Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[chickflick]

Well, RaZ, did you get the cast off???

 

[RaZ]

Well, RaZ, did you get the cast off???

I just got home a little bit ago. Unloaded the car and the trailer. Checked on the chickens and gathered eggs. All without a cast.

The doc said that I have to wear a clam-shell cast whenever I got out for the next 6 weeks. I'm supposed to have occupational therapy every week for 6 weeks but I can't make that drive to the city like that. I have to find a therapist who is local and takes my insurance. I also have a bunch of exercises to do on my own. I also had a side-effect called "trigger finger" that earned me a cortisone shot in the ring finger. Middle finger works just fine.

Now I just need to work the exercises and regain strength in that arm. The nerves also need to recover from the surgical trauma. And the swelling increased once the cast came off. Just have to cowboy up and get busy on that secure coop that I need to build. That's the best therapy.

 

[aart]

Having flashbacks....was in a clamshell cast for 2 months until pins were removed(thumb joint rebuild). Ran out of insurance before pin removal and had to do PT on my own, took a year+ to get nerves/musculature back in hand/forearm to the new 'normal'.
Hang in there, be careful....easier said than done, but important.

 

[snowflake]

The raccoon isn't sick, he is lame. But if he bothers the chickens he'll have to go.
He did put up a fuss when I caught him but I kind of knew what I was doing.
It was easy for him to get in the coop, I had it wide open all day long.
I don't have a proper coop yet even though I know I have all sorts of predators around. That's not good animal husbandry.

Hopefully this cast comes off tomorrow and stays off. Then I can get to work on the coop I want to build. I can use this melting snow and mud to pick out the best place to set it.
I'll stop at the Habitat store and look for windows and such on my way back to the city.

Want to see the little troublemaker?

glad your cast is off,much easier to do chores raccoons are so cute, to bad they are such a pain in the.....
love this mild weather, so do the dear, just got home from picking up pizza and I saw more dear then I have all winter.Granddaughter called about 5 min. after I got home and some one hit one of the dear that turned away when I went through. Glad she didn't hit it .she just got a new(er) car cause a dear totaled out her old one.

Chickens doing well, starting to get a few eggs. no loses to weather, just hawk on the rare day they were out of the run.

 

[RaZ]

Surgical cast was a big ole heavy thing for 2 1/2 weeks. Post-op cast was lighter but still a PITA for 6 weeks. Clam-shell is new today and for at least 6 weeks. I also have this Lycra glove to wear. It's like support stocking for my wrist.
Doc said that it could take up to a year to recover.
On the bright side, the doc is a fellow woodworker so he had some sympathy. He gave me a few tips for handling lumber. I told him how I maneuver feed sacks and he just rolled his eyes. But agreed that it wasn't that bad and shouldn't hurt.

The trick will be erecting walls for the coop and garage but I have a plan.

 

[1muttsfan]

Keeping your hand elevated above heart level when sitting or lying down as much as possible will help with swelling.

 

[chickflick]

I had carpel tunnel in both wrists. I had 9 trigger finger surgeries. Twice in one finger 6 wks apart. Additional surgery on my left thumb because I tried to carry all my grocery bags in at once. Yea, not fun.
Spent the majority of the day at my granddaughter's gymnastic meet. Got some more sledding when I got home. Was a nice time spent with the neighbor kids. Such nice kids. Ended the day with pizza night with the family.
Lots of the snow melted. Messy yard. Looking forward to spring. Not much longer!
Have a good day...
Oh, RaZ. I chose not to have the shots. Doesn't fix the problem, usually. Seems it just comes back in a few weeks. I just said, I want the surgery so I don't have to keep dealing with the problem. Hopefully, the shot will help you.

 

[aart]

I had 9 trigger finger surgeries.

HolyCrap!!!
Have had 2 trigger fingers and 1 thumb(not the rebuilt thumb)...
...thumb was cut after it locked, others resolved over time before they got too bad.

 

[trailrider330]

Stopped at the FFH in Holland last night to pick up some feed and noticed they had chicks in. Resisted the temptation to add to my flock when I noticed about half of their chicks had pasty butt. The only worker I could find there was a teenage girl who knew nothing about chicks, let alone pasty butt and how to treat it. At least she asked some good questions and seemed concerned, stating that she would let her manager know. Hoping somebody takes the time to clean them up before they all suffer.

On a more positive note, my girls are coming online and treating me to a "party in an egg basket" every day. Even getting an occasional egg with a grey or pink bloom!

 

[1muttsfan]

Lots of beautiful colors there