Yesterday, I had a partial thyroidectomy. Everything is going well and I'll blog about the actual experience later, but I wanted to tell you about one of the most stressful parts of the surgery. No, it wasn't the uncertainty of exactly what the surgeon was going to find or do, or the rigors of the anesthesia,which I hate. No, one thing that stressed me a LOT was the fact that I had to take off my wedding ring. I don't mean that it was some of kind of emotional event to take off the ring I've worn for 31 years. No, I mean that the act of actually physically getting that ring off was stressful. I can't even remember the last time I took it off. It was probably about 22 years ago when I had some minor surgery. Five years ago, for our 25th anniversary, Rene got me a diamond ring. I wanted to wear it on my ring finger, but couldn't get the original plain gold wedding band off even then. Once I got it almost halfway up on my knuckle, but it was turning my finger purple and making it swell, so I gave it up. Well, now it had to come off. I tried everything I had heard of, including Windex and Becky's dental floss trick. All I got out of all that was a very red and swollen finger. Finally, I decided I'd have to have it cut off.
Well, I found out that the emergency room at the hospital charges $80 to cut it off, and a jeweler costs about $20 if you then pay them to fix it afterwards. Well, the ring does have some sentimental value, but we only paid $35 for it 31 years ago!
So here's what I did. I went to Menard's and I bought a skinny little file. I came home and poked some toothpicks under my ring to steady it and to provide some space between the ring and my finger for protection. And then I proceeded to saw my ring apart. It worked like a charm and only took about 12 minutes of filing. I think it is fixable if I ever get around to taking it in to a jeweler to resize it. I think the hangup in getting it off isn't fat fingers, although I freely admit I weigh much more than I did 31 years ago. I think the reason I couldn't get it off is all this flabby, wrinkly old person loose skin! It's a good thing that I had to take it off, too, because the groove on my finger still hasn't gone away and it's been over two days!
8 comments:
At least you run no chance of losing it, like Preston and I have both done.
I know your pain! That stinks that you had to cut it off. Glad your surgery went well. When do you live for Provo?
Becky, we're going to California first for some meetings that Rene has and then stopping in Provo on our way home. So we won't be there until Friday and we're leaving Sunday.
At least you still have it and wore it. Joe doesn't believe in wearing his.
wow, glad everything went well with the surgery! Glad you got the ring off too, I hardly ever wear mine except to go out of the house, a small band would've been much more practical with children and housework.
Not being able to get rings off really freaks me out! Dave bought me a new ring about 5 years ago because the band on mine had completely worn through, and the (very small) diamond had fallen out three or four times. So when we got the new one, I made sure it was plenty loose enough to go over my big knuckle!
I'm glad the thyroid surgery went well. I had a needle biopsy on my nodules about 10 years ago, and I HATED that. I passed out in the doctor's office actually. Was not fun!
Actually, the two needle biopsys were nothing for me--10 minutes and a little tiny bruise. But the hospital certainly took it seriously and treated it almost like surgery.
WOW--that really looks painful!
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