When you lose the use of one hand.

[phalanx]

I was knocked down by a horse and landed on my left hand/ wrist, I thought I was ok, nothing broken that I could tell. But it sure is sore / weak and hard to use. And it's bruised. But it's hard to do simple things like buttoning up your jeans.

[Graybeard]

I'm pretty much permanently one handed it seems. Last December I had carpal tunnel surgery. I thought it was supposed to fix the issues with my left wrist. It did not and now the doctors tell me it wasn't supposed to.

My GP refuses to have x-rays or CAT scan done to see what's going on. He tells me I have two issue both of which are non operable. One is arthritis in the knuckle joint behind little finger. The other he says is mostly a ligament issue with the thumb and first finger.

The result is that my left hand is about 90% useless to me. I have no grip to hold things like jars to open or to lift things that weigh more than a couple pounds. When I have to open jars that don't wanna open either my wife or son have to hold the jar while I use my right hand to open the lid.

Such is life at 76 years of age.

[phalanx]

I'm pretty much permanently one handed it seems. Last December I had carpal tunnel surgery. I thought it was supposed to fix the issues with my left wrist. It did not and now the doctors tell me it wasn't supposed to.

My GP refuses to have x-rays or CAT scan done to see what's going on. He tells me I have two issue both of which are non operable. One is arthritis in the knuckle joint behind little finger. The other he says is mostly a ligament issue with the thumb and first finger.

The result is that my left hand is about 90% useless to me. I have no grip to hold things like jars to open or to lift things that weigh more than a couple pounds. When I have to open jars that don't wanna open either my wife or son have to hold the jar while I use my right hand to open the lid.



Such is life at 76 years of age.

Wow, I can still use it but it hurts at times.  Left hand also.

[phalanx]

So GB are you a one handed typer?  I am right now.

[Graybeard]

No typing is one of the things I can still do with the left hand. So long as I'm not lifting or grasping I still have use of the fingers so typing isn't a problem for me.

But just trying to lift the covers on the bed is a problem, I can't open a jar for Faye unless she holds the jar while I twist the lid with my right hand. I can't pull back the slide on any of my semiauto pistols with the left hand. I can switch it to hold the gun in that hand and work slide with right hand. Slow but still do able.

[Dee]

Get a wheel gun Bill. They don't put slides on'em anymore. 

[Graybeard]

I bet if I looked around here a bit Dan, I could find a wheel gun or 3 or 10 or so of them already. Yes I am thinking of going back to one of them. They are already an integral part of my home defense set up. I have no shortage of revolvers.

[Dee]

LOL, didn't figure you'd have to hunt too hard. I used to be that way, but several years ago I gave all my guns to the boys. I have a shotgun, a 22 rifle, and pistol, and 2 wheel guns I carry, along with 1 all purpose rifle.

I ain't hunting desperados any more, and as I recall a 357 worked back then, so it should now.

[phalanx]

What do I do if it starts swelling up? I noticed that this morning.

[oldandslow]

I would be lookin' for another doctor instead of a wheel gun.

[phalanx]

I would be lookin' for another doctor instead of a wheel gun.

Ive got a couple of DA revolvers. Ones an older Colt Detective special. The other is a S&W model 27 with a six inch barrel. It's what I'm useing now. With this hand messed up like this I wouldn't be able to rack a slide. But the horse is ok, I think a truck using a jake break nearby is what spooked her. I still don't think any bones were broken just some trauma.  My buddies wife is an ER Nurse, she took a look at it and felt around on it.

[Dee]

What do I do if it starts swelling up? I noticed that this morning.

The way I would deal with it is ice its numb, then a hot wet towel, then back to ice, then the hot wet towel.

I'll usually do that 3 times, twice a day. Learned it from a sports medicine therapist.
I've had LOTS of joint, and bone injuries.

As I a side note, I had a pretty little sorrell 4 year old mare that would spook over a gun wrapper blowing across the ground.
Traded her for a 2 year old App horse colt.

[phalanx]

What do I do if it starts swelling up? I noticed that this morning.

The way I would deal with it is ice its numb, then a hot wet towel, then back to ice, then the hot wet towel.

I'll usually do that 3 times, twice a day. Learned it from a sports medicine therapist.
I've had LOTS of joint, and bone injuries.

As I a side note, I had a pretty little sorrell 4 year old mare that would spook over a gun wrapper blowing across the ground.
Traded her for a 2 year old App horse colt.

Thanks Dee I'll give that a try. The horse is a full grown Paint. Big enough to knock me down. She belongs to my girlfriend who keeps her out here. She's a banker.

[Dee]

First horse I was ever on was dads' horse appropriately named "Ole Paint".
He got the horse when he was 14, and would put me up in front of him when he went to check on the cows in the creek bottom.
There was a rough patch him and mom went through that Ole Paint was all the transportation we had.
Luckily my grandpa had an old Chevrolet that we'd all pile into on Saturday for the trip to town.

My how times have changed.

[phalanx]

After a crash here's what they put in my left wrist.
End of ulna still broke as is first joint of the thumb is smashed. Carpals in hand crushed out of place. I don't have much use of the left hand. When it swells up I take tumeric and wear a compression glove. Certainly can't rack a slide either right or left handed.

I was able to rack the slide on my Beretta 92. And the bodyguard 380. It's my 1911 I'm having problems with.
That's ok I have a girlfriend who can do it for me until I get better.

[Lloyd Smale]

when i was younger i spent a year in the hospital. For about 6 months of that i a body cast and the nurses had to wipe my but. Took me about another 3 months to get to the point i could wipe my own but. You learn to appreciate the fact you can wipe your own but with your dominant hand IN PRIVATE. I see and talk to vets at the center all the time that have lost an arm or leg. I cant imagine the struggles they have. I may be about 20 percent metal but thank God everything works. surgeon thats done my 4 joint replacements asked me once how i recover so fast. I told him these are bug bites compared to what some of my other brothers have to live with everyday. Id be embarrassed looking for any sympathy or wineing about pain.

[ironglow]

  .
   I had numbness in all 5 fingers of my left hand.  Doc said there were 2 causes..  1)  Carpal tunnel..made thumb, index and middle finger numb.  2) Ulnar nerve (what we call 'crazy bone') caused the ring finger and pinky finger to go numb.
  I had both operated on at the same time...  That took about 85% of the problem away.  I still have some numbness, which only affects very fine work.  I notice it most when I try to turn book pages, especially fine ones
  as in the Bible.  Have to do it with my left hand.

  Pistol slides...  I have a Ruger LCP Custom...can't rack it at all.  However, I have an Erma derived (American
  Arms) PPK knockoff,  in 22 LR that I can reasily rack.
  I tried my DIL's SCCY 8mm and can rack that as well as my grandson's S&W..9mm.  I have been carrying my S&W 642, and am considering  swapping my LCP in for one of those new, Taurus revolvers in 8 shot, .22 mag.
   that would be with a 3" barrel..

     Here's a song for Dee.."Goodbye old Paint"...    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=antsJn1oHxQ

[phalanx]

Doctor told me if I'm still useing my left hand, which I am.  I wouldn't have any use of it at all.
Trauma, it will clear in time. I have no pain so I don't need any pain meds.
It was my big butt that landed on it.

[Bob Riebe]

What do I do if it starts swelling up? I noticed that this morning.

What you think may or may not be wrong is worth squat; my cousin got his  foot caught some years ago.  He went to a doctor and they did not X-ray it but treated it .

It got worse, he went back and , GEE GOLLY, they found a broken toe.
GO to a DIFFERENT doctor.