Surgery and Friends

I hadn't realized until I saw them, how much I missed my friends!!! I have several young ladies that I am privileged to know, and two are currently visiting me: Jessie and Melissa. Being tackled and squeezed, strolling down the old town shops, and lying in the shade on picnic blankets has made today a vacation...and honestly, I won't be getting one this year so that's important. I have to make my days off into mini-vacations.

However, this morning, as I was cleaning up the front yard, I met some unruly thorns- one of which is now buried in my arm. It has been painful, literally a "thorn in my side" but I have ignored it because today has been delightful! Tonight as we finished our Chinese food and musical (Kiss Me Kate), I decided to quickly extract it.

Thankfully, Melissa, like me, enjoys this kind of thing so I had an accomplice. Jessie was a little squeamish so she held the magnifying glass (complete with LED light) and later was demoted to stenographer. (Which is how I've captured some of our quotes during "Surgery"!

I started with a safety pin and tweezers. However, the splinter is invisible...well, in too deep. Melissa then asked if I wanted to let her try. Ok, I thought, sure! I can't find it so I'll just let her try. 

"Hmm," she said, "you want to use my lance?" 

"Your what?" I asked, wondering what a lance was. In my mind those were giant weapons...

"Here, I'll go get it." and Melissa disappeared for a moment to return with what looked like a dental tool with a miniature spearhead on top!

My eyes could not have gotten any bigger. It looked VERY sharp.

"Ok, are you ready?" she asked with a smile. 

"Um, I don't know."

"You should get ice", she said.

"Ok, ice. Yeah that sounds good." I darted down the stairs for a bowl of ice and a paper towel.

When I returned my stool had been pulled out from under the desk to serve as the operating table.

I iced my arm for a little bit and we began. I couldn't watch. It's easier to imagine it hurts if you're watching it, you know. Jessie tried to distract me and asked me about butterflies. I don't have a favorite so it didn't work as well as she'd hoped.

"I need more ice!" I squeaked out.

"She needs something to bite on." Melissa said.

"No, I need to not feel my arm!" I replied. 

"They used to give people something to bite on when they amputated limbs." Melissa stated with the most serious face.

"Well, we are NOT amputating my arm." And then as I looked up at Jessie, she had the face Pascal makes (from the movie Tangled) when Rapunzel is healing Eugene's hand. "Why are you making that face?!" I laughed with her. And then a small tinge of pain made me hide my face again. 

Finally, Melissa gave up, she couldn't find the splinter. I wanted another go, so I asked for her scalpel and began to search the place on my arm where the splinter was hiding. 

"We just need to shave that layer of skin off." Melissa said. 

"Yes, well, we're not going to."

Eventually I announced to Jessie that surgery was closed for the evening. It might resume again tomorrow evening if my arm gets worse. I am looking forward to a half day of work and then more play time with my friends!