OT: Building in isolated location

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seal killer
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Re: OT: Building in isolated location

Post by seal killer »

All--

I've had a minor setback. I did a high dive off a ladder and shattered my left wrist. The distal end (the end next to the wrist) was broken completely off and a long longitudinal break in the radius also occurred. I didn't know that was even possible. It's interesting to think of the forces involved in that break.

The ragged end of the radius was driven out of my wrist over on the ulna side.

A nice surgical stainless steel plate with TEN screws put Humpty Dumpty back together again.

The first time I remember seeing the surgeon--other than through a morphine and pain-induced fog--was the other day when the stitches were taken out. He called the x-rays up on the big screen. His first words were "Well, this was a disaster."

Here are a couple "after" x-rays. I was interested in them from an amateur machinist's point of view. I have other, "before" pictures, but they are x-rated x-rays and tend to make one sick to their stomach. (I don't want to get kicked off the forum at this late date! :) )
left hand a.jpg
left hand b.jpg

--one finger Bill
You are what you write.
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BadDog
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Re: OT: Building in isolated location

Post by BadDog »

Ouch! You don't do things halfway do you. I've had a few, and compound fractures are no joke. Cool plate.

I had fun watching them drill and tap a hole in a bone, then set a screw using a tiny torque wrench. Even through the haze I thought that was rather cool.
Russ
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liveaboard
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Re: OT: Building in isolated location

Post by liveaboard »

Yikes!
And let this lesson be remembered by all; ladders are DANGEROUS things.
I knew a strong able guy who became a paraplegic after a ladder fall in his own home.
Another broke a foot badly.

So when does the plate come out? or does it stay in there permanently?
And if it does come out, does it go in the scrap drawer, to await a new purpose?

Glad you're ok.
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BadDog
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Re: OT: Building in isolated location

Post by BadDog »

I would bet big money that will stay in. Once healed, they cause more damage to remove, so are left in place as long as there are no issues (like infection or chronic associated pain). All of my pins, screws, bars, and plates stayed in place, except the ones that protruded to be locked into a sort of tinker toy space frame to keep things aligned (External Fixation).
Russ
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seal killer
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Re: OT: Building in isolated location

Post by seal killer »

Russ and liveaboard--

Russ, I didn't get to watch the actual surgery because they used general anesthesia. I would love to see a video of it . . . now.

liveaboard, it all stays in. (Like BadDog said.) One screw in the distal end may have to come out if bone doesn't fill in around the end of it. Ugh! I ain't looking forward to that!

I wonder it this assembly will cause the TSA machine to go off? I don't fly much, but I'm wondering about it.

--Bill
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BadDog
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Re: OT: Building in isolated location

Post by BadDog »

I've got enough metal in my body to be worth more as scrap metal than anything else. I find I rarely set off the older detectors, other than at some checkpoints that seem to be set super sensitive (typically LAX, Laguardia, Sea-Tac, etc). You'll usually see it before your turn because they will be wanding more folks than usual due to the increased false positive.

That said, I've found the new devices are much more sensitive to internal fixtures and prosthetics. As I think I understand it, they work on a combination of density and shape/proportion references. And I always get flagged by those. My image looks like it was used for paintball practice with all the blocks and splotches. It's entirely frustrating, but the look on some TSA agent's faces can be priceless. I've nearly gotten diverted to strip search a few times because my legs have some massive scars and missing muscle, so my left calf in particular doesn't look right in profile, or to pat down. Fortunately it's the calf and not the thigh, so I can pull up pant and down sock to let them see that it really is my leg. That along with a few other easily/obviously cleared areas have (so far) been enough to avoid the back room.

So based on my experience, I doubt you'll have more than a quick visual of your wrist and waved through.
Russ
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liveaboard
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Re: OT: Building in isolated location

Post by liveaboard »

They most always wand me too, and I haven't got a single screw in.
I have an airgun pellet in my jaw, but that's lead.
Anyway, my attitude is the stricter the check, the more I thank them for it; after all, I'm getting on one of those planes, they aren't.
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Harold_V
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Re: OT: Building in isolated location

Post by Harold_V »

Not to detract from your fall, Bill, but I took a fall last June. Don't know that I'll ever be the same, as I now suffer numbness in my left hand---thumb and two fingers. And it was on flat ground. I am now a little more cautious. 80 year old guys don't respond well to falling.

Get well soon!

H
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spro
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Re: OT: Building in isolated location

Post by spro »

A broken wrist changes a lot things. Anything in that area has tendons and small bones. Some may heal but tendons don't. My right arm was fractured just below the wrist, to where my hand was 90 degrees to the broken bones. I could go on about the swelling while in the emergency room lobby and how many hours it took to set those splintered bones together. They said; "this is close we can do now". Ejected in the middle of the night with a right heavy cast. The bones Do fuse together after a while. Harold. My right hand was useless for a couple months. Then I abused it while sharing heavy lifting with my left hand. Hand tendons are something different because they retract when broken. Hand surgery is delicate and it doesn't get better, I wish you all recovery.
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neanderman
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Re: OT: Building in isolated location

Post by neanderman »

Just last night, I 'missed' a step walking from my 2nd floor to my 1st, and took a tumble.

Never had a broken bone in my life; hoping I never do!
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warmstrong1955
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Re: OT: Building in isolated location

Post by warmstrong1955 »

Ungood Bill! Hope you can heal up quickly! As my Dad would always say, "it'll feel better when it quits hurtin'"
Now you are semi-bionic like a bunch of us.

I had one screw out of 13 in my knee that had to be taken out after a year, but it was because the bone chipped off, and it exposed the side of it, and it was flopping around loose & doing damage.
I kept getting sharp pains in my knee now & then when I was walking, and especially if I was lifting or carrying something. Went in to see the Doc, to see what was up, and he told me I had a screw loose. Well.....no kiddin' Doc, but what's up with my knee??? :)
Anyway, the loose-screw-ectomy was easy and quick to fix. Painless in comparison to the original repair. Small sharp knife, and an allen wrench, and I was home in a few hours. So if you gotta go there, it's probably not a major deal.

Other Bill
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pete
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Re: OT: Building in isolated location

Post by pete »

Fwiw you have my sympathy Bill, sounds/looks more than painful for sure. Ladders? yeah I've had hundreds of industrial safety films over the years and monthly safety meetings including many about ladder safety. I still chose to ignore the basics just once and took a fall off a ladder 6-7 years ago. No broken bones luckily, but suspect I now have permanent life long damage to my sciatica as a result. Anyone who thinks it can't possibly happen to them is fooling themselves. It takes just one error in judgement sometimes.

Oddly last week on my Youtube recommendations a surgery video popped up. If anyone's curious enough there's apparently lots of real world surgery operations on YT if you go searching for them. For now I prefer to remain ignorant of what goes on in those surgery rooms. :-)
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