Hand Injury

Saturday, May 20, 2006

As you can read from an earlier post, I had a little injury occur to my hand in a game of basketball. I didn’t think much about it after it had happened. I continued to play. While it felt sore and my shot was off (it typically always is), I figured it was only jammed.

By nights end, my hand had swollen up a bit, but I still didn’t think much of it. It was very sore and didn’t feel entirely right, but I still thought it was a jammed finger. Over the course of the night, I woke up a few times because my hand was bothering me.

When I woke up, it was still swollen. I decided to continue my work plans, so I took a taxi to Hopital Fann, where my main project is, and stayed for about 2 hours. I decided that because the weekend was approaching, I needed to make a decision about my hand; whether to cut it off or not.

I called the Peace Corps/Senegal Med Office and went there after the Hospital. They looked at the hand and put ice on it. There wasn’t much consensus, but it was decided that I have an x-ray done. The radiology office which I suppose the PC typically uses, was closed for lunch, so I waited around the PC/Senegal headquarters for a few hours with ice on my hand, before taking a taxi with one of the PCMOs (Peace Corps Medical Officer) to the radiologist.

At the radiologist, I was seen almost right away…much quicker than a doctor’s office in the States. They took the x-ray and within minutes, I saw it. I didn’t get a great look at it, but there was a noticeable break on one of my right hand fingers.

I found it kinda funny. It probably isn’t something to laugh at, but fortunately, it hasn’t been too painful…atleast yet. Humor in my injuries has kinda been a norm. I still laugh about the night I got stitches in my head freshman year. I’m sure my parents’ still remember me calling home around 10:30 one night laughing and telling them I was going to the hospital because I had a gash in my head due to jumping up and hitting an exit sign, but that we had to wait till our food was delivered. What a great night it was.

After the radiologist, I headed home. With it being Fiday afternoon, little could be done. My PCMO was going to try and have an appointment made at an orthopedist of Saturday.

Currently, it is Saturday at 10:30. My hand is still swollen and hurts a bit. I don’t know how I can type, but I can. Every once in awhile, my finger makes a clicking noise, which may mean it is broken. My PCMO just called me 5 minutes ago to tell me that I have an appointment this morning and I am waiting on a PC driver to come get me. Hopefully the Orthopedist puts me in a full body cast and I can have people sign it…it might be pretty cool.

Overall, the Peace Corps/Senegal Medical and Support staff has been amazing. Numerous times I have been amazed by their dedication. It is nice being in Dakar to have them close by.