Ice Creepers...

[upnut]

That time of year again....thaws followed by bitter cold creating mini skate rinks where you least expect them. Neglected to strap on my ice creepers, did a shoulder first landing on frozen ground in the dark last night. Something popped, lots of pain and zero range of motion today, wood cutting done for this winter. Already had a doctor appointment scheduled for tomorrow, guess we'll have something to talk about....Be safe out there!!!

Scott B. 

[breederman]

I have my yak trax hanging on the hook by my coat so that i dont forget to put them on. Ice is bad around here!
 Hope your damage heals quickly.

[Old Greenhorn]

Sorry to read this Scott, that sounds like it might turn out 'not too good'. I hope it's just bruised. I icked up a new pair of strap on's a while back and they came just in time before it got too bad. But, as you say, you need to remember to put them on and I forgot a time or two.
 Best of luck tomorrow.


 

[thecfarm]

Not the news I wanted to hear. I have a pile of wood that I am cutting up. Packed down snow and a rain storm has made that into all ice. I just came in from cutting some wood and I spread some saw dust on some of it that I was working on.
I fell one year when one of my friends and granddaughter came over. There was nothing but air around me and I fell flat on my back. I got up slow and said, I'm done, I am heading for the house.

[peakbagger]

A good friend was out hiking all day a few days ago. He slipped on a patch in the parking lot and broke his arm. 

[Chuck White]

We were iced over day before yesterday and with the little bit of heat we got, I went out and fired up my JD1023, and with the chains on the back wheels, crunched up the surface to make it safe to walk on!

[newoodguy78]

I hope you get healed up quick. The ice is bad right now. 
I've got a good friend of mine in the icu as I type this recovering from having a drain put in to relieve the bleeding stemming from a fall on the ice and smacking the back of his head.  
Unfortunate part is he was too stubborn to put his creepers on before he went out to bring in wood. 
Spent the day doing wood for his wife for their kitchen stove. 

[Greenie]

I've had very good luck with Stabilicers  --Forum software prevented me from using a link to an Amazon page.
I used to walk 3 miles every morning before breakfast over mixed bare pavement, packed snow and glare ice and these would last for 2-3 months. The bare pavement wore down the steel points but I was happy with how long they lasted. If they are used only on snow and ice they would last the full winter easily.
I have a size 12 - 13 foot - winter boots add another inch or two. The XL size doesn't cover the heel as much as I would like and that's the largest size they make.
It's pretty rare that these don't grip. Initially stepping forward before your full weight is on that foot there is an occasional slide of an inch or two but as the weight transfers the grips bite. If there's a 1/2" or snow of new snow on top of glare ice sometimes the picks don't bite as the snow supports the rest of the bottom of the foot.
Falling is serious business - shoulders, backs, and can occasionally cause death (Dr. Atkins of diet fame slipped on ice and died after surgery to remove a blood clot).
Hope you heal quickly and completely!

[sawguy21]

Take care of yourself and let your body heal, we don't bounce back like we used to. I got a pair of ice creepers for Christmas  and won't be without them. I have gone down hard more than once.

[newoodguy78]

I've got a pair of the stabilicers as well, use them for ice fishing mainly. Personally prefer them over others for the traction and the ease of taking them on and off. 

[upnut]

Update: MRI revealed ripped tendon/rotator cuff....Surgery scheduled for March 17, which happens to be my birthday. Yippee! Physical therapy already scheduled thru April, will be glad to get back to full strength. Thanks all for the well wishes!

Scott B.

[Jeff]

That time of year again....thaws followed by bitter cold creating mini skate rinks where you least expect them. Neglected to strap on my ice creepers, did a shoulder first landing on frozen ground in the dark last night. Something popped, lots of pain and zero range of motion today, wood cutting done for this winter. Already had a doctor appointment scheduled for tomorrow, guess we'll have something to talk about....Be safe out there!!!

Scott B.

