Crashed. Let the mocking commence.

[winfield]

That's quite a trophy you go tthere, hovmod. Glad you are well enough to write about it. Here's to your quick recovery. Bring the skunk back to life. It'll make you feel better about it and it will sure please a lot of folks on here (as if that was important).

[Hovmod]

I went to the hospital on Sunday after the accident, where they x-rayed and diagnosed me and put on a supporting cast.
Monday they called and told me to come in on Wednesday for surgery.
I came there at 9AM, and waited about an hour. By noon I was thoroughly anesthesized, first with some fancy (and rather painful) syringes that totally numbed my entire arm, and then I was put under. A second later (it seemed) they woke me up and said I was done. Thoroughly confusing, let me tell you. Time travel.
By 3PM I had recovered enough to go home, where it has mostly been a battle with pain ever since. It's starting to let up a little, so today (friday) I haven't taken any meds yet. Yay!

I was impressed by how fast and professional this was, but to most Norwegians it is completely natural that this should not cost money, so it was no surprise that it was free.
In total, this cost me less than US$100, and that includes co-pay for the x-rays and consult on Sunday and co-pay for the pain meds. I think that is a bit much, tbh. Everything else is taken care of by the National health care system. My additional travel health insurance that my work place is required to cover for me would pay me back that as well, since it covers all travel, anywhere, ever.
Fast, professional, and free.

If you want to DEBATE this, feel free to copy & paste to OT. I won't join in, as I don't take part in the OT forum here.
This belongs in the tale of my crash and recovery, but a healthcare debate does not.


I will OF COURSE restore the green skunk.
Now that I have to replace so many bits and pieces, I will take a good long time thinking of how I want it, and then, as my hand returns to wrenching capabilities, I'll slowly work it into what I want it to be. I hope for the help and encouragement of this forum, without which I'd probably not have been able to get it running for my 45 minute "fatal" ride on Sunday, either.

Btw, this is the first I've written using a couple of my right hand fingers to type, and without pain meds, even. Yeah, baby. It's growing and healing inside that heavy plaster cast.

[Super]

Glad to hear you're doing better. There's an old saying that passes around all bike riders..."There's 2 kinds of riders...those that have laid a bike down..and those that will lay a bike down." It's inevitable.

But you've got a great attitude and yes, this will make you a more observant rider from here on out.

Just make sure that when you start looking for parts in the "Parts Wanted" section here, that you remind us of the accident. I'm sure several of us will be glad to help with a little "discount", me included if I have anything you need.

[Hovmod]

Thanks, Super!

Here's a Flickr set with all the (visible) damage. (click the image, and then click each image in the set to view large - or simply click "slideshow")

[Hovmod]

Cast is off, and replaced with this thing, which apparently is called an orthosis.
It immobilizes the base of my thumb, but lets me wiggle the tip joint and, to my infinite relief, wrist.
There's not a lot of pain at all, this is now a patience issue more than anything.



The stuff they made it from was absolutely amazing. A soft foamy stuff, like a mouse pad or something, was simply dipped in warm water, and then they had about five minutes to shape it before it set. That's impressive on its own, but it fuses to itself as well, so they just squeezed two sides together to close it off on the outside of my thumb. Then they hurried up with a pair of scissors to cut it to shape, and rounded off all edges. Five to ten minutes later it was rigid. It stayed a bit "sticky" for a few hours, but now it's hard and smooth, with velcro on the pinky side so I can take it off for showers and stuff. Very nice.

Downsides: I can't really grab anything, and it's supposed to stay on for ten to twelve weeks. So I won't be starting the restoration work just yet...

Anyway, just thought you might want a quick update.

Oh, btw - I edited the subject to get rid of that "mocking" bit, but it doesn't seem to make a difference.

[MAJikMARCer]

Cast is off, and replaced with this thing, which apparently is called an orthosis.
It immobilizes the base of my thumb, but lets me wiggle the tip joint and, to my infinite relief, wrist.
There's not a lot of pain at all, this is now a patience issue more than anything.


...
Downsides: I can't really grab anything, and it's supposed to stay on for ten to twelve weeks. So I won't be starting the restoration work just yet...

Anyway, just thought you might want a quick update.

Oh, btw - I edited the subject to get rid of that "mocking" bit, but it doesn't seem to make a difference.

Reminds me of the setup I had when I cut into my thumb with a circular saw. Mine wasn't quite as high tech, it was 1990. It was wetsuit material with a steel bar in it. Thankfully my thumb completely recovered. I hope yours does as well. We need those thumbs!

[Charlie G]

Hovmod,

You should let me know what you need for parts, might be able to help you source them. Glad it's getting better.

cg

[Hovmod]

Thanks. I'm going to start looking within a few weeks.