This is what my kids call “Dad’s Spring Break” (in April). It’s all better now, but I MERELY jumped back off the fourth step of a stepladder as it started to tumble off a low porch. I think I should have gone with the ladder! And I had on gardening clog slip-ons . . .just a textbook case of poor judgement and the payoff. Three arm breaks, one nasty protrusion into my sweatshirt, dislocated wrist, sprained fingers, nicked ulnar nerve, 44 stitches, two surgeries, and $23,000.
Forrest – smarter now
Replies
two surgeries, and $23,000."
Mc,
Sorry to hear about your accident, but you got off cheap.
I've seen quite a few medical bills lately, and they are outragious......one of which was for my father-in-law. Day and a half in the hospital for two stints. Operation I think took less than two hours.........just shy of $38,000. care givers..... lol.
WSJ
thats nothing.... I got a bill for about 500,000. Well um... my portion was 2,000.
But now I got a plate in my head but the kids are pissed cause magnets wont stick to it.
GoodLuck
Why is your hand all swollen like that ?
;o)
Seriously, though, I see what looks like two ball joints. Which would probably allow pretty much universal movement. Except maybe compression and expansion. And it'll allow that after a fashion, if you twist your hand just right while pushing or pulling on something.
What's the point in all that ?
Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength. ~~ Eric Hoffer
All the "external fixator" stuff is locked down after surgery. They cut for access to good bone, then drilled in the long screws (two in my hand and two in my arm, and yes they used pilot holes) then spread the parts back out the 1-1/8" my arm got shortened; then aligned the bones - all while looking through a fluoroscope.
After the pieces were back in order, all the set screws and cam locks were tightened to freeze everything up. What I had asked the surgeon for was not to lose all forearm rotation (the screwdriving motion) during recovery - I understand that's the hardest to get back. Then, a long drive screw / pin was put through the ends of both the radius and ulna joints as a final lock. All the joints in the fixture are just to make it as universal as possible - the ones for legs are really big!
All this mess makes for immediate set-ability - no waiting for swelling to go down, like a cast - I think it was all on within 6 hours of my fall . Plus, the fixture came off in 39 days - a cast would have been 10-12 weeks, they said.
I really recommend the fixator over a cast, if it ever happens to you - plus it's a great conversation starter with chicks!
I got to keep the cool titanium and stainless EBI fixture; it's becoming the dual carb linkage on my hot rod.
Forrest
ROFLMFAO !!!My brother from another mother !!=0)
Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength. ~~ Eric Hoffer
C'mon...we want xrays man!
No X-rays here - How about exit wound, healing, and Vicodin smile pictures?
Dang man, made me glad not to be you.
Hope you mend well.
Cheers
'Nemo me impune lacesset'No one will provoke me with impunity
LOL, My stepson had a similar device several years ago. It was fairly new back then. His was mounted all in the forearm, not transcending the wrist. That flex joint is neatBut with his, we learned that keeping it sterile was important at the entry points - so we have to talk about the underwear you have in the background there...;)I'm curious, does that foaming yoghurt help with healing?
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Ahh, she puts yogurt on everything - even pizza, if you can believe that. The underwear is my son's, I think. I was good about peroxiding my pins every night. As the swelling went down, and I used the arm more and stretched the openings, I could see more of the screw threads. For a while near the end, I could actually see the top of that metacarpal - exposed to the air and everything, but no infection.
I can see it all now...Sitting there admiring the technology/biology symbiosis while eating a Vicodone/yoghurt pizzza, and wiping up later with your son's wayl;aid underwear from the laundry basket!Man, you know how to live it up! ;){big grin here joking around - I realize this is one of those web comments that could be taken wrong without seeing the twinkle in my eye)
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
X-rays is what I was looking for too.ever see thoise little titanium pins? They look like wedge bolts in the xray
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Never saw them in ME , Thank God. A buddy of mine has some in a little jar that got took out of him.
I still have the plate and 11 screws they took out of my leg 20 years ago. I keep thinking about mounting them on a plaque.
Get well. Be well. Give it time to heal before you push it.
And ... as if it needs to be said. Be careful.
Damn man, you got to learn to roll with the ladder!
Hope you mend better then you fall.
Doug