Two Days of Exoskeleton

I get my cast off on Tuesday! I can't wait. I've been doing hand exercises on a squishy hand exerciser that seem to be helping strengthen my grip on my hand. The guy that put the cast on my arm explained that it works like an exoskeleton to support the bones from the outside. My arm is lobster man's limb.

The Bike is Back!

I got the Sportster back from V-Tech Motorsports Today and it's better than new. I can't wait until spring when I can get it back out on the roads again. I've added a bit new chrome to it Tonight to celebrate it's return. Love that throaty rumble!

Back from the Hunt

After two weekends of rifle deer season I got skunked. I tried several stands as well as what used to be a prime spot on the side of a ridge. I only saw two deer off in the brush running on the very first day. The herd population is either down in the area where I hunt or the deer are just not moving at all during the day.

Next year I'll try bow hunting earlier in the year to see if they are around in the area where I hunt before the rifle season starts. I may plant some alfalfa or clover in the area to help feed the herd and give them some easy grazing. Next year I may pick up a handheld GPS so that I can head out deeper into the woods without the threat of being lost. I think those devices would be a comforting thing to have on a deep woods hunt as long as the batteries don't go dead.

New Cast

I went to the orthopedic surgeon on Tuesday and had my large cast removed, x-rays performed, and a new cast installed. This new cast does not go past my elbow so I can finally bend my elbow. The muscle atrophy and lack of mobility of my left elbow is shocking. This is going to make deer hunting a challenge. I'm not sure how I'll manage a rifle with my left hand not available. Hopefully my left arm is strong enough to lay the rifle barrel across my cast and hold up the weight, but I have my doubts. This is going to be a long, slow, recovery.

When they finally take the second cast off after a total of 2 months in casts my hand and wrist will start the recovery. As much atrophy as my arm has suffered from one month, I'm worried about what will happen with my wrist and hand after two months. When they had the cast off to x-ray I noticed how little movement my fingers and wrist had. It's a bit scary. It will be a long time before I'm able to play guitar again.