@!#$^&*()_#$%^@#$^&!!!
 

Life is what happens when you're making other plans...

Most of you know that Lydia and I have bought our boat and expect to get
aboard and cut the cords. Target departure date is November 1, with a
variety of things to happen first, including getting a couple of houses
(emptied and) sold. Progress is happening at an acceptable pace, there, but
just as Lydia was fixated on getting the boat bought, she's now fixated on
getting aboard, *NOW!*. I, too, want to get aboard, but deal with
frustration a bit better than she :{))

However, personally, I've had a setback and a shock to the system. I went
to my orthopedic surgeon yesterday after having had an MRI done on my
shoulder (the one with the severe dislocation and greater tuberosity [the
outside of the ball end of the shoulder bone] fracture, followed by major
surgery, mentioned in this space 3 years ago). Instead of the expected
adhesion of something, or a muscle which was too long having prevented my
having full use of my arm, the original operation essentially failed - my
top two rotator cuff muscles have come off the humerus (which in itself lost
a pretty good chunk of bone in the original accident) and retracted and
atrophied a lot, plus the biceps tendon has slid about 50% out of place. No
wonder I couldn't raise my arm!

What all that means is that to (have a chance at - there's only a 50%
success rate in such operations) regain my full function will require
essentially the same operation I had originally, along with the requisite
rehab time.

So, it would mean a delay at the very best, which would mean a hurried trip
through the upper islands in order to miss the hurricanes or delaying the op
(which would allow us to enjoy the summer, at least!) and leaving next
November. Neither prospect (see fixation, above) is very palatable to
Lydia. So, we're currently wrestling with 1) leaving it alone (which
forecloses my chance to ever have it right), 2) taking the chance that it
won't work - but also incurring the chance that it might result in pain,
later, where there is currently none, 3) doing it ASAP so that we can get
under way ASAP (whenever that actually works out to be), and 4) doing it
later (with a presumed November 2005 departure).

In any event, recalling my last op, there's a long rehab to get any
semblance of strength. I'm waiting for a call back from them to see what I
should expect in the way of total time and intermediate times, which will
partly drive our decision, should we decide to go ahead. Either way, if I
go under the knife, we'll not be outta here in November as we'd planned. If
I don't, my arm will never be better than it is today...

L8R

Skip and Lydia

--

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2

"And then again, when you sit at the helm of your little ship on a
clear night, and gaze at the countless stars overhead, and realize
that you are quite alone on a great, wide sea, it is apt to occur to
you that in the general scheme of things you are merely an
insignificant speck on the surface of the ocean; and are not nearly
so important or as self-sufficient as you thought you were. Which is
an exceedingly wholesome thought, and one that may effect a
permanent change in your deportment that will be greatly appreciated
by your friends." - James S. Pitkin

@!#$^&*()_#$%^@#$^&!!!
 

Sorry to hear that! Looks like you might be in the market for a power
winch. :-) Actually November through June might be a better choice for
working your way down. More fronts to ride down to PR and better winds
once you get there. Also more places are open in the season.

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

@!#$^&*()_#$%^@#$^&!!!
 

Skip,
Man, that's gotta be frustrating!

How long is the rehab before you could work the boat in benign
conditions? Any chance you could have the surgery ASAP, then spend time
on the boat coastal cruising until you feel your shoulder is up to
longer passages and rougher conditions? I dunno if this makes any
sense, but to me, it I couldn't have the hole enchilada right away,
having some of it now would be better than waiting until I could handle
the whole thing.

Best of luck - Dan

Skip Gundlach wrote:
Life is what happens when you're making other plans...

Most of you know that Lydia and I have bought our boat and expect to get
aboard and cut the cords. Target departure date is November 1, with a
variety of things to happen first, including getting a couple of houses
(emptied and) sold. Progress is happening at an acceptable pace, there, but
just as Lydia was fixated on getting the boat bought, she's now fixated on
getting aboard, *NOW!*. I, too, want to get aboard, but deal with
frustration a bit better than she :{))

However, personally, I've had a setback and a shock to the system. I went
to my orthopedic surgeon yesterday after having had an MRI done on my
shoulder (the one with the severe dislocation and greater tuberosity [the
outside of the ball end of the shoulder bone] fracture, followed by major
surgery, mentioned in this space 3 years ago). Instead of the expected
adhesion of something, or a muscle which was too long having prevented my
having full use of my arm, the original operation essentially failed - my
top two rotator cuff muscles have come off the humerus (which in itself lost
a pretty good chunk of bone in the original accident) and retracted and
atrophied a lot, plus the biceps tendon has slid about 50% out of place. No
wonder I couldn't raise my arm!

What all that means is that to (have a chance at - there's only a 50%
success rate in such operations) regain my full function will require
essentially the same operation I had originally, along with the requisite
rehab time.

