I remember an amazing number of guys limping after the parachute landing training. It was a four-foot [1.3 meter] jump into a sand pit. I had been making higher jumps than that since elementary school, but some people just had a hell of a time landing. I OTOH learned the proper technique for activating a flare by screwing up and splashing the top of left thumb with phosphorus.

If you have to live with strangers, it is always good when you have common experiences. That’s something we lost when the draft [national service] was abolished. Men my age and older experienced living in close quarters with people from all over and from families of different economic status. We had the shared hell of basic training to bind us.

There are still public servants in the world who actually want to provide service. There may not be many, but they exist. You just have to be careful if they wear white short-sleeve dress shirts with a narrow dark necktie, they want to give you a copy of the Book of Mormon or life insurance. 😈 [They travel in pairs on bicycles with helmets and backpacks.]

l had my first physio/therapy session today. Went well. Next in 2 days. With luck, maybe home end of next week. Maybe.

I was moved from my cozy room into gen. pop. (small ward. with 3 other men, all older than me). One served in the 50’s in the Korean debacle. We’ve been swapping stories. One of his friend’s that visits him was an RSM. He quizzed me & seemed satisfied. 😎

I almost dropped dead from shock yesterday! Had a visit from the local CentreLink office! He stayed over an hour, I was suspicious at first, but he seemed genuine. He said he would get a 90 Medical Certificate from my Doctor & put in a 90 day exemption. Also said they could help with my Landlord & Agent (they sent me an SMS today that they wanted to inspect my unit. I referred them to my eMail I’d sent them Xmas day about the accident & my circumstances.) Morons.

Brings back memories of training accidents learning to rappel out of a chopper, over a cliff or a building. Lot of accidents, most minor luckily. 🙄

Thanks again Bryan. 👍🏽😊 I’m taking it a day at a time. Nothing else I can do. 🙄

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As close as I can come to what you’re going through was after we pranged an aircraft I used the emergency rope without gloves and left the skin on the palms of both hands on the rope. The way they bandaged my hands was like wearing mittens, so buttons and zippers dropped out of my skill set for a few weeks. I managed to bend some wire to form a tool that would deal with the mitten/zipper problem, but buttons defeated me until my hands healed.

To have the pubs so close and yet so far. I guess you have to make do with real coffee and pain meds.

I looked at the slings on offer at Amazon and they talk about easily adjustable, but there is no way in hell you can put them on with one hand unless you create a tool for assistance … like a robot 😈 Price is not an issue, none of them is as easy to put on as the old triangular piece of cloth that was in the standard med kit. As for eating, I assume you learned the European style of knife and fork use that involved both hands, rather than the silly American version that requires almost everything done with your dominant hand. It’s almost as annoying as writing dates month/day/year rather than the more logical day/month/year or even the best form of year/month/day.

Oh, well, stay safe and get well.

Agree about Scummo should be charged with assault (against several people), but we know that’ll never happen. Hell, I think he & several other scumbags should be charged for impersonating a Human! 😒😈

There are a few quite decent pubs with Bistro’s nearby. But not allowed out of the Hospital. Cafe is part of Hospital. This Australia… Hard NOT to find a pub. 😏

Agree about the bones/ tissue healing. This was the worst timing for me. *sigh* Typical. 🙄😕

Getting more movement out of my arm daily. Can do most routine things myself, with slow caution. Can’t put sling on myself because it is cheap & designed by an idiot. Eating single handed is a PITA too! Can’t wait to get home!

I told a few friends to come here for updates. Typing left-handed is a PITA too!

Thanks Bryan. We’ve known each other over a Decade now. You are one of the sanest, honest, reliable people I’ve known. 👍🏽😊

Your East Coast fires are 6 times worse than the disastrous 2018 California fire season and your Prime Minister and the NSW Emergency Services Minister thought it would be a good idea to have a foreign vacation during the middle of these fires. Of course those are balanced by Trump trying to draw Iran into a new war that we can’t win in the Middle East. Morrison and Trump are both anti-reality politicians because of the extraction industries and religious whackoes.

Oh, that woman whose hand Morrison grabbed for a photo should have him arrested for assault [under New York law I would push for sexual assault for ‘unwanted touching’].

Don’t push things as soft tissue can take longer than bones to heal. Yes to getting to a separate source of nourishment than the hospital kitchen. I don’t supposed there is a pub nearby?

Update: you used a different e-mail address and it went into moderation.

Very funny. 😛 Looks like I’ll be using my arm sooner than they estimated, as I thought. I was moved into the Rehabilitation Wing Wed. Saw a couple Physio’s & Therapists yesterday & today. Started light arm exercises & walking around. I’m on 4th floor & views are good, except for the smoke. 🙁

Should be home in 2 weeks. Light duty with my right arm only for 6 weeks. 120 day Medical Certificate to keep CL off my back! That’s the longest they can do. My GP can issue another after if there is a valid reason. I’m sure there will be!

I’ll be able to go to the cafe on the ground floor from Monday. Yayyyyy… Real coffee again! I miss it soooo much!

Shoulder is little sore, but I can use it a bit more every day. Progress is good. 🙂 They are concerned about a couple things, but bemused by others. That’s normal for me! I don’t fit into standard metrics or boxes, never have. 😆

You’ve probably heard news Aus. is burning whilst Scummo pretends all is well. He tried for his typical photo op in a Town destroyed & was told by all, including a Councillor & fire fighters to f*ck off! He still tried to shake their hands in desperation. Pathetic wanker!

summary of it all here:

https://www.theguardian.com/au

I was thinking maybe voice-activated but yeah I can see how it might be fun to do grand theft auto with foot pedals 😉

hang in there, kryten!

You have ten weeks to learn how to use your game controller with your feet and or left hand 😉

You may need a compression “glove” to deal with the swelling and your left hand will have to learn a lot of new tricks, but stuck staring at screen full of movies gets old quickly. At least it is only 6 weeks totally immobile and you are in line for some support services.

Learn how to slow down and take it easy.