Today I had an arthrogram on my wrist. If you've never experienced the joys of the arthrogram take my advice. Avoid it if at all possible.

I was seated in a chair with my arm on the table. The doctor turned on the machine so he could place the needles with the novacaine injections. Then he got out the big needles to inject an X-ray fluid. He had to sink the needles in between the bones in my wrist and then inject the fluid. I'm not sure at which point I passed out. I woke to find the doctor and his assistant holding my legs up in an effort to re-establish blood flow to my brain. After that I was too groggy to notice what the doctor was doing and he finished his work.

I went out, paid for the procedure and headed for home. I hadn't eaten in a long time so I grabbed a chicken sandwich at Micky Dee's. Pulling out of the parking lot I heard a strange noise from the front end. I hoped it was from one of the other cars around me. My wrist was abnormally swollen with all the fluid he'd pumped in there and bleeding from the large needle holes. It hurt like hell. I headed home for an ibuprofen and a nap. When I got to Agat the sky, which had been threatening all the way home, opened up like someone had upended a bucket. My windshield wipers couldn't keep up. There were no puddles in the streets, only lakes and rivers. I was still groggy and my wrist hurt and the power steering pump or the front end was making a funny noise. I was never so happy as when I pulled into my dooryard. In the fifteen feet between the car and the door I was soaked to the skin.

Now the swelling has gone down a little and the pain has been reduced somewhat. I'm headed for bed. It's been a lousy day.