So, it would mean a delay at the very best, which would mean a hurried trip
through the upper islands in order to miss the hurricanes or delaying the op
(which would allow us to enjoy the summer, at least!) and leaving next
November. Neither prospect (see fixation, above) is very palatable to
Lydia. So, we're currently wrestling with 1) leaving it alone (which
forecloses my chance to ever have it right), 2) taking the chance that it
won't work - but also incurring the chance that it might result in pain,
later, where there is currently none, 3) doing it ASAP so that we can get
under way ASAP (whenever that actually works out to be), and 4) doing it
later (with a presumed November 2005 departure).

In any event, recalling my last op, there's a long rehab to get any
semblance of strength. I'm waiting for a call back from them to see what I
should expect in the way of total time and intermediate times, which will
partly drive our decision, should we decide to go ahead. Either way, if I
go under the knife, we'll not be outta here in November as we'd planned. If
I don't, my arm will never be better than it is today...

L8R

Skip and Lydia


--
Dan Best - (707) 431-1662, Healdsburg, CA 95448
B-2/75 1977-1979
Tayana 37 #192, "Tricia Jean"
http://rangerbest.home.comcast.net/TriciaJean.JPG

@!#$^&*()_#$%^@#$^&!!!
 

Skip,
Really sorry to hear about the setback.
Before making a decision, I'd suggest getting a bit more info,
in the form of a 2nd opinion, plus a visit to at least 3
injury rehab folks to get an estimate of recovery time.
Is there chance that trusted crew could go with you as soon
as you're able to go aboard, and provide the muscle until
you see how well you're mending?
Best wishes for a happy solution...Norm B


On Thu, 27 May 2004 10:26:57 -0400, "Skip Gundlach" skipgundlach.sez.remove.this.and.the.dots.to.mail
wrote:

Life is what happens when you're making other plans...

Most of you know that Lydia and I have bought our boat and expect to get
aboard and cut the cords. Target departure date is November 1, with a
variety of things to happen first, including getting a couple of houses
(emptied and) sold. Progress is happening at an acceptable pace, there, but
just as Lydia was fixated on getting the boat bought, she's now fixated on
getting aboard, *NOW!*. I, too, want to get aboard, but deal with
frustration a bit better than she :{))

However, personally, I've had a setback and a shock to the system. I went
to my orthopedic surgeon yesterday after having had an MRI done on my
shoulder (the one with the severe dislocation and greater tuberosity [the
outside of the ball end of the shoulder bone] fracture, followed by major
surgery, mentioned in this space 3 years ago). Instead of the expected
adhesion of something, or a muscle which was too long having prevented my
having full use of my arm, the original operation essentially failed - my
top two rotator cuff muscles have come off the humerus (which in itself lost
a pretty good chunk of bone in the original accident) and retracted and
atrophied a lot, plus the biceps tendon has slid about 50% out of place. No
wonder I couldn't raise my arm!

What all that means is that to (have a chance at - there's only a 50%
success rate in such operations) regain my full function will require
essentially the same operation I had originally, along with the requisite
rehab time.

So, it would mean a delay at the very best, which would mean a hurried trip
through the upper islands in order to miss the hurricanes or delaying the op
(which would allow us to enjoy the summer, at least!) and leaving next
November. Neither prospect (see fixation, above) is very palatable to
Lydia. So, we're currently wrestling with 1) leaving it alone (which
forecloses my chance to ever have it right), 2) taking the chance that it
won't work - but also incurring the chance that it might result in pain,
later, where there is currently none, 3) doing it ASAP so that we can get
under way ASAP (whenever that actually works out to be), and 4) doing it
later (with a presumed November 2005 departure).

In any event, recalling my last op, there's a long rehab to get any
semblance of strength. I'm waiting for a call back from them to see what I
should expect in the way of total time and intermediate times, which will
partly drive our decision, should we decide to go ahead. Either way, if I
go under the knife, we'll not be outta here in November as we'd planned. If
I don't, my arm will never be better than it is today...

L8R

Skip and Lydia

Departures (was) @!#$^&*()_#$%^@#$^&!!!
 

Hi, Glenn and thanks for the thought - BTW, you owe me a mail or two or I
have the wrong addy for you again...

"Glenn Ashmore" wrote in message
news:16ntc.16570$Sx2.7061@okepread01...
Sorry to hear that! Looks like you might be in the market for a power
winch. :-) Actually November through June might be a better choice for
working your way down. More fronts to ride down to PR and better winds
once you get there. Also more places are open in the season.


Actually, that's exactly when we intended to go. But if I have surgery now,
I'll not be in condition to get back on board before January or so, due to
the time in rehab (at least, based on last time - I'm still waiting to hear
from the ortho about how long to expect), and maybe later. That makes the
working our way down just that much shorter. The reason we found it
important to leave ASAP the hurricane season was over is that we don't
expect to be north of STT any time again (at least in the boat) and so
wanted to have a long opportunity to explore those northern islands. After
all, there are those who make a lifetime out of the Bahamas, so who are we
to say that we wouldn't have plenty to see for several months?

