Hey dengidog, sorry to hear how your trip ended, but happy to hear you learned a lot, are continuing to ride, and are planning another attempt of your cross-country ride. I agree with the others about having the handlebars up high enough to relieve a lot of the pressure on the hands. For me it makes for a much more comfortable ride, and my hands thank me.

Your attitude is great! Would love to see any pictures from your tour. I don't think I ever saw you complete set-up once you got it all together. Hope your hand recovers completely and that you are able to make adjustments to your bike that prevent any future injuries of the same sort. It may take some time to get back to the cross-country ride, but in the meantime you can enjoy your bike by doing shorter adventures/trips near where you live. All the best!

Your bike looks like the handlebars are at a good height, but you could raise them higher if it suits you better. There are extenders like the one BigBlueToe posted a picture of that would enable you to do that. There may also be long stems with a steeper angle, but I am not sure of that. I can see why you like your bike. It is really nice!