Diary Entry - 01/07/1989
Key Facts
President Reagan has surgery on his left hand to repair a dupuytren's contracture at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
Up at 6 A.M.—shower & scrub left arm & hand with special disinfecting soap. No breakfast. In fact, nothing, not even a drink of water after midnight. A lot of briefing by doctors etc. then into the operating room for 3 hrs. 2 1⁄2 of them actual surgery. My arm was totally deadened plus some mild intravenous anisthetic which made me a little woozy. Operation over & back to room for lunch with Nancy & Dick who came down from Phil. He left in the afternoon but Nancy stayed for dinner—I ate in bed. I was in bed for the afternoon with my left arm propped up & hanging from a pole. Dinner in bed—I’m learning how handicapped one is with the use of only 1 hand. After dinner Nancy went back to W.H. I watched some T.V.—read awhile & then lights out.
