Author Topic: Bizarre injury has me out for awhile  (Read 5017 times)

Thatspec

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Re: Bizarre injury has me out for awhile
« Reply #15 on: August 13, 2020, 09:07:00 AM »
My fingers have become the main limiting factor in how often I can do this silly sport. Thankfully the Sacroiliac and low back issues have mostly resolved themselves. The solution has been more or less giving up sailing across or upwind and just doing downwind runs. Very little pull that way holding the sailing handles and that's less than 10% of the time anyway. Surprisingly even holding the LE handle can put significant and strange forces on one hand while resisting the twisting the wing wants to do. A much more rigid LE handle would help.

You secretly wanted a few days off anyway Dave, good luck with the recovery ;D

PonoBill

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Re: Bizarre injury has me out for awhile
« Reply #16 on: August 13, 2020, 09:55:26 AM »
You need to try a fake boom. All of these floppy handles are an ergonomic nightmare.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

PonoBill

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Re: Bizarre injury has me out for awhile
« Reply #17 on: August 13, 2020, 10:00:58 AM »
Thanks for all the comments and input. Amazing how one little damaged knuckle can shut things down. On the bright side it’s the right hand (I’m a lefty), and of course a very minor first world problem in the grand scheme of things. Can’t grip things normally but I can put on a splint to still do my harbor swim and  bike ride for cardio. It’ll give Andy, Ross and Billy time to shoot past me on skills!

I’m sure everyone here has their list of joint injuries from sports. Mine include an arthritic left ankle from soccer and competitive skiing injuries in high school, low back surgery at age 27 after a severe disc rupture from more skiing (partial permanent muscle atrophy in left leg; had to stop running and switch to bike and swimming), some carpel tunnel from windsurfing in my twenties, plenty of accumulated meniscus tears in both knees after 19 years of kiteboard jumping (no more foot straps for me...). A few broken ribs thrown in for good measure. At least no pins and screws to set off metal detectors!

Wow, that sounds very familiar. My wife calls it "Owie Inventory" and my list goes on and on. A life well-lived. I don't think you get any return credit if you check out with a body in like-new condition. Just don't stop, don't get on the tour bus. If I quit being nuts I'd lock up like a wooden indian.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

obxDave

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Re: Bizarre injury has me out for awhile
« Reply #18 on: August 13, 2020, 01:26:13 PM »
It’ll give Andy, Ross and Billy time to shoot past me on skills!

Unless you think that you'll be down for a very, long time, I think that you'll still be well past us.
Anyway, we'll miss you in the mean time.

BTW, do you think you could still kitefoil?
When I broke my finger a couple of years ago, I was able to kite with my finger splinted.
Hmmm, never thought about kitefoiling, but I’ll definitely wait till I see the doc next Friday first (soonest I could get in). I used to do the one-handed kiting routine all the time toting around a board while teaching. I’m sure it would be pretty easy with a kite foil,.......although the prudent half might not approve.....I’ll stop down to cheerlead and maybe do some filming either way!

Wow, that sounds very familiar. My wife calls it "Owie Inventory" and my list goes on and on. A life well-lived. I don't think you get any return credit if you check out with a body in like-new condition. Just don't stop, don't get on the tour bus. If I quit being nuts I'd lock up like a wooden indian.
Bill, I see these 20 something kiteboard instructors at already walking around with serious knee braces recovering from ACL surgery, thinking what they’re gonna look like in their 60’s. Same could be said of extreme snowboarders. However hard we pushed these kids are pushing way harder. Not sure how those joints will survive over time.....

You secretly wanted a few days off anyway Dave, good luck with the recovery ;D
Going from partial to full retirement in 3 months. I might just have cancel one or two of my last customer jobs and spend a little extra time planning the travel trailer purchase :D
« Last Edit: August 13, 2020, 01:45:39 PM by obxDave »

obxDave

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Re: Bizarre injury has me out for awhile
« Reply #19 on: September 06, 2020, 11:39:45 PM »
Back on the water for the last week (after a month away) and doing well.  Observations:

Unless you have an “unstable” joint that needs full immobilization or even surgery, doc says you just tape it to an adjacent finger so it can still bend and move. Thankfully that was my case. Important to keep it moving/working or it never heals properly and remains stiff/swollen. Too much stress => bad. Not enough movement => bad.

It can take up to 6 months or greater to recover as much as it will, and there might always be residual stiffness/swelling and deformation.

I’ve never used a harness and never had the desire to. Instead I guess I’ve just been able to depower the wing to such low loading levels that I can easily ride upwind with very light pull from the wing and a very light grip, even in screaming winds on my 3.3.  With the finger in its current state I currently ride a bit more depowered than normal.  Easy to do.

The only time I load up the wing with a lot of power (and pull on the hands/arms) is to build speed just before an upwind transition or 360, or if I want to scream upwind really hard. No behind-the-back tacks for now. Need to be even more smooth on those “regrabs” for heel and toeside tacks. So far so good. Switch stance even more important to balance left/right hand loading and reduce finger stress.   Actually need to be most careful when restarting after a fall. After 5 weeks off it was cool to startup right where I left off

Regarding risk of reinjury from winging; sure, always there. Heck if I lift a pot in the kitchen the wrong way I feel it. If you don’t keep it moving/working it doesn’t fully heal, if you overdo it, you go backwards. Always a fine line
« Last Edit: September 06, 2020, 11:42:14 PM by obxDave »

VB_Foil

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Re: Bizarre injury has me out for awhile
« Reply #20 on: September 07, 2020, 05:38:56 AM »
Glad to hear you are back on the water.  Fall winds starting to arrive.

