Medically unfit, accident prone or invalid - try scrolling!

[jim_mex]

Hi all - I've just been reading my pal Mick's (journeyman) thread announcing he's improving from his recent surgery - great news - hope to see him scrolling again soon!!

On a similar subject I've just come back from a full day at the local Health Service establishment with the great news - sarcastically speaking! - that after a recovery evaluation of my damaged right hand fingers from my tablesaw accident 5 months ago I have to have another small op to free a tendon which is preventing me from fully bending my middle finger. No big deal and just 10 - 14 days to recover from the discomfort. The only worrying thing is the doc is not sure if this will solve my problem but suggests we give it a try. Great confidence booster eh!- LOL!

Anyway, after having had an accident you become more conscious of other scrollers who have had accidents or suffer from illnesses which restrict their scrolling activities and this board seem to have a lot of folks who fall into his category - when they are not falling into machinery or generally just falling over! So it seems to me that scrolling is in itself a great help to recovery, at the very least for taking your mind off of things whilst you are concentrating at the saw table.

Any thoughts on this ? Maybe there's a niche for setting up a scrollsaw section in the local rehabilitation centre - hehehe!

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As an aside - the Mexican Social Security system works well in emergencies but is an administrative nightmare. Before the specialist plastic surgeon can program my op which involves little more than a 3 cm cut in the palm of my hand and loosening of the tendon from the surrounding tissue, I have to program visits and get results from the X-ray Dept, Electrocardiograph Dept, Anesthesia Dept, plus laboratory studies including blood type and quality, sugar levels, cholesterol and fatty acid levels, uric acid level, liquid and solid excrement tests etc:, and of course my blood pressure evaluated. Having got all this lot I then have to report with all the results to something called Internal Medicine to get the green light for fitness to have an op. Then and only then the plastic surgeon will give me a date!!

If Alzheimer set's in anywhere in between these tests I'm screwed! So here's another whimsical thought:

With my lastest minor successes in fine cutting intarsia projects for Jan and Lou's challenges, would I be better off contacting Mike's Workshop for some fine spiral blades, sticking my hand under the saw and doing the op myself ? Or I am better using UR blades so as not to leave any fuzzies!

Only amusing comments/ replies permitted!

[tony coleman]

dont do it jim,those spirals are a BI..H......naw ,its sad to hear you have too go back under the knife again,heres hoping it goes well,hate too have you out too long now that your intarsia career is just taking off.

[Wood Dog]

Jim you certainly have a way with words, and I always enjoy reading your posts.
Hope the next operation will fix whatever is wrong, but if it doesn't I'm sure you will work your way around the situation. Good luck.

[jim_mex]

Hi Tony - thought the spirals would be better cos I somehow can't see me pivoting my overweight frame around the table

[Bluebird]

Originally Posted by jim_mex

... to have another small op to free a tendon which is preventing me from fully bending my middle finger.

Humm...so I guess when you close your fist, it is a little embarrassing to have the middle finger straight up all the time?!? Must be hard to make new friends that way, huh? LOL
Good luck with the op! Hope things go well for you... and finally I will be able to type faster then you at the chat sessions! Hourra!

[ubgoofy2003]

Hey, Jim. I hope the surgery goes well & takes care of any problems you now have. One thing to remember about sawing---- there is a great deal of difference between TABLE SAW & SAW TABLE !!! The saw table isn't going to eat your hand !
HA- Just a little humor there. About the spiral blades,,,, I have found in using them, I work less at cutting than I did with the flat blades. I do almost all my work with spiral blades. After getting used to using them, that is ! So much easier, not having to turn the piece around all the time. Of course you can still use the flat blade if you need a sharp corner or v-cut. Good luck & take care. Perk

[scrollpup]

Hey Jim, I know how ya feel.My pinky finger sticks out from having surgery to "fix" a compound fracture.The doc wanted to cut me again to scrape the scar and grind on the knuckle bones. I opted for the second choice....I'll leave well enough alone! It being your middle finger, I can see where that might cause problems though .

Good luck on the surgery and rehab!


Jerry

[jim_mex]

Looks like the fun's starting!!

@Henri - since I already have a rigid index finger (knuckle joint is completely unbendable) I get to put TWO fingers up! But being a Brit that's our style! It took the folks north of the Mex border to bastardise our little bit of British grace - Thinks , maybe the doc is trying to turn me into a 'gringo'!!!

@ubgoofy2003 - Point taken although I'm also a great advocate of not standing with my zipper open whilst scrolling Haven't mastered spirals yet but I intend giving them another try just for curiousity

@jerry - same thought about leaving well alone is going through my mind. As to the middle finger problems - i can see where you are coming from but decency prevents me from giving a suitable caustic reply

Thanks folks for the good wishes !

[Haggard3230]

Good luck on your re-surgery Jim. My surgeon thought my shoulder replacement went very well because of my scrolling because of the ever changing moves involved. It was the same with the repair of my left shoulder. It is good therapy. I will go for my 6 month, and hopefully final follow up Tuesday the 30th for my right shoulder.

[JohnB]

Ah ha, So You're not just a snob when comes to having a cup tea Jerry.

I had my ankle crushed by a fork lift a few years ago and there are a few pins, nails, screws, etc holding it all together. It gets pretty sore still when I'm on my feet all day and the Doc suggested removing some of the hardware, but I think I'll just leave well enough alone.