the pity party wraps up

I've been nursing these burns on my arm for the last week. Second degree burns, particularly ones that cover your entire left bicep, are quite painful. And because your left bicep moves everytime you move your arm, it can be hard to keep still, hard to keep a bandage on, and it can leave you tired and cranky. I was a total grouch all last week. I didn't want to get dressed, because getting dressed hurt. And I didn't want to leave the house because putting on a coat and driving hurt. But I had things to do and places to go and so I did them -- grouchily and unwillingly.

So I returned to the doctor yesterday for a follow-up visit yesterday. She said that it is a really bad burn (yes). It is starting to heal (finally). It might not scar as bad as she had originally thought (here's hoping). I told her that I have been trying to be really protective of it by wearing really loose sleeves and while I normally work out three times a week, I haven't been going to the gym. (I should confess that I typically work out in the evenings, and this lapse-due-to-injury happened to coincide beautifully with cold nights, early darkness, and a desire to snuggle with my puggle on the sofa and eat lots of warm, cheesy dinners). Anyway, the doctor told me that working out would be good for my arm, would keep the skin from getting tight as it healed (gross) and help the circulation. She said that while I'm home and just sitting around reading a book or whatever, I can have the burn open and that will help it heal.

It seems clear that my pity party needs to end. It still hurts, but I can pop a couple ibuprofen and manage to vacuum. So, no more sleeping in. No more skipping work outs. No more bumming around on the couch telling myself I'll finish the laundry when my arm feels better. I'm back to normal. (The stretchy arm tubes Jamie provided are a HUGE help with this -- they stay in place without cutting off my circulation!) And I will need to be running at full speed this weekend, as I coordinate a wedding. A wedding with eight bridesmaids, two flower girls, two ring bearers, a junior bridesmaid and two candelighters. No, I'm not kidding. Stay tuned.