The thumb!!

[PeterSibley]

Hello all.This is a status report on the thumb,its been just on 10 weeks since I cut it off and now all is well .It is back on and operating as a thumb should.I've restarted full time work and am feeling very happy and duly grateful to everyone who has helped in the process of healing......and there have been many!
Thanks to everyone out there who offered their best wishes.......very much appreciated! smile.gif

[Wild Dingo]

Pete... glad to hear alls well.

Now next time could you please put he can down BEFORE you start cutting? the can is for use while in the moanin chair not prior to cutting! :D

Reminds me of a cousin of mine whos a butcher by trade and was havin a few cold ones while cuttin a carcass for a barbie, and on one particular down stroke hit a bone and the knife deflected... well he had been talking about a vasectomy for some time, but this was a cheep way of having one! He actually got his left gronicle and into his groin. Teach the buggar to finish cuttin the meat BEFORE he starts drinking!!

Glad alls better and your off and running again

Take it easy
Shane

[ken mcclure]

Glad to hear it. Now you can go back to hitching rides and rating movies. :rolleyes:

[NormMessinger]

Oh, man! That's really thumthin'. Bet you didn't get any pictures either.

Thanks for reporting back.

--Norm

[Tom Dugan]

This is excellent news, Peter! Just keep up the therapy. And please! No pictures! :hurl:

(We don't have that emoticon, but it would apply here.)

-T

[nedL]

Its good to hear things are working out. I've been keeping you in mind when I start my table saw lately.

[Wayne Jeffers]

Peter,

Glad to hear it. smile.gif

My brother-in-law lost a finger the same way a year ago or thereabouts. They were able to re-attach and he pretty much recovered, too.

Thank goodness for modern medicine, eh? :cool:

Wayne

[Alan D. Hyde]

Well done, Peter.

Happy to hear the good news.

Be careful out there,

Alan

[Donn]

The concept of "opposing thumbs" is a marvelous thing. However, as I'm sure you've discovered, they weren't meant to oppose things like sawblades and hammers.

Bet it's good to "get a grip" again.

[dasboat]

A big thumbs up to ya Peter.
:cool: Can't imagine what you must have gone through.I'm glad you are comming out of this ok.

Would you mind saying more about how you rehab'd your thumb?
I'm curious about how your success in rehab.relates to the nature of the cut and so forth.
I know I'm being nosey,and will take no offense if you say no to my request.

[Ed Harrow]

As some of you know I'm sort of in the cryogenic business, and one of the things some of the chattier ones do is to give cryogenic shows to various groups. Now back before my time we had a guy who was missing part of one digit. He used to fill a bit of rubber glove or whatever with ketchup, and slip it over the end of what was left of that finger, and stick it into the bowl of liquid nitrogen. After waiting for the contents to freeze (about 30 secs, LOL) he'd "accidentally" whack it on something handy.

I guess this went on until a few too many people blew lunch.

Welcome back to the land of opposible thumbs. smile.gif

[htom]

Great to hear, Peter.

[brian.cunningham]

Three cheers!
Hope the rest goes as well

[bugeye]

hi,
very glad to hear that you're doing well. I actually was thinking of your story today while using the table saw. It just makes me wince. I knew of another guy who lost a thumb, and the doctor replaced it with his big toe!! I've heard that this is pretty common actually. I'm sure that I'm not the only one who thinks of you while using the table saw.

[PeterSibley]

G'day Das....well mostly it consists of getting the tendons to slide in their sheaths.As you (or I ) heal our body lays down huge amounts of scar tissue ,which is a very good thing ,but it can get overdone.The idea seems to be to use exercise to gradually break the attachments between the outer( the sheath) and the tendon ,kind of like a brake cable within its casing.Of course all this is subject to the tendon being completely healed,in my case about 8 weeks.(oh yeah and the bone better have healed or it all falls to one side. )Up until that point no load at all,just mild exercise to keep the joints mobile....which turns out to be a very good ideaa 'cos the joints also load up with scar tissue and its not fun trying to free things up! Gives you something to do though.
The occupational therapy boys are extremely good at exercises to increase mobility,they're rather interested when it comes to attitude too.My attitude.In other words are there any financial impediments to my full recovery?ie insurance,court cases pending,apparently these things can really slow down healing!!!In my case no.....I've got too many things to do and life is too short !
Is that of any interest? Peter

[Ron Williamson]

Peter
it's good to hear about your recovery.Ditto about the occ. therapists esp. regarding ones attitude.Mine was surprised to discover that a goof like me could tell the difference between I'm-re-injuring-myself pain and the-muscles-are atrophied pain.I cut extensor tendons for the middle and ring fingers on the back of my right hand(Thanking God I'm a lefty).I caught hell from the doctor for modifying the splint so that I could use my index finger and thumb.
They had me plowing my fingers through something called 'resistance putty' as well as lacing rubber bands around my fingertips to provide resistance.
I still have wierd alien lumps under the skin at the site but little scar tissue that impedes movement.
R

[TomRobb]

Glad to hear you're doing well. My own close encounter w/ my table saw allows some slight appreciation of what you've been through...still having the whole thing off is unimaginably scary. Again, glad you're better now.

[AngWood]

Clever of you to post this news under "building/repair"!

Congratulations on your recovery. A good sense of humor never hurts the healing process.

[dasboat]

G'day Peter.Thanks for the information.That is exactly what I was curious about.
Again,glad to see you back and with all parts working.
Regards,Darryl

[John Teetsel]

Good to have you operational again. Several years ago my right thumb had a run in with a dado blade. I was in Louisiana oil patch country back then, and there were/are a number of docs who specialize in repairing mangled digits. I was fortunate to get one of the best, so these days it only gives me trouble with beer bottle twist tops and rainy days. Let's keep the membership in this club to a minimum. My mistake...using the fence and miter gauge at the same time = kickback. Yes, I know it's a stupid mistake and now every one else does too.

[Rich VanValkenburg]

bugeye,

I fully understand the sheath thingy. The only way I could get through the pain to do the excercises was so do them in a 5 gallon bucket of water that was as hot as I could stand, but not scalding. It takes your mind off of the real pain while you're working the joints.