01/30/2008

Wrist injury hurts thought process

The immobilizing brace on my left wrist means that, for right now, I'm virtually reduced to a one hand hunt-and-peck method of typing. For the past week I've been clacking out copy like I'm in Typing 101 class on an old Underwood. The pain of hitting a shift key to create capital letters has me contemplating ee cummings.

however, i think the ap stylebook frowns on sentences like this — even from self-appointed humor columnists.

While I'm dealing with the effects of one hand typing, the cause is still not clear. Although if I had to venture a guess, I'd say riding a 36 year-old snowmobile over rugged terrain for two hours could have been a contributing factor. I thought about telling my doctor I injured my wrist deleting Nigerian bank scam e-mails at work, but there's that whole workers' compensation fraud thing.

Of course it took two weeks before I even set foot in the doctor's office about my wrist. It wasn't lack of health care insurance or white coat syndrome that kept me from seeking medical advice. Instead it was a simple case of M.S.A.: male stoical attitude. "Hey, if everything is still attached and the blood has clotted, just rub some dirt on it and get back in there!”

Then again I'm not in my bounce-back elastic teens or fairly malleable twenties anymore. In fact, the just-walk-it-off thirties are rapidly approaching the yearly exam forties.

Several X-rays and co-pays later, I have a brace wrapped around my wrist for at least two weeks. Now I normally don't get hung up on matching accessories to compliment my utter lack of fashion style, but this thing stinks — literally, after 24/7 wear except for showers. I look like I'm off to roll a few frames at the bowling alley or pose as Mr. January in the carpal tunnel hand hunks of the month calendar.

Although let's be honest, I'm more likely to pick up a 7/10 split than a modeling contract — hand or otherwise.

So you'll have to forgive — or feel blessed — if I stop a bit short this week. A lack of thought process isn't to blame, however, just an absence of connective tissue.

Grand Traverse Herald editor Garret Leiva can be reached at 933-1416 or e-mail gleiva@gtherald.com