Archive for ‘ring splints’

May 14, 2008

Accoutrements

I see where Amanda of Ballastexistenz has gotten silver ring splints. Good for her! I hope she enjoys them and doesn’t lose them and break them, as is my forte. I do still have my thumb splints, held on by elastic because the bracelet bothers me.

My new equipment acquisition comes in the form of, yes, ugly shoes.

Oh, those aren’t so ugly, you say. But you are wrong. Because these are what I will be wearing everyday no matter what else I am wearing.

They are very comfortable shoes, but having them is, for me, a concession that I had sworn to myself I would never make. Yet, here I am.

I went to the orthopedic shoe store with the best of intentions and highest hope. Maybe I’d find something that was a least all one color, even if it was a trainer. Maybe I’d even find something with some nice detail! The pedorthist brought 4 boxes of shoes. We started with Finn Comfort, an ugly but all black shoe that could pass as office casual. I walked from one end of the store to the other. He went to fetch an arch orthotic. I walked again. He retrieved a pair of MBTs, which worked great for my hip, but was nearly impossible to balance on with my left foot’s severe pronation. We tried another shoe, but I was back to dragging my foot and near-collapsing every few steps. And so I knew what the final box would contain, and what I must buy.

New Balance.

Damn it.  

August 12, 2007

How to put up an Easy-Up canopy

Part One

  1. Go to garage
  2. Search for large wheeled bag that you had left conveniently by the door last fall.
  3. Find large wheeled bag on shelf in back.
  4. Remember that the Helpful Relatives who put it there did so during a Very Necessary reorganization of Heavy Things that you weren’t ever going to do.
  5. Try to ignore that most of those heavy things belong to said Helpful Relatives.
  6. Drag large wheeled bag out to the yard.
  7. Marvel at how the conveniently wheeled bag insists on twisting over to its non-wheeled side.
  8. Open bag.
  9. Dump everything on your feet.
  10. Rest for an hour.
  11. Go back to the yard.
  12. Stand metal framework up on its legs.
  13. Try to remember how to expand it. Oh, yeah. Pull on the sides that say “open.”
  14. Remember that this part takes two people.
  15. Go inside until you can recruit a helper.
  16. Contact Friendly Neighbor who owes you several favors.
  17. Meet Friendly Neighbor in yard.
  18. Pull from different directions.
  19. Watch Friendly Neighbor casually slip locking devices into place without any struggle at all.
  20. Control envy.
  21. Say thanks.
  22. Go inside to get ready for bed.

Part Two

  1. Go to garage.
  2. Search for huge blue canopy that you weren’t able to stuff into the wheeled bag last fall.
  3. Find it on top shelf.
  4. Remember to think nice thoughts about Helpful Relatives.
  5. Bring large blue canopy to yard.
  6. Unfold the canopy.
  7. Drag the canopy over the framework.
  8. Align velcro strips.
  9. Feel satisfied that this part is going well.
  10. Close velcro anchors.
  11. Curse as one velcro anchor rips out of the fabric.
  12. Fetch Spray Adhesive Guaranteed to Bond Anything Permanently.
  13. Spray the Adhesive.
  14. Hold for a few moments as you feel your fingers bonding together.
  15. Watch the velcro anchor fall off immediately.
  16. Rush into the house as you realize that what is being bonded together permanently are your plastic finger splints.
  17. Grab the Acrylic Nails Remover that you mistakenly bought a few years back.
  18. Liberally douse hand with Acrylic Nails Remover.
  19. Take a moment to feel gratitude toward people with acrylic nails as your fingers now separate from each other.
  20. Grab the duck tape.
  21. Return outdoors.
  22. Apply duck tape liberally mostly so you won’t lose the velcro anchor.
  23. Promise yourself that you will think of a permanent solution later.
  24. Realize you need Friendly Neighbor again to extend the legs of the gazebo.
  25. Return indoors to recover.
  26. Catch frightful sight of yourself in mirror. Note to self: Remove mirrors.

November 14, 2006

Splints!

Got my Oval 8 finger splints today! I got a pack of size 8s and a pack of size 9s. The 8s fit my index and middle fingers pip joints great. The 9s fit my daughter’s. How great! I think I will look into buying a smaller size for the dip joints, to correct the deviation which is returning. They’re not so attractive as the silver ring splints, but I think they won’t fall off so easily, nor do they seem likely to deform through daily use. So, yay!

November 5, 2006

Lost another ring splint

I’m very sad. Yet another ring splint has slipped from my hand while I was preoccupied. Out of 8 splints, I only have 3 left. At least the thumb splints, which I need most, can’t fall off easily.

I am going to order oval-8 splints. They aren’t near as pretty as the silver ring splints, but perhaps they will not fall off on the occassions that my fingers are not swollen. And if they do, they are much cheaper: Oval 8s at Sammons Preston.

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