Three weeks ago I hacked a chunk out of my thumb while cooking. The injury required a tetanus shot and took six stitched to make it stop bleeding. It hurt like a son-of-a-bitch, some days throbbing all the way up to my elbow.
It was a simple mistake, a nasty little accident. A flesh wound, no ligament or tendons or bone damaged. The stitches came out last Monday, and other than inflammation, the wound is healing nicely.
And I’ve been scared ever since.
I am hypersensitive to everything I feel. Every time I bump my thumb into anything, I wince. Every time I hit the space bar while typing, the nerve ending in my thumb remind me of that missing hunk of flesh.
But what bothers me the most is that I have not enjoyed cooking or writing since this happened. And that makes me feel so lost, because those are the two things I enjoy the most.
I am soothing my raw emotions with food. Healthy eating seems like a punishment when I already feel like I’m being punished.
This is a deep spiral caused by a minor injury to my finger. The deeper injury is to my confidence.
Ouch….your injury sounds painful. Hope that you soon get your confidence back and feel less lost
I can identify with this. Last year I dislocated my shoulder and let the fear from my accident seep into other activites even after I was healed and done with PT.
Give yourself some time, an ER visit involving blood and stitches and pain isn’t a small thing. Maybe try to focus on some small, good health habits each day and take care of yourself.
I think what you are experiencing is normal!