Did myself a hurt.

Bruce from Can. · Dec 29, 2015

I think I may have broken a bone or 2 in the back of my right hand last night. I was hurrying across the yard in a snow storm carrying a 6 foot step ladder. Fresh snow hand covered over a now frozen water puddle , and I forgot it was there, down I went. Falling was madding enough but. the ladder fell open and as I fell my hand went into the ladder. I fell on the darn ladder ,crushing my hand in between the two sets of legs of the ladder. So there I laid on top of my arm/hand in the ladder. Grrrr! Hand hurts like all heck this morning , and is swollen up but I guess I will grit my teeth and go on . Just have to remember to start doing my "old man shuffle" when I walk on the snow and ice. My low range doesn't get used much , and is hard to shift into,going half to double clutch my brain , and try to slow down. Freezing rain out side here now.

L.Fure · Dec 29, 2015

It would be best if you went to your doctor as soon as his/her office opens. No need to suffer further by not going. Things could get worse by not going.

Larry EC-OH · Dec 29, 2015

Morning Bruce,

Sorry to hear about your troubles. Ice will help with the swelling, but I'm sure you know that.

Nothing wrong with the "old man shuffle" seems like it always the last 4" of ice on the path that gets me.

Take care of yourself. Larry

SweetFeet · Dec 29, 2015

Hope your weather clears up so you can go get an x-ray... if the bones are crushed, it seems like they often times install pins to help it heal right.

centash · Dec 29, 2015

Hope you will be OK Bruce, but like everyone says, have it cared for. Pretty hard to milk cows with one hand,BTDT.

Ben

2underage · Dec 29, 2015

Sorry to hear about your accident Bruce and knowing how active you are it is going to be a while before it is healed. I mean that those old men like me heal faster because we do not do anything to aggravate our injuries. Old men like me do not call it the old man shuffle but we call it the wise man shuffle.
Seriously, hang on, it is just a matter of time and it will be just a faded memory. Happy farming.

Tony in SD · Dec 29, 2015

Sorry to hear of your fall. I know what you mean about shifting down a gear. I was in my 50s before I stopped running across the yard doing chores. With that said I did make a couple of changes in my life; When I turned 35 I told my self I was too old to compete like a kid in sports, When I turned 60 I told my self no more working like a kid, using my hand as a hammer, jumping fences, running from mad cows etc. Now the only problem I have is that Im afraid to see what else I have to give up doing like a kid. LOL

JRSutton · Dec 29, 2015

Nothing more humbling than having a hand out of commission - makes you realize how much we take them for granted.

I posted here a ways back about dislocating my thumb by turning a filter too hard. Stupid, totally unexpected, and amazingly debilitating injury. I spent the next few months realizing just how much I couldn't do without it.

It can be life altering.

I do a lot of small square bales, loading them with one hand isn't fun, but you can push through it - but then something like a pto shaft that doesn't want to behave can practically bring you you tears! Just taking a stuck socket off a socket wrench is next to impossible. The list could be a mile long with just a few minutes of thought.

I hope you heal fast.

jimg.allentown · Dec 29, 2015

On the subject of getting it treated:
You have basically two options.

First option is to just struggle by and let it heal naturally - and potentially crookedly and forever crippled.

Second option is to get it treated by a doctor. X-rays, bones set, splint or cast applied as necessary, and get it healed straight and strong again.

I would choose option two.

notjustair · Dec 29, 2015

Here's how this goes:

Two days from now you give in and go to the doctor. Bones shattered. They fit you with some special apparatus you take off in the parking lot because you can't even drive. You go home and rig up a wrap and tight glove to splint it. You go back to the doctor in a month with the brace looking like new because it has been in the closet. They are impressed how well your hand is healing.

I just did this with a foot. I rammed it into a work boot after I left the doctor and hobbled until it healed.

Billy NY · Dec 29, 2015

Sorry to hear of your injury, given the complexities of the hand, I'd be sure to get seen by a medical professional and have it diagnosed.

