2nd surgery done- poboys amputation thread

[Ozz]

Wow that sucks man. Sorry to hear but props to you for taking it so well.

As I read through I thought I'd be the first to ask if you had pics, but I'll just join the others now

 

[poboys 94]

Well I really started this thread a while back so some of you could be aware of what albeit freaky, but none the less real out comes that could result by not taking care of your REAL bread n butter, that being your hands. You could have a $10,000 set of tools in a box the size of a condo but its your hands that use them. Dont use the palm of your hands to put on hubcaps, use a padded glove when you exert pressure like with a screwdriver, or when using a slide hammer to knock off pressed on rotors etc. its stuff like that we all take for granted when we are younger or dont know. But when youve been doing these things for 25 years like me it could result in a permanent occupational injury. I remember the days when I would see guys use a blow gun to clean the brake dust (asbestos) off of cars and have the whole shop in a fog.. hell we didnt know anybetter, same thing with brake cleaner, and the parts washer chemical, now we use soap and water for the brakes and clutches and use a paint mask, when we spray any agent in the air ( well.. we should) So thanks to all for the words of encouragement again, Im just trying to pass on what happenend to me so that it would make others aware Take care in how you work,if not for yourselves then do it for the ones who love you.

 

[poboys 94]

Wow that sucks man. Sorry to hear but props to you for taking it so well.

As I read through I thought I'd be the first to ask if you had pics, but I'll just join the others now

http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=729089 heres the pics of post surgery of amputation and sympathectomy procedure on the hand and wrist scroll down a bit.

 

[Ozz]

Wow, those pics are something.

Since fair is fair, here's my pictures to offer for the injury trade show we have going on :

The doctor's arrow in this pic points to where my hand should be:

It was my dominant hand as well (of course!) so I definitely know what you mean about taking its abilities for granted every day, even with the simplest things.

 

[poboys 94]

Wow, those pics are something.

Since fair is fair, here's my pictures to offer for the injury trade show we have going on :

The doctor's arrow in this pic points to where my hand should be:

It was my dominant hand as well (of course!) so I definitely know what you mean about taking its abilities for granted every day, even with the simplest things.

Ouch looks like it was run over, definitly looks your hand went in a direction it wasnt post to go! But your smiling? Was that before or AFTER the pain meds

 

[Ozz]

No meds, wasn't even in the ambulance yet. My body was in so much shock I didn't even feel anything but a lot of pressure and tightness. There were lots of people standing around watching when it happened, and to this day most still can't believe I didn't make a peep, let alone scream, yell, cry, pass out, etc. Some almost passed out and threw up, and a friend of mine was in tears for me. I was just pissed.

Anyway, it didn't start hurting for about 30-40 minutes afterward, and didn't start really hurting for another 20 or so. Getting meds at the hospital was a real pain in the ass, I was not happy.

The 2nd pic is right before the bone specialiest reset the bones. This was quite the ordeal. He had it done, let go, and it fell out of place due to being so unstable. So I had to sit there and watch him manhandle my broken bones again to reset and splint it. Thankfully I couldn't feel pain at this point (meds) but again I felt lots of pressure. Splint goes on, I leave, go to pick up my Rx at the pharmacy and the meds wear off and I begin hurting badly. I was swelling into the splint. Went back to the ER, my specialiest had left, and the doctor who tended to me did absolutely nothing (due to how unstable it was, nobody wanted to touch the splint and risk it falling out of place again).

Took about an hour and a half for them to get me any kind of drug, too, and I was in agony until I got them. I picked mine up at the store but didn't use them because I didn't know whether or not I should be cognizant of pain while I went back. So that was fun. Anyway the original guy eventually arrived back at the hospital and loosened it up a little. The tightness was on an area that I didn't break, so it was pretty much unnecessary that I had to go through all that BS all night. It was about 10 hours before I was finally on my way home.

FWIW I was 'this' close to being held overnight for emergency surgery, but the bones were reset much better than expected and I was released. Had surgery the following week, but at least I didn't have to sleep in a hospital.

 

[poboys 94]

Youre right about pain management in some hospitals, they act like the DEA is going to to do an inquiry or something, I was looking at the xray and it appears as a dislocation, no break? It also reminds me of a friend who fell on his arm and broke it at the wrist and it had a hump like yours did but in his case they put a metal plate attached with screws to hold it together till the bones fused, bout a few weeks later he was horsing around and fell on it AGAIN and cracked the meal plate, he was 6' 0 250lbs and fell pretty hard to break that plate, s#!t happens I guess

 

[Ozz]

I broke both the ulna & radius, down near the wrist joint and ended up with a permanent plate (7 screws) that begins planted on them and spreads out to the wrist joint (kind of like a "T"). I also received 2 fractures in the wrist joint. It was quite the fall.

About a month after the cast came off, we had a huge snowstorm and slipped and fell on some ice, crashing right down backwards on the arm. It was like slow motion on the way down, but for some reason I couldn't move my arm in time. It hurt but thankfully nothing else happened to it.

 

[poboys 94]

I broke both the ulna & radius, down near the wrist joint and ended up with a permanent plate (7 screws) that begins planted on them and spreads out to the wrist joint (kind of like a "T"). I also received 2 fractures in the wrist joint. It was quite the fall.

About a month after the cast came off, we had a huge snowstorm and slipped and fell on some ice, crashing right down backwards on the arm. It was like slow motion on the way down, but for some reason I couldn't move my arm in time. It hurt but thankfully nothing else happened to it.

That is too weird, hope it healed good for you. Ive been lucky never having broken a bone, just alot of sprains

 

[Ozz]

I'd said the same for a long time, even throughout 10 years of hockey. You know what caused it? Falling down a ~10ft. slide from a bounce-house obstacle course

Doctor told me I'd recover at nearly 100%, and I'll be damned if I'm not almost there. There are some angles at which I can't yet put much stress on the joint, but I'm by far surprising myself and others with what I'm able to do thus far

 

[poboys 94]

Its a mental thing, you got to believe you can overcome stuff like this I was worried I wouldnt be able to play the drums again ( strictly amateur) for a few weeks I did not have a strong grip and the stick would go flying but its all good now, and when I would get bummed out all I would have to do is call my Bro at Fort Hood who got his left foot blown up in Iraq and then listen to some of his and his comrades stories who were at the VA with him and my finger seemed so insignificant, we just have to man up and roll with it for the best Good luck.

 

[Ozz]

So far so good. For a long time I couldn't even grip a soda can hard enough to hold onto it.

While I'm progressing very well, I'm sure it'll be a while before I can stand and hold 500lbs. in my hands again. Though I suppose I've got to have goals, right?