Bits of Me Are Falling Off

I do not have fingernails. I have claws. My nails get ridiculously long because only a nurse is allowed to cut them due to me being diabetic, as if the nurses here have time to be beauticians, too. Right now the nail on my right little finger is longer than the distance from the top of that finger to the first knuckle. There's only one problem. When my nails get this long they tend to break off -- the entire nail, down to the quick.

This happened yesterday to the thumbnail on my left hand. The entire nail was hanging loose, except at the cuticle on the side, about 1/16 of an inch's worth. Nothing was within reach that I could use to snip it off. I tried to gently and carefully detach it. No success. So I got a good grip on the chunk of thumbnail and yanked hard. That did the trick. It hurt like hell, but not as badly as it did when I applied alcohol to the bloody opening I had just created.

So it hurts, still, like the unholy dickens. Reminds me of when my mom used to put mercurochrome on my scrapes and cuts. Talk about sting! I'm so glad nobody in this country uses that stuff anymore. I think it has been discontinued in larger countries because it contains mercury. 

I'm not sure if that's the problem. When I was a kid I played with mercury. It's fascinating stuff, all silvery and thickish, and it rolls around in your hand like something from outer space. Had a lot of fun with it. But I was never curious to see how it tasted. That probably saved me. What can I say? It was a time of innocence -- and unbelievable ignorance. I was actually taught in 4th grade that gravity was caused by the spinning of the earth. If I had known anything about the effects of centrifugal force, that probably would have sounded ludicrous to me. But I was just a dumb 9 year old. What did I know?

Feeling kind of reckless lately. I've been dancing in my bed. I have to brag a little. For a paraplegic, I can really rock this bed. I downloaded "Boom Boom Pow" by The Blackeyed Peas and just couldn't resist. I get tired pretty quickly, but what should I expect after lying in bed for four years? Dancing is really a mood-raiser for me. I've always loved to dance, from when I took ballet for a little while when I was 7. Being paraplegic won't stop me. You can bet on that.

Unfortunately, I rarely get any privacy during the day and I'm awfully tired late at night. But I'll work it out somehow.

Dance dance dance until you can't dance anymore. It's good for your heart and your soul. Celebrate life, no matter what struggles you have. Dancing makes your path smoother and brighter. I know this to be true. Trust me.

Much peace and love to you all.