Stars, Sails - the Parallax View

A family of astronomers at sea... coming soon to a galaxy near you...

28 May 2020 | Fort Myers, FL
13 February 2019 | SW Florida
25 May 2018 | Fort Myers, SW FL
02 September 2016 | Fort Myers, FL
11 July 2014 | Fort Myers, FL
04 July 2014 | Fort Myers, FL
01 July 2014 | South Jersey Shore
23 April 2014
11 November 2013 | Fort Myers, FL
05 July 2013 | Fort Myers, FL
25 March 2013 | Fort Myers, FL
11 March 2013 | Fort Myers, FL
25 February 2013 | Fort Myers, FL
24 January 2013 | Fort Myers, FL
25 December 2012 | Fort Myers, FL
15 December 2012 | Fort Myers, FL
28 November 2012 | Fort Myers, FL
25 November 2012 | Fort Myers, FL
07 November 2012 | Fort Myers, FL

Wanted to be in the Cast, but owww...

28 November 2011 | Key West
Heather/ sunny and 81 F, then scattered showers
The cast

Tried to go to Dr. Loeffler this morning, as everyone told us he was Da Man. Unfortunately, Da Man only works three days a week and has all sorts of interesting patients; my wee fractured radius doesn't stand a chance. They referred me to the guy across the hall: Dr. Robin Lockwood. Sounds a bit like Robin Hood, come to think of it. And the address: 1111 12th Ave. Cool, gotta give that a try. Derek took me there in the rental car.
1111  12th

Turns out Dr. Robin L is a somewhat older gentleman, brusque and amusing (yay!), and he explained the X-rays to me. Fracture starts at the inner edge of the radius just under the wrist and then "zigs" upward, kind of like a number 7. Doesn't go all the way through. Aligned, so no problem it having been in a splint for four days.

He took my (left arm) and, after I had washed it, he put on it a "goth glove" of white gauze with a hole cut out for the thumb, and with the fingers mostly exposed. He took out soft cotton batting and cut and fit some to cushion the thumb all the way around. He then took out a couple of packs of what looked like fiberglass boat repair tape, wet it, and started to wrap the forearm, firmly but not too tightly, and worked up to the wrist, then back down, cuffing the edge of the "glove" up over the bottom of the cast, then wrapping that half an inch inward from the edge, to present a lovely finished rim at that end. Same general procedure at the upper end, cuffing the "finger covers" back so as to leave the fingers free from the knuckle upwards, and finishing that edge about 0.25 inch in.

The cast heated up as it started to set: he molded and squeezed it firmly with his hands to try to make sure the support was in the right place and that there was enough width and free space to not torture me or cut off the circulation.

The cast also started to tighten as it set, which worried me a little, but Dr. Robin Lockwood said, "No worries, I make a cut along the side so that you can relieve the pressure a bit if necessary," and he pulled out what looked like a small rotary saw with no blade guard -- eeeyah! -- and started to slice into the cast at the outer edge, beside my hand. Did I seem a bit nervous? He laughed and demonstrated that although the blade cuts fiberglass, it doesn't cut the fleshy part of Dr. L's hand. It appears to be a Sammons Preston Orthopaedic Cast Cutter, like the one pictured here (NOT my picture):
Cast Cutter

And voila, I am in the cast... the pain meds? Just Advil. That's actually better for me than the vicodin the E/R had prescribed.

If the pressure becomes intolerable or my fingers start to swell too much, we can use a screwdriver in the slit he cut to relieve the pressure a bit. The slit does not go all the way up the cast, only halfway. Got to say, it still hurts... pressure points at the palm and the point of the wristbone, but it's OK for tonight.

Derek baked two of his artisan loaves tonight: one for us (the one that stuck to the pan :-) and one to thank Maury and Ginger for their help and kindness -- so, you guys, if you're reading this, we'll cart it over to your boat in the morning!
Comments
Vessel Name: Parallax
Vessel Make/Model: 37' Prout Snowgoose (1982)
Hailing Port: Pensacola
Crew: Derek, Heather and Grant
About:
Two astronomers, looking for variable stars and adventure. After cruising the Caribbean aboard S/V Paradox for 18 months in the early 90s, the crew swallowed the anchor and had a child, always planning their next Great Adventure: cruising under sail with Grant, showing him the world. [...]
Extra:
We knew that if we ever got a catamaran, we'd want a name to celebrate her twin-hulledness. Parallax is seeing the same thing from two slightly different points of view, which with our two eyes is what gives humans our depth perception. It's also a good metaphor for one of the benefits of marriage. [...]

S/V Parallax

Who: Derek, Heather and Grant
Port: Pensacola