No more Summer Projects for Ric!!!!!

Happy to hear that you're making good progress.

What a great report! Thanks for sharing... you know we all worry! :-)

Ric, that is good news. Just be careful and let the healing continue. One good thing, you are spending more time posting, always enjoy reading what you have to say.

Yes, It was good news. I'm afraid there will be no stopping him now, I talked to the Doc about some of the things he had been doing (like using the push mower) and the Doc agreed with Ric. He can use the hand as long as he doesn't use the fingers,get them wet and keeps them well bandaged. Holly

Yeehaaaa, Ric! Holly, I hope this is easing a little bit of worry for you.

I'm sure using the hand is also important to prevent scarring and stiffening... but I'm glad the doctor is giving him some guidelines for being careful about avoiding infection!

Holly & Ric,

That's all sounding really good. Baby steps, but in the right direction. Hoping it all continues to go well.

Barb

OMG, I just saw this thread. Poor Ric. Poor you. Here's to a quick recovery!

Started PT this week, things are going well. The therapist told me I can't hurt it by using it . The surgeon thinks things are going well, he even made my next visit 2 weeks instead of 1. There is only one bit that is questionable and that should be decided in the next 2 weeks. The whole thing didn't make my finger any prettier but I wasn't ever pretty anyway. Summer projects may resume on a limited scale. LOL Ric

Good news!

Hip Hip Hooray! Holly will be a happier woman. Things must have been moving very slowly at your house with both of you injured. But it sure looks like you are continuing along despite the handicaps.

I'm back working in the yard, too. To tell the truth, planned projects fell way down on the priority list."But" so much of what we do is a collaboration, Ric doing some parts and me doing other parts. I found it hard to work on things without him. Just like the other day with the mulching. He came out and held up the branches for me so I could crawl around under the pines laying the frabric and spreading the mulch. I love working in the yard when he is outside with me. If he goes to the Veggie garden to work I'm right at his heels. He really has been pretty good and hopefully he will continue to go a bit easy.

Just to let everyone know: I graduated from PT Thursday. The finger still isn't pretty but it is healed. Just in time for fishing, I mean vacation. Range of motion is good, anywhere from 75-85%. No hypersensitivity or pain, in fact I must have sawed out some of the arthritis as it hurts less now than before the injury. I don't see the surgeon until mid-Oct. He is to release me then as well as do experimental syn-disc injections in both wrist, I actually am looking forward to that! Again, Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes. Ric

Ric--That is "Synvisc" . It's the stuff made from Cockscombs.....Suppose to be like some artificial joint lubricant.....
I have had them in my knees 3 times.(series of 3 shots each). Unfortunately--I am one of the 50% of people that it never helped....

And to think--that the series of 3 injections--have a tab of over $2000!!!!

Glad to hear you are on the mend.....Lets see a picture of your mangled finger!

G.

You asked...
Ric

And the point is ah pointier. Ric

That's OK Ric, the rest of you is purdier!

Gulp!! I just stumbled on this and am relieved that it wasn't as bad as it could have been and you're on your way to recovery. Your hands are your best gardening tools, you can't lose 'em!!

HollyAnn-hope everything gets back to normal in due time.

Ric---OUCH!!!! You really sliced that finger...

Well--lets look at he brighter side! Your 'pointier" finger will come in handy when transplanting seedlings...to poke holes with......:o))

G.

chortle- he's got a dibble finger

You two, thanks for our laugh of the day. Dibble finger. LOL

(((((hugs)))) and prayers wow, thats a chunk taken out.

Now is he gonna still use the saw?
Last year my neighbor cut off 2 fingers at the 1st nuckle. Bad thing is the dog got the fingers before he could get a grip .. But he is doing great.

Hopefully Ric will be ready for the vacations.

Lavina

This message was edited Sep 21, 2009 11:57 AM

the dog got the fingers---there's a mental picture I'll be fighting to overcome..LOL eeewww

gawd I'm sorry to poke fun at Ric's poor finger...battle scars of life

Sally, Now instead of diddling around or dabbling in the market I can just dibble everything. LOL Ric

I'm pleased to report that the rest of Ric is indeed "purdier" than ever, and his hand looked much better than I'd thought it would. I gave his boo-boo finger a mommy-kiss, so maybe that will help the injections work? :-)

We won't let him use that finger to "dibble" in crocus bulbs next month, though!