 My index finger sprain got worse after a few more sessions, pushing too hard, so I took a week and a half off (which was torture due to days of good wind). Had to limit the finger use in daily life as well. I made a splint out of a thin bar of aluminum, which I bent to match my fingers in a slight grasp shape, and buddy tapped middle and index finger to that. Luckily I could still type for work purposes.

What you said about using it just the right amount seems accurate. Just enough use to not cause that stabbing pain seems to be helping me.  First session the other day went well. Really digging those grappling gloves I linked to previously in this thread.

Word of advice: don’t try and steer/hold up a 6m wing through a gybe in zero wind with just your index finger while hold the handle with your other fingers. A gust of wind or just the wings weight can tweak your digit easily.
I’m a 5’9” 65kg rider:

Boards:
   4' 27L Armstrong FG Wing/Surf
   4’5” 34L Armstrong FG Wing/Surf
   4'11" 60L Armstrong Wing/Sup
  
  

Foils: Armstrong HA525, HS625, HA725, HA925, HS1050, HA1125, HS1250, HA1325
Wings: BRM 2M & 3M, FreeWing Nitro 4M, OR 5M & 7M Glide

obxDave

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Re: Bizarre injury has me out for awhile
« Reply #21 on: September 07, 2020, 10:09:07 AM »
Glad to hear you are back on the water.  Fall winds starting to arrive.

 My index finger sprain got worse after a few more sessions, pushing too hard, so I took a week and a half off (which was torture due to days of good wind). Had to limit the finger use in daily life as well. I made a splint out of a thin bar of aluminum, which I bent to match my fingers in a slight grasp shape, and buddy tapped middle and index finger to that. Luckily I could still type for work purposes.

What you said about using it just the right amount seems accurate. Just enough use to not cause that stabbing pain seems to be helping me.  First session the other day went well. Really digging those grappling gloves I linked to previously in this thread.

Word of advice: don’t try and steer/hold up a 6m wing through a gybe in zero wind with just your index finger while hold the handle with your other fingers. A gust of wind or just the wings weight can tweak your digit easily.


I think I’m gonna go for those grappling gloves you linked to. The ace bandage routine is really crude and it constantly comes undone while I’m riding. It’s pretty clear that at week 6 the large knuckle  of my right middle finger isn’t gonna shrink down to normal size anytime soon :o. (even the ring finger knuckle took a wee bit of damage)
« Last Edit: September 07, 2020, 10:11:20 AM by obxDave »

VB_Foil

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Re: Bizarre injury has me out for awhile
« Reply #22 on: September 07, 2020, 11:47:16 AM »
Yowza!  That looks painful.  The gloves will help protect your ring finger too, as it’s snugged up to your pinky finger.

My injury is in between where the index and middle finger meet, so not out on the finger like yours.  You will love the gloves though. Nice amount of grip built in. Hopefully that works well and holds up with your boom.
I’m a 5’9” 65kg rider:

Boards:
   4' 27L Armstrong FG Wing/Surf
   4’5” 34L Armstrong FG Wing/Surf
   4'11" 60L Armstrong Wing/Sup
  
  

Foils: Armstrong HA525, HS625, HA725, HA925, HS1050, HA1125, HS1250, HA1325
Wings: BRM 2M & 3M, FreeWing Nitro 4M, OR 5M & 7M Glide

PonoBill

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Re: Bizarre injury has me out for awhile
« Reply #23 on: September 07, 2020, 03:43:45 PM »
I've broken my fingers too many times to count. Ace bandage doesn't really cut it. Too much flex. I use duct tape. Pro tip: When you want to replace it cut both sides between the fingers and peel the tape off axially, not laterally.

Fingers never heal so that they look normal again, but they work OK. I was going to say fine, but that isn't accurate. I look like a bear cub trying to pick up a penny fairly often, but I can still do fine work like repairing iPhones, soldering surface mount components and such silly stuff.

There's no reason to stay out of the water, it won't help. I broke the index and middle finger on my left hand in a motocross race and I gave it a month to heal with splints. Those are actually my second worst fingers for flexibility. The worst is the third finger on my right hand and I don't even know what I did to it. The worst looking is the index left--I broke it twice in one year and never quit picking my nose. It flexes well even though it has a pronounced S-curve and a little rotation.

I do like the look of those gloves though. I've ordered two pair. It's good to have one pair drying. You can strip off a wet glove but putting on on is likely to cause more damage than it prevents.
« Last Edit: September 07, 2020, 03:55:54 PM by PonoBill »
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

PonoBill

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Re: Bizarre injury has me out for awhile
« Reply #24 on: September 07, 2020, 09:20:56 PM »
I'm pretty sure my career as a hand model is officially over. Then again, compared to my toes, my hands are downright pretty.
« Last Edit: September 07, 2020, 09:27:13 PM by PonoBill »
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

 


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