Come 11 Dec I'm getting a chance to try out the Danish health care system. At 0800 I'm going to have my left hand operated on for tendon problems in my ring and little finger. As I pay a nice high tax rate, the sugery and after care is free. Was told I'd need to take 5-6 weeks off. Will be excited to see and feel how it turns out. Will be nice for a change not to end the day with all the pain in my hand.
Hope it goes well. IIRC, your left hand is the 'management' hand not the 'labor' hand. Have you arranged to keep your custom covered?
I got a three other farriers who are willing to help me out. It will be easier as this time of the year I got many who pull shoes for the winter, hooves don't grow so fast, no shows or such. Some of the big reasons I picked middle of winter. I'm left handed so yea it is my "labor" hand. That is the reason I may need to take 6 weeks.
As long as you have one hand left to lift a beer. It ain't right, drinkin' with a straw. Godspeed on your recovery Mike.
remember all all those one armed wallpaper hanger jokes? well i'm a one armed farrier now. had the operation today around 0830. typing is rather slow, never tried hunt and peck before.
Doc said all went well. The local they gave me is still wearing off, but they did give me some moriphine just incase.
Glad all went well. I have to have the carpal tunnel release done on both hands now. Been trying to hold off but its gotten too bad.
Is it that bad? Doctor does plan on doing both at the same time. My issue is getting the money for the surgery and figuring out how to go six weeks without doing the farrier work. (And that income) I've been stressing a little over this.
before you get both done at once, better stop and think how you're going to take care of your self- in every thing (ig you get my drift). Pain level for me is about a 1.5, so not bad. Glad I got free health care (if you don't count the high taxes I pay) or I don't think I'd got it done.
Glad it seems to have gone well, Mikel. Advice for anyone is get it done, whether it's done with good insurance, high taxes or out of your back pocket. I had a total hip replacement ten years ago. I had good insurance, but I tell people, if I'd paid for it, it would have been cheaper than the new pickup I got a year later and I plan on using it more often and a lot longer than I'll use that pickup. I couldn't even ride a horse W/O pain, but I have about 1500 competitive endurance miles (who knows the training miles) and 10 more years of pain free shoeing on that hip.
I plan on getting both done at once because I definitely cannot afford to pay the anesthesiologist and surgery center twice. The doctor may give me a 50 percent discount. I still may have to come up with 2500 even if he discount it. I haven't heard back yet.
Kim, Do you not have insurance through your "real job"? The issue with having both wrists done at the same time is the [short term]bi-lateral loss of manual dexterity. ie: you won't be able to button your shirt/jeans/coat/whatever, open doors, hook/ unhook items including, perhaps in your case, items of underwear, use toilet paper(at least not easily/very well), tie your shoes, close a zipper, use eating/cooking utensils, etc. Lay-up time averages 6 weeks(at least it did each time I had a wrist done) and by the end of that time, you'll be more 'mobile, but the first few weeks can be a real challenge.