My dad's doing well and we got started on our weedy jungle and trying to plant all the annuals and veggies that survived our absence, but, it seems I've run into a slight inconvenience, it appears that I've contracted an inner ear infection. It causes vertigo so bad you can't crawl on you hands and knees (too far to fall down), and extreme nausea (I may finally lose some weight). The drugs they use to treat it both say they may cause dizziness, LOL. The doctor said I may be staggering about like a drunken, sea sick sailor for as much as a week. What a way to try and garden. The Doc said to leave the weeds grow, but with a 3 week head start I'm afraid they may go to seed before I get to them. I hope to start weeding soon. Ric

Oh, NO! Ric, I'm so sorry. I had an episode of viral labyrinthitis back in college (you knew I was a dizzy blond, you just never knew it could be a medical condition LOL)... So... tips... a third point of reference is always good for stability, whether it's your hand against the wall etc., so don't go out across the yard without something you can use like a cane, even if it's a hoe.

Paul's Law: You can't fall off the floor.

Remember it. Sitting down abruptly is way better than falling.

Peppermint and ginger are both good for nausea -- think, candied ginger and peppermint lifesavers. I'll hope the meds work for you. If you try a scopalamine patch, don't touch your eye before washing hands after you put it on.

OK, that's the extent of my unofficial medical advice.

If the weeds go to seed, be liberal with the Preen. Don't push it! This is the time to take care of Ric. Or I'll sic Holly on you.

Please please take care of yourself and get well extra quick!

He gave me a good scare yesterday. He was out back mowing and I was working by the potting shed and weeding the the front bed. I walked in the front door to find him laying on the livingroom floor. He crawled into the house when I didn't hear his call for help. I have him sleeping in the downstairs (kids) room as I don't want him doing the stairs and tomorrow I'll head out to the library for some books on tape. He's pretty bored already.

Oh no Ric!!! Critter's right, we're going to have to sic Holly on you :) Maybe you should start using a whistle if Holly couldn't hear you when you called for help? Take care of yourself and stay out of the garden until the medicine starts working!

Good idea about the whistle! Stay low.

now THATS miserable. Just shoot me if I ever get that.

Not sure I would have heard a whistle the house is really good at blocking sounds from the front to the back. One of the nice things about the back yard it is pretty quiet back there. Now from the side yards I can hear both directions. We get visitors all the time that can't find us especially when we are in the Veggie Garden. But from there I can hear the car doors when they close so I know someone came.

the rule for visintg DG members should be-- Look in the garden first

Do you both have cell phones? Keep them in your pockets. Then if Ric falls, he can call you. Seriously. Be sure to set the speed dial.

Ric, I got no weeding done for the past year. My weeds can kick your weeds' butt. LOL Anyway, one more week won't make that much difference.

I hope you feel better soon.

We do and usually do carry them but not always. Mostly we see each other every few minutes when working around the yard and I check on him every so often when he is down in the garage. Or at least I listen for the sound of power tools. LOL

OMG! Ric, NO POWER TOOLS until you're completely rid of this, no matter how tempting it is to do "just this one little thing."

Don't worry Jill, I will not be putting anything together for a while. With my vision as it is, it would look like a Picasso. LOL Ric
Sally, I tell Holly "Just shoot me" all the time, she never listens.

Sorry about the vision... see if it's better if you use just one eye... that worked for me way back when, and I wore an eyepatch for a few days... got some laughs because I'd switch it from one eye to the other!

Wow, Ric, that really is a miserable ailment to catch in the summer. I had it many years ago, in the summer too. Never tried the eye patch, Critter. That's a great idea. The audio books are a great past time if you can see to work the stereo. LOL

I always try to carry my cell phone in the garden, for just this reason, but I've ruined one or two of them from sweating on them, or getting caught out in the rain. It's a little easier for men, because at least their clothes always come with pockets, but that doesn't help when they fall out of your pocket or get soil encrusted fingers all over them, or worse chemical spills!!

Ric, does this now mean that you'll be eating Holly's cooking for a while?

Yesterday morning I found him in the kitchen putting a piece of pork in the crock pot. He had a kitchen stool nearby to use in case he needed to sit down quick. Really he is very hard to keep down. LOL