Knife Maker Surgery today

Karl

The reason for that is.....Gravity :)
There is always some bleeding /bruising with this type of surgery, and it tracks down your chest wall, along with some of the arthroscopic fluid.
It IS fairly common, and usually nothing to worry about
 
I feel kind of like I've been given a second chance in life this morning.
On March 10th, while working in my shop, I felt an enormous pain on my right side in my back. Like I had just been stabbed by a four inch blade.
That pain remained at that level for about a week, and I lost almost full motion of that arm.
I was sent for an MRI and an evaluation.
I needed surgery for the first time in my life at the age of 63.
For two months I've literally not been able to brush my teeth or drink a cup of coffee without extreme difficulty and pain.
I was also a bit fearful. It was my dominant arm and ya'll know what I do for a a living!
I got a bit lucky and found myself in downtown Chicago on the evening of May 2nd layed out on a table about to get worked on by one of the orthopedic surgeons for the Chicago Bulls and White Sox.
I went into surgery at 6 pm and was in my living room a two hour drive away at 11:30. Still amazes me.
Basically what he had to do is what is called "decompression" surgery and remove, well, 'trash' (actually a large paralabral cyst) that was compressing a nerve and interfering with signal to a large muscle. Seems my rather hands-on lifestyle of outdoor 'fun' - hunting, camping, canoeing, traditional archery - 25 years of building houses and the last decade as a full-time bladesmith had ill-effects on my right shoulder. Because of this he said while he was decompressing my shoulder he would also check everything out due to my history.
Six holes in my shoulder later, he found nothing else to repair. That's the really good news.
And there really is no bad news.
I went to Chicago yesterday and after he and his ultra-amazing crew examined me, he released me with a post-op therapy program for restrengthening my arm and basically instructions to work as hard as I physically felt I could.
(I won't go into personal details, but he's getting one hell of a Quillon Dagger!)
I have my table paid for in Atlanta and my room is paid for. So I'll be there. I just may have almost nothing on my table this year. And I refuse to miss the CKCA banquet. I have a commercial order mid-way done that I need to complete that is going to eat up most of my time.
But I'll have something to offer.
Stop by 5P and shake my hand!! I'll be thrilled to use that arm.
 
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Karl, glad to hear the surgery went well and you're on the mends. I had shoulder done last year and know it's no fun. PT is a PIA but helps. Good luck with continued recovery.
 
Thanks, Mark.
I needed to cover costs for this episode, and in preparation for it designed a "fund raiser" knife that I will have about 10 of on my table - I hope. Not my normal offering, but it was also nice to get outside my box for a little while and work on something else.
 
Glad to hear you're doing well Karl!

Can't make Blade but here's a "cyber- handshake" for you:thumbsup:

Bill
 
Good hear that you will may a full recovery and then some, Karl. :thumbsup: I had no idea that you were 63. You didn't look a day over 60 when I last saw you in 2013.......wait. Nevermind. :rolleyes:
 
Right on, Karl.... lets see if you are up for a high-five! See you at Blade.
 
Glad all went well Karl - when they opened up my shoulder, they said they blow it open the width of a pencil. Now, take those pain pills and do the finger walk up the door jam like a good boy
 
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