A few years ago I took a spill on snow covered ice after getting off the tractor to go around the back of it to the other side and adjust a tire chain. It was a hard abrasive impact to my knee and it hurt beyond comprehension. It was quite sore for weeks, excluding the other part of it, as it had caused the entire knee cap to be skinned.

Foolishness because inside the garage was a pair of YakTrax, snow chains for ones shoes. I do not forget to use them now, that is for sure. They work great, are simple to put on and take off, you can leave them on a dedicated pair of shoes or not.
YakTrax

Dick2 · Dec 29, 2015

I took a mis-step off of a step ladder in 2009, landed on concrete and broke my wrist in 2 places. Six weeks later they discovered that the break had triggered latent CLL (leukemia); that didn't give me any trouble until this last year.

ajcoc · Dec 29, 2015

I put self drilling screws with hex heads in the edge of my boot heels &soles. sure helps walking on ice. Not good on the house floors ac.cording to wife

JML755 · Dec 29, 2015

I'm doing that more and more now. Sad story: A week or so before Christmas I was walking my vacant property and heard a small dog barking. Next door neighbor to my vacant property and a house I own abutting it was walking his dog right at the fence line. I had introduced myself to him over 10 years ago and had maybe (2) or (3) "how ya doing" waves from a distance over the years. Never really saw him outside much. Would not have recognized him if I passed him on the street. Anyway, I said Merry Christmas, walked over and we talked for about an hour. Learned a lot about him (retired civil servant), his wife, kids, etc. We really hit it off and he ended the conversation with "we've got to get together for a beer".

Day before Christmas Eve, neighbor on other side called and said "did you hear about ___ (the neighbor with the dog)? He died". I was shocked. Turns out he was walking his dog down his asphalt driveway last Monday night while his wife was out. I understand it was his usual routine. She came home and found him laying in the driveway in a pool of blood. Appears he slipped on some ice and hit his head on the short brick knee wall of a culvert on a creek that passes through our properties. Wife told the neighbor he was in perfect health. Can't stop living our lives but another reminder to be very careful especially as we get older. The simplest activities can prove deadly and most of us on this forum probably work with more machinery and tools than the average Joe.

Bruce, Good luck with the hand.

GordoSD · Dec 29, 2015

here's a short list
1. Ladders
2. Shoveling snow
3. Waders for hunting or fishing
4. Frozen Snickers
5. Deer stands
6. Deer hunting at 20 below zero.
7. Throwing a baseball
8. hearing crickets and most birds
9. Skipping nap time.
10.Going out without gloves.
11.300 Weatherby Mag.
12. 3 inch Browning 12 Auto 5 Magnum

Bill in IL · Dec 29, 2015

Its going to be real hard to milk with that hand in a couple more years if you don't get it fixed the right way. Hope the outcome is favorable... it doesn't sound like it will be great either way. I will second that Yak trax, just don't use them on slick concrete.

w1ebb · Dec 29, 2015

No no no! Bruce go let a doctor look at that hand. If you broke bones in your hand you will lose strength and agility in it and it will always hurt when the weather changes! Over 40 years ago in a teenage kid fight, I broke the bone in my right hand that goes to the little finger in three places, crushing the piece in the middle.
Take it from me.....go get it looked at!

Scott

jeffcat · Dec 29, 2015

You can't screw around with injuries! I have that blasted warafin stuff and injuries can take two or three days to lite er up! You understand things really well when you start to blow up like a tick! My leg two weeks later after banging into a pallet at work. Older you get you cannot take chances anymore!

Did myself a hurt.

Bruce from Can.

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L.Fure

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Larry EC-OH

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SweetFeet

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centash

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2underage

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Tony in SD

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jimg.allentown

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notjustair

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Billy NY

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Dick2

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ajcoc

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JML755

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Bill in IL

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w1ebb

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