So, if I have a later surgery (current schedule is June 15th), it would
allow a longer rehab and also more time to get our act together about
getting houses dealt with, for a November 05 departure. As it is, we may be
delayed, unless we just "throw them away" by cutting the prices to fire sale
level (thus killing our cruising kitty - a catch 22), so perhaps it wouldn't
matter, anyway, to have a later surgery. However, Lydia's just beside
herself wanting to get aboard, so we've not yet made that decision.

My preference is to wait until, say, September, and get a good long rehab
before making the boat as perfect as we can, and heading out November 05.
That would also get us past the requirement to come back from wherever we
were to see her son graduate in December :{))

Thanks for your interest...

L8R

Skip (and Lydia, by proxy)


--

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2

"And then again, when you sit at the helm of your little ship on a
clear night, and gaze at the countless stars overhead, and realize
that you are quite alone on a great, wide sea, it is apt to occur to
you that in the general scheme of things you are merely an
insignificant speck on the surface of the ocean; and are not nearly
so important or as self-sufficient as you thought you were. Which is
an exceedingly wholesome thought, and one that may effect a
permanent change in your deportment that will be greatly appreciated
by your friends." - James S. Pitkin

Rehab (was) @!#$^&*()_#$%^@#$^&!!!
 

Hi, Dan, and thanks for the note.

Skip,
Man, that's gotta be frustrating!

How long is the rehab before you could work the boat in benign

I don't really know. Last time (which was to do the same thing, but there
was mayhem in there from the dislocation which isn't present this time) I
was *barely* able to use the shoulder by end of December/beginning of
January. I'm waiting to hear from the ortho about the anticipated time of
rehab, but I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be very quick, especially since the
muscles not attached are probably totally atrophied - and for that matter,
might not come back, I suppose, regardless of the success of reattachment.

conditions? Any chance you could have the surgery ASAP, then spend time
on the boat coastal cruising until you feel your shoulder is up to
longer passages and rougher conditions? I dunno if this makes any

It does, sort of, but we were hoping to do the northern Caribbean until we
got to St. Thomas in May or so, before heading south to get out of the
hurricane belt. We really don't feel we want to divert the resources
necessary to cruise for over a year before going to work (as we intend in
STT after we come back from Trinidad/Venezuela). However, I suppose that if
we were actually *ready* to go by, say, April, we might do the east coast
(we have charts from the prior owner's preceding captain), and then head out
in November. It just means leaving the income stream (Lydia's - I've been
unemployed for about half my working life, and as those here know, the last
year has been full-time boat hunting) that much earlier.

sense, but to me, it I couldn't have the hole enchilada right away,
having some of it now would be better than waiting until I could handle
the whole thing.

Well, you and Lydia have the same mindset, and I guess I should introduce
that scenario to her, as, certainly, it *is* a possibility. I just get
nervous thinking about more than a year before we get back into the inome
stream again :{/)

Best of luck - Dan

Thanks - I'll keep the group posted :{))

L8R

Skip (and Lydia, by proxy)


Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you
didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail
away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.
Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

Backup (was) @!#$^&*()_#$%^@#$^&!!!
 

Hi, Norm, and thanks for the note...

"engsol" wrote in message
...
Skip,
Really sorry to hear about the setback.
Before making a decision, I'd suggest getting a bit more info,
in the form of a 2nd opinion, plus a visit to at least 3
injury rehab folks to get an estimate of recovery time.

Well, I sorta have had those - I've been working up to this for a couple of
years, and had to wait until I passed the insurance waiting time for
pre-existing conditions. I don't know that estimates of recovery time are
going to be particularly important here, as I know it won't be swift - and
if it isn't *really* swift, we'd be thrown into next year, anyway. As I
commented to Dan, if we're into next year, it's either keep waiting until
the best window presents itself (November) or take off as soon as we can,
and either take more than a year, or forego the upper islands in order to
get south as quickly as possible to get out of the hurricane belt. As to
the second opinion, the ortho is the team doctor for the Atlanta Braves, the
Atlanta Hawks and GA Tech basketball teams; all he does is shoulders,
including presenting on the type of injury I've had at many ortho
conferences. I'm confident - following a detailed look at the MRIs - in his
analysis...

Is there chance that trusted crew could go with you as soon
as you're able to go aboard, and provide the muscle until
you see how well you're mending?

Heh. Unfortunately, none that I know of. Several months is a long time on
a boat you don't own, and a long time with someone you don't live with every
day on one you do :{)) Worse, I'd not be able to check in with the
rehabbers for direction and review...

