I’ve been putting this thing off. Kind of hoping it would go away on its own. Turns out, I have to do something about it. More candles on the birthday cake means gifts and celebration and also a gentle acceptance that my body is wearing down.
I have a ganglion cyst on my right index finger. This little cyst fills up with fluid and looks like an angry blister, then it ruptures and leaves me with a sore spot, an open wound that could become infected. It heals over and then the process starts all over again. I’ve lived with this nuisance since April, wearing a Hydroseal Band-aid most all the time. Ganglion cysts (many people have them on their wrists) are tricky because there is a stem that reaches down to the joint. They are really a manifestation of arthritis in the joint whereby the capsule of the joint weakens and fluid leaks out. Because the joint is involved and needs to be debrided, treatment requires a hand surgeon.
Really, surgery seems like overkill for this relatively minor problem. But there it is.
My surgery is this afternoon. I haven’t had anything to eat since yesterday evening, so I hope this post makes sense. For most of us, a surgery involving the right index finger would be an inconvenience, but not a huge deal. But, for a photographer, well . . . that’s the shutter-pressing, dial-turning finger. The very important mouse-clicking, typing finger. I’m hoping for a swift recovery. My friend Cathy managed to take pictures and post with a broken right wrist, and she’s my inspiration. I’ve got this.