Scott, I missed this, and it may have been about the same day I did it. No warning feet in the air and landed on my right shoulder. My shoulder is okay, but it was like it sprung my ribs. Just now getting to where I can lay still for an hour at a time to sleep.

overnight, mother earth was exposed here again. DO NOT MISS THIS!




Were here for moral support. Ive had 5 shoulder operations, so I know.

[samandothers]

So how did the Birthday surgery go?   I hope you could eat cake with the other hand!

[upnut]

Thanks all! The surgery went well, the after pictures show several rows of stitching, plus doc said some plastic anchors. However, the anesthesia shut down the old waterworks...ugh! After a few hours at home realized SOMETHING had to happen, soooo, trip to the ER and insertion of a catheter. They drained off a little over 800ML which is about twice what the bladder is supposed to hold. It was a loooong ride to the hospital! About all the fun I could stand for my birthday... :D

PT and a trip to the urologist this week, fun times all around...

Scott B.

[SwampDonkey]

Take care!

I always pull on the caulk boots when the place is iced up. Just ordered a new pair of Viking 69's on Thursday. The old pair are still in tact, except the caulks wear down. By the time you have to order new caulk picks, put them in, and a month later the sides of the boots will blow out or something, so I just order a new pair of boots and be done with it. Plus I've probably lost two caulk wrenches and some caulks, if not they were stolen. :D

[samandothers]

Sorry the waterworks dammed up!  Glad you are on the road to recovery!

[thecfarm]

Glad all is well now!!!

[nativewolf]

Thanks all! The surgery went well, the after pictures show several rows of stitching, plus doc said some plastic anchors. However, the anesthesia shut down the old waterworks...ugh! After a few hours at home realized SOMETHING had to happen, soooo, trip to the ER and insertion of a catheter. They drained off a little over 800ML which is about twice what the bladder is supposed to hold. It was a loooong ride to the hospital! About all the fun I could stand for my birthday... :D

PT and a trip to the urologist this week, fun times all around...

Scott B.

Huh, surprised they let you leave without verifying it was all ok, all my recent surgeries (say the last 10 years) they've made me go to the bathroom first to get checked out. 

[upnut]

nativewolf- Oh, I take full responsibility.....figured the trickle would improve at home. Trying to cheat did not work out so well, completely on me...

Scott B.

[SwampDonkey]

The neighor here had prostate trouble which blocked his bladder. It got so bad he couldn't drive himself. But he also said it was the ride to h=== to get there, every bump was felt. I think he had to make two trips because it flowed for awhile, then dam up. I think there was some bleeding and clotting going on.

[doctorb]

Anesthesia can bring on urinary retention. So can postop narcotics.  BPH (Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy), otherwise known as an enlarged prostate, and failure to empty happens postop pretty often.  It's never a problem until it happens to you.  If you're having urinary retention and your bladder is distended, that scary catheter is a savior, not a torture device.  The only bad part is when the ER can't pass the catheter because of the enlarged prostate, and a Urologist needs to be called.  They have specific catheters to bypass the blockage, but the wait can be brutal.  It all comes out in the end!

[upnut]

doctorb- Thanks, plain talk from the unofficial team doctor is just what this stubborn woodtick needed to hear...

Scott B.

[Jeff]

Scott, I have a horrible time with any pain and or alergy meds.  If I take motrin, I'll stand in there forever to get going. If I take benadryl,  im in there going every 20 minutes.  My cure? it sucks, but pain most of the time for me is the better option. After 5 pretty major shoulder operations on both shoulders over the years, and now especially as I get older, I've found that being able to take a leak on demand is better than not hurting.

[upnut]

In honor of St. Patrick's Day and all the fun I had a week ago on my birthday I'd like to recommend this little tune. The wife and I were chuckling about the situation as we left the ER, shoulder in a sling and dragging a catheter bag.....

The Corries --- The Bricklayer's Song - YouTube


Scott B.

[doc henderson]

yes @doctorb , it does come out of the end!   ... until it does not.  :D    I have seen it many times, and not looking forward to those years.  the phrase it is hell getting old, is inspired over and over.