Best wishes for a happy solution...Norm B

Thanks. I'm sure it will all work out - we don't know how, just yet!

L8R

Skip (and Lydia, by proxy)

--

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2

"And then again, when you sit at the helm of your little ship on a
clear night, and gaze at the countless stars overhead, and realize
that you are quite alone on a great, wide sea, it is apt to occur to
you that in the general scheme of things you are merely an
insignificant speck on the surface of the ocean; and are not nearly
so important or as self-sufficient as you thought you were. Which is
an exceedingly wholesome thought, and one that may effect a
permanent change in your deportment that will be greatly appreciated
by your friends." - James S. Pitkin

Departures (was) @!#$^&*()_#$%^@#$^&!!!
 

Skip Gundlach wrote:

My preference is to wait until, say, September, and get a good long rehab
before making the boat as perfect as we can, and heading out November 05.
That would also get us past the requirement to come back from wherever we
were to see her son graduate in December :{))

Good long rehab sounds good. How long it needs to be depends greatly
upon how much you will be required to use it and when. This depends I
guess, on your style of boating and your crew's/wife's strength. For
example if you will not be required to use the shoulder heavily *at all*
you could easily bring along an exercize device or two and continue the
latter half of the rehab during your travels.

The primary two keys to rehab a

1)Protection from excess forces (which should first be very great and
*gradually* decrease as healing occurs

2)Introduction of movement and force (which should start off very light
and *gradually* increase as healing/strengthening occurs).

Failure in the correct starting point and gradual progress of either of
these are pretty much the only causes of rehab failure. Often one
mistake is all it takes, but if you can avoid that one mistake you can
rehab pretty much anywhere.


Stephen

@!#$^&*()_#$%^@#$^&!!!
 

"Skip Gundlach"
skipgundlach.sez.remove.this.and.the.dots.to.mail
wrote:

Life is what happens when you're making other plans...

Most of you know that Lydia and I have bought our boat and expect to get
aboard and cut the cords. Target departure date is November 1, with a
variety of things to happen first, including getting a couple of houses
(emptied and) sold. Progress is happening at an acceptable pace, there, but
just as Lydia was fixated on getting the boat bought, she's now fixated on
getting aboard, *NOW!*. I, too, want to get aboard, but deal with
frustration a bit better than she :{))

However, personally, I've had a setback and a shock to the system. I went
to my orthopedic surgeon yesterday after having had an MRI done on my
shoulder (the one with the severe dislocation and greater tuberosity [the
outside of the ball end of the shoulder bone] fracture, followed by major
surgery, mentioned in this space 3 years ago). Instead of the expected
adhesion of something, or a muscle which was too long having prevented my
having full use of my arm, the original operation essentially failed - my
top two rotator cuff muscles have come off the humerus (which in itself lost
a pretty good chunk of bone in the original accident) and retracted and
atrophied a lot, plus the biceps tendon has slid about 50% out of place. No
wonder I couldn't raise my arm!

My husband fell off/onto a ladder and broke his humerus at the
shoulder joint and his elbow (on the two runs of the ladder). He
drove himself to the hospital (because I was in KY and our son was on
14) and they said he might never have full use of his arm/shoulder or
ever be able to raise his arm above shoulder level again. However -
they took him up to Bethesda (USN ret) and put a cast on it and then
he had about a year of physical therapy and now he has full use of the
shoulder. He's still in touch with his physical therapist (who was a
Navy Corpsman at the time).

I think Lydia ought to chill and consider your health first.

What all that means is that to (have a chance at - there's only a 50%
success rate in such operations) regain my full function will require
essentially the same operation I had originally, along with the requisite
rehab time.

So, it would mean a delay at the very best, which would mean a hurried trip
through the upper islands in order to miss the hurricanes or delaying the op
(which would allow us to enjoy the summer, at least!) and leaving next
November. Neither prospect (see fixation, above) is very palatable to
Lydia. So, we're currently wrestling with 1) leaving it alone (which
forecloses my chance to ever have it right), 2) taking the chance that it
won't work - but also incurring the chance that it might result in pain,
later, where there is currently none, 3) doing it ASAP so that we can get
under way ASAP (whenever that actually works out to be), and 4) doing it
later (with a presumed November 2005 departure).

In any event, recalling my last op, there's a long rehab to get any
semblance of strength. I'm waiting for a call back from them to see what I
should expect in the way of total time and intermediate times, which will
partly drive our decision, should we decide to go ahead. Either way, if I
go under the knife, we'll not be outta here in November as we'd planned. If
I don't, my arm will never be better than it is today...

L8R

Skip and Lydia

grandma Rosalie

@!#$^&*()_#$%^@#$^&!!!
 

You'll be consulting different surgeons this time, I trust.
Good luck.


--
bruce
The dignified don't even enter in the game.
-- The Jam