Why does she torture herself?

OK, so the surgery that she had was to reconstruct the basal joint of the thumb. All the cartilage had worn away (overuse and arthritis I suppose). She's in a hard cast on her right forearm, immoblizing the thumb. Me, I'd think that would indicate I should keep my use of that digit to a minimum. Only the tip moves. Fingers are free to move.....

So, here is what keeps happening. She gets the pain under control (doctor said she really should be past the worst of it by now). Feels a little better, then tries to do something with her right hand (she's right handed) that stresses the thumb or something. While it's encouraged to wiggle and use the fingers, I think the thumb is probably supposed to be kept inactive. Why else immobilize it?? No, she aggravates it, then is upset because it hurts so much.

She's sitting in a chair resenting the doctor, and that he pinned the repair (pinning into the bone does increase the pain and the recovery, I think), and generally hating the world.

Yet, she brought this on herself. Today, it was cleaning at the bath tub in some manner, and taking the decorations off the Xmas tree. Got the pain flaring and now she's upset.

I don't remember what other activities she's done in the last several days, except for one where she was trying to hang up some pants. That was the original aggravation. Since, she's done at least one or two things to aggravate the pain, plus the activity today.

AND, on top of all that, she's being stubborn about taking pain pills. She says, "The almighty doctor says it shouldn't hurt anymore, so it must not hurt." Never mind that she's in pain and has the wherewithal to address it. That is not her choice and I cannot force her to some other. /Pop

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