why did the mean pea cross the road?

to use up all my health insurace!

okay, not really. in mean pea news: i saw another orthopedist, and he told me that indeed, there was more messed up in my hand than simply a ganglion cyst. however, he was pretty sure that my messed up palm wasn't dupuytren's contracture. it's more of a generalized fascia contracture, meaning that for some reason the tissue in that area of my palm is scarring and thickening, causing pain and pressure. dupuytren's usually occurs under or around a tendon, though, resulting in an awesome claw hand, and my fascia contracture seems to be not affecting the tendons of my hand. it's totally beginning to press upon my carpal tunnel, though. whoo! hence the burning pain down my wrist and occasional hand weakness.

he told me that they could operate on my hand and get rid of the pea and try to reduce the scarring and thickness of my palm. he also told me that the surgery to get rid of the scar tissue often just causes a lot more scar tissue, and that one of the only ways to allieviate that was to leave me with an open fucking incision (i added the f-bomb), and let the scar work it's way up through my flesh and heal there. my hand wouldn't be a claw, but it would be all frankenstein-y. because the mean pea showed up after the fascia contracture, he thinks they're related, and just going in and removing the pea probably won't do that much good, since it will most likely grow back, only bigger and meaner this time.

what does all this mean? it means that the appointment the ortho made with the hand surgeon i cancelled. honestly, three doctor's appointments in as many weeks used all pretty much all of my health care benefits for the year. the kids better not get polio, is all i'm saying. from everything i've read and everything the doctor's have told me, my best bet is to wait until my hand becomes an unbearable nightmare, and then operate on it. in the meantime, i'm still working it out, still knitting and typing and making sure not to bump the mean pea into anything because that hurts like a sonofabitch, still a bit achey, but glad i at least know what's going on. the mean pea is relieved to know he gets to hang around for a few more years, and now i have a lot of medical terminology to throw around like i know what it means. we all win a little! although i think the pea makes out best in this situation. asshole.