11 more stitches..only a start

[Chum]

Trauma that doesn't amputate generally takes a full 12 months before you feel somewhat like you're used to feeling when nothing traumatic has happened. Usually. Depends.

Move those pinkies a lot or they'll crystalize like our brain cells do when we believe too much in what they tell us.

Have you learned how to use your left-hand pinkie to pick your right nostral boogers yet? That's a tough one if I remember right.

 

[chris_girard]

Hey Tom, how about an update on your hand and fingers?

I know that we talked about it down at the Expo, but can you tell us if you have any issues with scar tissue.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

I'm in the running for getting an award as The Champion Scar Tissue Builder of the Year for the clinic where my surgeon practices. This sure isn't something that I aspire to!

Four surgeries total, two extra to clean out the excessive scar tissue since 12/21.

Now, my pinky works OK...not great...but at least it's aligned. My grip strength of the right hand is about 75 my left 140. I'm working, climbing and using tools. Using a chainsaw hasn't been a problem. I do pay close attention to make sure that I hvae a solid grip.

I do lots of bending and stretching just like my hand therapist did for me. Rubbing and squeezing on the blobs of scar tissue is supposed to break it up.

Time will tell!

 

[Jamin_Mayer]

I think of this awakenings when I split wood.

 

[tomthetreeman]

[ QUOTE ]
I think of this awakenings when I split wood.

[/ QUOTE ]

Me too.

 

[chris_girard]

Thanks for the update Tom, and I'm glad to hear that you're doing well.

It's that time of year when many of us are splitting wood and I would be thinking about this thread too if I were out there splitting wood.

 

[Dan_Watkins]

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks for the update Tom, and I'm glad to hear that you're doing well.

It's that time of year when many of us are splitting wood and I would be thinking about this thread too if I were out there splitting wood.

[/ QUOTE ]




X2. Hope the healing continues to improve Tom. I split 2 cord yesterday with our set up, watching my hands at all times!

 

[Tom Dunlap]

After dissecting what I did last year to get pinched I realized that there was a big difference in this splitter and the ones that I owned in Minnesota. This one had a detent for the retraction of the ram. This allowed me to have both hands free while it pulled back. On all of my splitters I had a spring to neutral valve. If I let go it stopped.

Having the detent does save a bit of time. But...this time it allowed me to get careless and make a mistake.

All of the seconds that I might have saved while splitting the innumerable cords of wood got used up, many times over, in the recovery from four hand surgeries. This alleged time savings needs to be looked at carefully. How much time does it take to use a second tie-in while using a handsaw?

 

[Dan_Watkins]

This alleged time savings needs to be looked at carefully. How much time does it take to use a second tie-in while using a handsaw?

[/ QUOTE ]


This is exactly how I feel about safety and PPE in tree care. In my mind their is no excuse on why not to be safe. The consequences when it goes bad are not worth the 3 seconds you save not lanyarding in, or whatever the situation is. Be safe!

 

[chris_girard]

[ QUOTE ]
This alleged time savings needs to be looked at carefully. How much time does it take to use a second tie-in while using a handsaw?

[/ QUOTE ]


This is exactly how I feel about safety and PPE in tree care. In my mind their is no excuse on why not to be safe. The consequences when it goes bad are not worth the 3 seconds you save not lanyarding in, or whatever the situation is. Be safe!

[/ QUOTE ]

Tom and Dan, this is so true and knowing how sharp our new handsaws are makes me think twice when I'm cutting with my handsaw in a dicey positions.

 

[treebear]

Good to hear your hand came out ing good shape Tom. Didn´t see this until now, been absent from the board for a while. Accidents involving electrical saws and log splitters are the most common forest related accidents here. I personally know at least five people more or less one handed after a too close encounter with thees machines.
Heal well my friend.

 

[gopher]

It is for this reason, that since I am nearing 50 and enjoy playing ball with my three sons, that I am seriously thinking of trying a couple of other fields, even though I have been in this one a long time.

Tom, prayers for healthy days ahead, solid bone healing, and a "Hi" from your nephews in Wisconsin!