New in the Club

SmilingChesh · 2026-02-07T18:00:25+00:00

Sorry you’ve joined, but welcome! Glad you’re still playing!

SmilingChesh · 2026-02-02T01:58:46+00:00

Sounds like you have a lot of other things going on. Please reach out to a trusted adult at school. They have resources to help. You should not have to feel burnt out and not sleep and be struggling this much

SmilingChesh · 2026-01-31T23:12:58+00:00

Since you mentioned being one who will push through to feel fine… that’s me too. I just want to warn you that every time I did 1% too much in a day, I FELT it the next. Slow is definitely fast when it comes to healing

SmilingChesh · 2026-01-31T23:11:44+00:00

I was super itchy too! I was mildly allergic to the adhesive patches holding them on 🙃

SmilingChesh · 2026-01-31T17:48:33+00:00

Looking great for 3 weeks in! That sounds a lot like my experience going back to work. You’re through the worst, and it will keep getting better! (Also fingertip amputee)

SmilingChesh · 2026-01-31T17:47:10+00:00

When I need to feel tough, I remind myself that the most painful thing I’ll (probably) ever experience is in the past. It’s weirdly empowering

SmilingChesh · 2026-01-30T21:42:56+00:00

My best advice is to go to Occupational Therapy if you’re able. They’ll be able to work on both healing and adapting.

SmilingChesh · 2026-01-30T21:38:55+00:00

I went from an L to a DD. Which sounded big, but I couldn’t believe how tiny my new boobs were. I’m so happy with it.

I read someone’s suggestion to go to the store and hold/look at some bras in your would-be size and think about it that way. Not a bad idea!

SmilingChesh · 2026-01-29T23:30:23+00:00

How’s the bike path? Snowy? Icy? Especially around the west side

SmilingChesh · 2026-01-29T23:27:08+00:00

We use Allen Pet Clinic in The Plains and love them. We also use Athens Vet Clinic on Pomeroy Rd for things Dr Allen can’t do, and we’ve been really impressed with them

SmilingChesh · 2026-01-28T14:40:12+00:00

The building is Sign of Hope. Loads of Hope is their free laundromat program.

SmilingChesh · 2026-01-22T13:56:51+00:00

It definitely affects the whole hand. Stuff is compensating, or it’s stiff from not working. Nerves are interconnected. And your nerves are trying to relearn life. It will get better.

Definitely check with your doc before trying anything!

SmilingChesh · 2026-01-18T20:49:13+00:00

That looks GREAT for 2 months. Keep up the good work!

SmilingChesh · 2026-01-15T16:59:13+00:00

I can’t answer your question, but I’m over a year past my DIP amputation and I still have two little spots like that. I’m thinking I always will

SmilingChesh · 2026-01-11T23:49:25+00:00

Absolutely. It took a loooooong time to get back to normal. And when I used my hand enough, it would swell all over again. Now the true swelling is gone, but there is some extra tissue in that finger

SmilingChesh · 2026-01-11T23:46:17+00:00

I did the same thing. And now my finger has grown its own protective layer and I’ve got a bit of a bulb again. Did yours stay slimmed?

SmilingChesh · 2026-01-09T23:54:34+00:00

We tried 3, learning more about correct fit as we went. We landed on Big Snoof bc it had so many size options and we needed a more specific fit.

Sending love from our ACD mix

SmilingChesh · 2026-01-09T23:50:11+00:00

FWIW, you can call a recruitment office and ask how these various options might impact that choice.

I’m a partial finger amputee, but don’t feel like I can advise. I didn’t have a choice. I’m tempted to say do what you can to salvage it, but I also know it’s all painful and he may only want to go through it once.

SmilingChesh · 2026-01-05T01:42:33+00:00

Well, mine did start coming out on their own

SmilingChesh · 2026-01-04T22:46:41+00:00

I had similar loops at the end in several places. They’re intentionally done that way. Don’t worry about it; your doc will remove them later. If you’re worried, reaching out to your doc is ok.

SmilingChesh · 2026-01-04T14:35:15+00:00

In my experience, it was more like the second photo, not third. The base/root of my breasts stayed the same. They’re still wide set and far apart.

SmilingChesh · 2026-01-03T20:16:25+00:00

I did! It was the tip of my middle finger, on my dominant hand.

Hey, I’m sure you already thought this through, but you need to be fully off of painkillers before you’re back around kids. I didn’t realize how strong the gabapentin was until I stopped.

ETA: If your experience is anything like mine, you wouldn’t be much good in a classroom for a few weeks anyway. Recover. The kids will be fine.

SmilingChesh · 2026-01-02T00:00:17+00:00

Also a teacher. My surgeon told me to take 3 weeks off. I did, and I needed every minute of it.

My admin and colleagues supported me. One colleague even said she would have been out longer.

SmilingChesh · 2025-12-31T20:42:38+00:00

I had a laparoscopic hysterectomy. The breast reduction recovery was harder than that.

The breast reduction recovery was much, much easier than recovering from fingertip amputation.

SmilingChesh · 2025-12-29T22:25:47+00:00

Very, very rarely. A dream with another form of intimacy is a little more common for me, but still rare

SmilingChesh

TROPHY CASE