Why I Asked about a Typing Assist Addon

[Leif]

It actually looks far worse than it feels...

All I can say is - thank goodness for that!

Best wishes for a speedy recovery

[Rudi]

I tried to warn about the ugly pic by changing the subject.

You could have put it in a spoiler with a huge PG21 warning before the person opens it!

That does look painful, but glad it subsided fast.
So if those pins stay in till May, do you use bandages to cover them and prevent them from hooking into all manner of clothes and things?

[HansV]

I have put the image in spoiler tags.

[RonH]

So they did enter into your body then and not just manipulate the bone. I must say that it seems to me that you have been trying to learn to sew and ended up breaking a couple of sewing machine needles in your finger. Most folk simply stick the needle into their finger from top to bottom
Glad to read that it ain't too painful Bob and god bedring.

[Skitterbug]

It actually looks far worse than it feels now. The pins will stay in for 6 weeks - they will come out early in May. This pic came from my first occupational therapy session 1 week after surgery. While it might appear to be painful, it has not been at all painful since the day after surgery when it was so painful opiates wouldn't relieve the pain. A bandage adjustment cured that.

I am using the hand to type but all pinkie keys are being hit by the ring finger.

Did I miss it? Did you say how this happened? Breaking any bone seems like it would hurt lots! Hope you heal quickly and that rehab isn't too painful either.

[LisaGreen]

Glad it went ok Bob!!! Sending good vibes from the Netherlands!!!

Lisa

[BobH]

Thank you, again, for all the well-wishes.

Skitterbug reminded me that I had not revealed the cause of my injuries. In short, it came from pretending to be as physically able at 74 as I was at 24 ... or even 64. I was using a 30 lb. steel wrecking bar trying to chip away some concrete fragments from the edge of a sidewalk because it is in the way of running some underground electrical wiring in conduit. I pounded downward with the chipping end of the bar as hard as I could. Instead of the concrete blob giving way, the wrecking bar caromed off the blob and ricocheted carrying my left hand with it into the edge of a brick wall and shattering the proximal phalanx of the small finger. The good news is that I didn't cry or utter any profanities ... because it hurt so badly I couldn't breathe is the only reason, I'm certain.

Rudi asked about the wires and why they don't snag on things; so I'm posting this series of pics to explain why this is not a problem.

WARNING: THE SPOILER PIC IS A BIT GRUESOME SO PASS ON BY IF YOU FIND SUCH DISTURBING.

Spoiler

pin caps resized.jpg

The orange caps on the ends of the pins holding the bone together are there to prevent snagging in the bandages.

These pictures show how the wound is dressed first with gauze, then a custom-made splint is placed, then the whole is wrapped in elastic Ace brand bandage.

gauze wrap resized.jpg

hand brace resized.jpg

I'll show the third pic in another post (3's the limit per post)

[BobH]

Outer bandage on the injury...

wrapped hand resized.jpg

Again, thank you all for the kind thoughts and well-wishes.

[StuartR]

Oouch!!! I hope it recovers fast.

[Rudi]

Very appropriate that this whole sequence of events occurs on the reassuring comforts of a dachshunds blanky.

[BobArch2]

Happy to hear that you are on the mend. Hopefully you are not a southpaw! There are so many things that are accomplished with the right hand, when that is the dominate hand. I feel your pain as I had a similar situation when I fell off a ladder coming down from our roof several years ago. Being the morbid person I am, I took pictures to ensure that my ladder climbing days would cease. (They have)

NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH

Spoiler

xray3.jpg

2010-03-01 16.09.56.JPG

[BobH]

Wow BobArch! You really had a bad one. I hope all healed well and that you are fine today.

Sometimes life has to teach its lessons, eh? I think my home handyman days are being numbered.

[Rudi]

That's quite a contraption!
I hope you didn't need to do any air travel while that was in. You'd have the whole airport on alert!!

[BobH]

That's quite a contraption!
I hope you didn't need to do any air travel while that was in. You'd have the whole airport on alert!!

Actually, the only metal is the 2 pins holding bone in place. The splint is made of a rubber or plastic material that, when heated, is pliable and can be conformed to the shape of the hand; but can then be cooled quickly in cold water and will thereafter hold its shape. The tan straps are sort of like the fuzzy piece of velcro, made of cloth.

[viking33]

That's quite a contraption!
I hope you didn't need to do any air travel while that was in. You'd have the whole airport on alert!!

Actually, the only metal is the 2 pins holding bone in place. The splint is made of a rubber or plastic material that, when heated, is pliable and can be conformed to the shape of the hand; but can then be cooled quickly in cold water and will thereafter hold its shape. The tan straps are sort of like the fuzzy piece of velcro, made of cloth.

Wonders of medicine! Not too long ago, you would have had a cast up to your elbow!

[BobH]

You're so right, VikingBob!

Another example of the wonders of modern medicine is the fact that surgery was done without general anesthesia. They used ultrasound to look at the nerves in my arm and injected concoctions that blocked all pain from the hand and numbed the arm all the way to fingertips. I had no muscle control of the arm until the blocking meds wore off about 5 hours later. I had to wear a sling until the block wore off else my arm would have dangled like a large salami down my left side.

[Skitterbug]

Skitterbug reminded me that I had not revealed the cause of my injuries. In short, it came from pretending to be as physically able at 74 as I was at 24 ... or even 64. I was using a 30 lb. steel wrecking bar trying to chip away some concrete fragments from the edge of a sidewalk because it is in the way of running some underground electrical wiring in conduit. I pounded downward with the chipping end of the bar as hard as I could. Instead of the concrete blob giving way, the wrecking bar caromed off the blob and ricocheted carrying my left hand with it into the edge of a brick wall and shattering the proximal phalanx of the small finger. The good news is that I didn't cry or utter any profanities ... because it hurt so badly I couldn't breathe is the only reason, I'm certain.

Rudi asked about the wires and why they don't snag on things; so I'm posting this series of pics to explain why this is not a problem.

I can't imagine being in pain so badly that it would be hard to even breathe! :ouch:I feel sad that you have been hurt but I am thankful that recovery is in process and that we have medical staff that can do wonders in repair work! Hope you continue to heal and be able to enjoy the coming months doing what you want with both hands!
Adding a prayer and hope for a speeding recovery for you!

Sandy

[Claude]

I'm sorry Bob, I missed this thread because I thought it was about Typing addons which I know nothing of.

A very belated best wishes from me too and here's hoping for a full recovery Bob.