting machine to cut (mostly) car parts. I load those parts by screwing them into a fixture and then unload them in reverse. I then free the part from the scrap and deburr it. To free yesterday’s part from its scrap I brought it down on a table like a bludgeon then pulled it apart. I then deburred the part with my grinder, countersink hand reamer, and swivel head deburring pen. Depending on the workload, I do this for eight to ten hours per day.

Truth be told, it’s a good thing I can still work. A specialist is going to cost money. I dread finding out just how much the damage will be.

Call for help

I’ll call the specialist next week to see how soon I can get an appointment. Meanwhile, it’s time to start squirreling away money to pay for whatever procedure the cyst requires. This is where you come in.

My job might be as a laser operator, but my passion and what I hope to one day be a sustaining career is my writing. Purchasing my books will help to push me toward career success, and it will also help me pay my medical bills. You can view all of my books on my Amazon page.

As a writer, I love notebooks. Every project deserves its own space and having a variety of notebooks to choose from allows me to do just that. I created a collection of writing journals to help writers do what they love; write. With cute covers designed by me and 150 lined pages to fill, you’re sure to find something you love. Visit Should Be Writing Journals‘ Amazon page to see them all. They’re available in both paperback and hardcover.

Wish me luck

I’ll keep y’all posted as my treatment moves forward. Fingers crossed that I won’t need surgery. Subscribe below to receive news and updates from tiffanyhigginsauthor.com.

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