Just got back from the hand specialist. It was definately a Lipoma. He told me that he got out all of the tumor and capsule so it should not recure in that particular spot. The bandage and stitches are gone. I must say that he did really nice work. The incision was made along the lifeline, so the scar won't be very noticeable. The most likely cause was the repeated striking of my left palm against the shovel along with my weight. Folks who are overweight yet still exert themselves (i.e. middle aged rose gardeners) are more likely to develop these things. I've gained most of the weight back from last year's weight watchers diet. So there it is. As for my hand the only covering is a series of surgical strips. These should come off in a couple of days. At that time I start the hand exercises. Full strength should return in 3-4 weeks. Then I can use it in the garden. Other than loosing weight there really isn't much more I can do to prevent this from happening to other parts of my body. The health benefits of gardening far outweigh the risk of getting more lipomas. BTW, the hands, feet, knees, and back are the most likely spots to develop fatty tumors. Needless to say I start another diet TODAY. Better break out those weight watchers books.

And, from a Strib Fixit column in 2006: Q: My daughter thinks I need a tetanus shot because I spend a lot of time gardening. I can't remember the last time I had one. But I'm not likely to step on a rusty nail in my yard. Is it really necessary to have a tetanus shot to garden? A: Yes. It's actually a myth that tetanus comes from stepping on rusty nails. Tetanus is a bacterium found in soil and manure. Because gardeners often scrape or scratch themselves while working, the bacteria can easily enter. They don't need a puncture wound. Tetanus, also known as lockjaw, is an acute infectious disease of the nervous system characterized by spasms and painful convulsions. The toxin secreted by tetanus bacteria is extremely potent. The disease is hard to diagnose; symptoms can appear three days to three weeks after exposure. And it can be deadly. About 20 percent of cases are fatal. The tetanus vaccine can prevent infection. Check with your doctor. You need booster shots every 10 years to be protected. For more information, go to www.nfid.org and search for "tetanus."

Yes, I did. I'm not sure anyone here remembers, but when my daughter was 5 months old, she got pertussis. We had delayed vaccinations because she was sick often, inc., with something that seemed to be seizures. All of my other children were up-to-date. What is worrisome to me is that, in Australia, they no longer believe in "cocooning" Pertussis has been a major health problem there, so they would always advise family members to get vaccinated to protect children who were too young for the shots. They since concluded that there was no evidence it helped. In our case, I think my oldest daughter brought it home from school, but it never affected her more than a little fever for a day or two. The doctor told me that she could definitely have passed it on, even being vaccinated. (And my doctor is pro-vax for sure.) At the same time my daughter had it, my friend and her children got it (same school; was the very end of school so I don't know about anyone else). Her children were up-to-date with shots and not close to needing a booster. A scary reminder that a vax can help but isn't effective for everyone. Here is a link that might be useful: Australia

OH....and did you fall off your porch in front of anyone? No, my only witness was the cat whose escape out the front door I was trying to prevent when I fell. He just kept going and didn't even ask if I was okay. Alisande,,how long has it been since you have had a tetanus shot? They are good for 10 yrs. I'm pretty sure it's been less than 10 years, but definitely more than five. Five is the deciding number following an injury. My DH knew someone who died of tetanus after somehow getting injured from a cast iron frying pan, of all things. Have you tried any nasal/sinus rinses for your nose? Yes, I use a neti pot. I just realized I've had this same one for 27 years! This is the first year I've been using it with distilled water. Plus you got a tick bite last month, wasn't it? Heavens--how could I have forgotten about the tick bite?? I got another bite after that, earlier this month. This latest one was a nymph, so small I couldn't tell it was a tick until I looked at it under a strong magnifying glass. I'm still dealing with tick issues. Based on symptoms like night sweats, which I have every night, and others, I'm fairly certain I have Babesiosis. Babesia is a parasite that invades the red blood cells. It is not familiar to most of the medical community, but it has invaded the Red Cross blood supply in the northeast, which is a serious concern and indicates how prevalent it is in our area. Tests for it are not only wildly expensive (my doctor ordered them, but I was quoted $3,000) but unreliable as well, so unless another way is found to deal with the problem it is likely to get worse. Babesiosis is related to malaria, and the treatment includes a drug related to quinine. This, too, is wildly expensive ($1,030 for a small bottle), so I'm going to try a Chinese herb the folks at LymeNet recommend as an alternative. Anyway, my immune system was already battling this, or something like it, when the chest cold (?) came along. I was already dragging; now I feel dragged out. :-) One more thing about the ticks: It's increasingly clear that the deer tick situation bears more than a passing resemblance to a plague. Yet we have no vaccines, no cures, not even a consensus on how to treat it. Medical science is really going to have to step up to the plate. They seem to have their heads in the sand, and want the public to stick theirs in too.