You Don't Know What You Have Until It's Gone + The Seamier Side of Regency London

[kamreadsandrecs]

You know how some disasters happen and you don't know how or why they happen, they just do? Well, this is one of those instances. I'm currently typing this semi-onehanded because my right hand (woe betide me) is in a bandage, redolent of liniment, because I woke up this morning to the greatest pain I have known to happen on that particular hand. There's a swelling just about the same size as a ping-pong ball on my wrist, marking where stabbing pain emanates from the spot between my thumb and forefinger whenever I try to move it. And I swear to God, it's localized, acute, stabbing pain. Touch the spot, even gently, and I wail. Moving my wrist makes me whimper. I can't write with a pen, can barely feed myself, and can't tie my hair up. It's only fortunate my lectures are in Powerpoint, because if I had to write on the board I wouldn't be able to conduct lessons.

I swung by the university clinic just a few minutes ago, and I was given two tabs of mefanamic acid plus a prescription for a more powerful painkiller. I was also rebandaged after having my wrist smothered in Ben-gay, which, truth to tell, isn't really helping much, but it's better than nothing. I'll be popping the pills in a bit, after I've had lunch.

And no offense to all the southpaws reading this, but it sucks being lefthanded right now.

--~*~--

On the brighter side of things, I managed to acquire an interesting new novel, titled Ratcatcher by James McGee. It shows a darker, seamier side to Regency-era London, one you don't get in Austen or O'Brian or Novik. It's more akin to Dickens, really, since it takes place in the slums, but don't expect any sweet-faced orphans begging for some more. In this version of London, even the orphans are dangerous, and none of them sweet.

As for the lead character, Matthew Hawkwood, he is fascinating too. Mysterious and feared by the ne'er-do-well of London's underbelly, he cuts an intriguing figure reminiscent of Hatter Madigan from The Looking Glass Wars and Seeing Redd. And I really like Hatter Madigan as a character, but Hawkwood's wicked-cool because he's a great crack shot.

Meh, have rambled enough already. Typing with one hand takes out the desire to write more complicated ramblings.

Comments

[thelittleone]

Ouch. D: I hope your wrist feels better soon.

Also, this novel, it intrigues me. Hawkwood is a cool name.

[le-chatnoir.livejournal.com]

It's pretty much okay right now, but I seem to have lost some of the dexterity I used to have on that hand. I can't bend it as far back or as far forward as I can my left hand, and even then there's a bit of pain when I do so. I may have to get this checked out for serious at some point in time, but I don't know when.

Oh well. At least I can type two-handed now.

[thelittleone]

Having it checked out might be a good idea. At least it doesn't sound like carpal tunnel syndrome. =\ At least I hope it doesn't.

[kat-on-table.livejournal.com]

o.0 How'd that happen? Hope it's nothing torn or broken and that it gets better soon.

[le-chatnoir.livejournal.com]

You know, I have absolutely no idea. I think it's from gripping the mouse a bit to tightly, since the pain is between my thumb and forefinger, but it could be something else. The doctor in the DLSU clinic said I might've used it to prop myself up the wrong way - a distinct possibility, but again, something I don't quite remember. At this stage, the mouse seems a likely culprit for this.

[nisa-dranyam.livejournal.com]

What happened? :c hope you feel better with your hand. it sucks not being able to turn pages properly.

[le-chatnoir.livejournal.com]

It seems more or less okay now, so general suckage at not being able to turn pages properly (not to mention multitask eating while reading) has been reduced somewhat. Still, I don't think the dexterity and flexibility of my wrist is quite back to normal yet - which is sad, because I kinda pride myself on having semi-doublejointed wrists.

As for what happened, I'm thinking it was the overuse of the mouse, or holding it too tightly, since the pain was between my thumb and forefinger.