Frozen Fingers

[Glory Hills Guy]

Badly froze the fingers on my left had (excluding the thumb) Sunday February 27th out at Swan Hills. I am seeing a specialist at the UofA tomorrow regarding the damage. Just wondering what experience anyone has with frost bite recovery (they were frozen solid from the knuckles down) and the various treatments or surgical options available (skin grafts or even amputation). Or ?????
Any thoughts or brave stories from anybody else would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Paul

 

[sumx54]

Wow...sorry to here this.. how did this happen? I have frost bitten my cheeks a few times...lots of pain and a funny looking face for awhile but healed up fine.

 

[TylerG]

that sounds pretty scary, can you elaborate on how bad they were frozen to be having to go see a specialist?

 

[ferniesnow]

Sorry for your pain and whatever else that is down the road.

Please elaborate on the incident as it may save someone else the misery.

 

[Glory Hills Guy]

Left fingers were ghostly white and frozen solid (below the knuckles) by the time we returned to the truck. Fingers were properly thawed and dressed at Emergency in Swan Hills. Took my Tylenol 3's and buddy drove the rig home.

Next morning fingers had swollen to nearly twice their original size and largest blisters I've ever sened had formed on the backs of the fingers. Thankfully the nurse at emergency had told me to talk off my wedding band!

8+ days later the swelling has subsided and blisters have drained. All finger joints are tight - but - all are moving. Pain is dull (not sharp) but consistent. Finger tips have NOT regained any sensitivity to touch and the skin is thick and tight (looks like jerky). Colour of fingers ranges from white to purple, yellow and green. Nothing is black (gangrene).

I am not sure what to expect (obviously my first bout with frostbite) - but - 3 different Dr.'s have all given me different assessments of the same 4 fingers (ranging from everything is going to be fine to buddy - your screwed). Specialist is just to try and confirm exactly what to expect and what (if anything) needs to be done to the fingers.

Weirdest thing is the right hand (i'm right handed) - same weather conditions, same wet gloves, same sled and no frostbite at all (not even anything minor).

 

[Glory Hills Guy]

The lessons for us. For me!

"Don't leave the clean dry pair of gloves in the trailer because you're too lazy to put them into your backpack"

and

"Accidents/incidents always happen to someone else"

 

[RETODD]

That sucks GHG...keep us in the loop as to how you are doing!!!

 

[Snohog]

one time it was about -35 at work and it was 2am, i had 6 more hours to go and i was dead tired so i though i'd let the Cat idle and have a snooze....everyone did it, so when i was asleep i hit the key with my leg and it shut off my cat, needless to say i just about didnt wake up from that.... but that was the last time i ever slept in the cat

 

[munhoez]

holy cow crap!! thats nuts! sorry to hear that.
here;'s an option, remopve the wrecked fingy's, implant and install screwdrivers, picks and pocket rocket onto ur hand.lol Thats one idea.

sorry for my humor, i've had waaaayyyyy to much sugar today.

 

[Glory Hills Guy]

No worries! Humour is appreciated.

The only "must have" I have on my agenda is that the left hand "must be able" to operate a snowmobile's brake lever.

Though I like the screwdriver idea! Interchangeable bits!

 

[magnet]

No worries! Humour is appreciated.

The only "must have" I have on my agenda is that the left hand "must be able" to operate a snowmobile's brake lever.

Though I like the screwdriver idea! Interchangeable bits!

you'ld have a freekin swiss army hand, that would be awesome, friggen totally awesome.

 

[Glory Hills Guy]

I am not sure about the Swiss - think I'd rather stay with 1 of our main sled producers. Problems being:
- the Polaris "left hand" would likely be the most bitching bionic hand on the market - and they'd never get it working properly!
- the Skidoo "left hand" would maybe be the best bionic hand on the market but nobody would like me!
- the Arctic Cat "left hand" would be too similar to Polaris and Ski-doos left hand from 5 years ago!
- the Yamaha "left hand" would likely work great with a turbo installed but would weigh so damn much I'd never lift my hand off the ground!

 

[Pinner]

Go with a 4 stroke left hand

 

[SledMamma]

I'm curious what the answer from the specialist will be. I have been wondering the same thing about my big toe. I did this to my toe on a very cold Feb 23rd in Elkford. It started out mostly white with no feeling at all, except a tingling in a dime sized area that was blue/black. Then, it swelled and blistered. Over the next few days, the frozen white part turned black as well and the feeling (pain) returned. In the last three days the pain has subsided and the affected part has become rock hard.

My brother says that next it will form a scab and fall off. Sounds like fun .

 

[magnet]

I am not sure about the Swiss - think I'd rather stay with 1 of our main sled producers. Problems being:
- the Polaris "left hand" would likely be the most bitching bionic hand on the market - and they'd never get it working properly!
- the Skidoo "left hand" would maybe be the best bionic hand on the market but nobody would like me!
- the Arctic Cat "left hand" would be too similar to Polaris and Ski-doos left hand from 5 years ago!
- the Yamaha "left hand" would likely work great with a turbo installed but would weigh so damn much I'd never lift my hand off the ground!

friggen awesome hilarious.:d

I'm curious what the answer from the specialist will be. I have been wondering the same thing about my big toe. I did this to my toe on a very cold Feb 23rd in Elkford. It started out mostly white with no feeling at all, except a tingling in a dime sized area that was blue/black. Then, it swelled and blistered. Over the next few days, the frozen white part turned black as well and the feeling (pain) returned. In the last three days the pain has subsided and the affected part has become rock hard.

My brother says that next it will form a scab and fall off. Sounds like fun .

that looks yummy.:d

 

[beeonaplug]

Badly froze the fingers on my left had (excluding the thumb) Sunday February 27th out at Swan Hills. I am seeing a specialist at the UofA tomorrow regarding the damage. Just wondering what experience anyone has with frost bite recovery (they were frozen solid from the knuckles down) and the various treatments or surgical options available (skin grafts or even amputation). Or ?????
Any thoughts or brave stories from anybody else would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Paul

Hard to pick your nose with those fingers now!! jk. That's to bad. Hope you don't have to loose any fingers. Years ago my older brother was a bush pilot way up north. One very cold -40 day in winter he crashed on a frozen lake. As a result of the impact we was unconscious for a few hours with bare hands. When he came to, with his passengers frozen body next to him and his hands also frozen solid. His ankles were broke so bad that his circulation was poor so his toes and part of his feet also froze. To make a long story short, they found him 2 and a half days later by his wrecked plane. He spent a long time in hospital and his hands and feet turned black after a week. The circulation did return to his feet and toes, but he lost his right hand and all the fingers on his left hand up to his first knuckles. He wrote a little 20 page booklet about his experience, really interesting. I'll send you one if you want, just pm me your mailing address.

I'm no doctor but hopefully your fingers will get circulation back. It is a good sign they are not black. Hope you have a speedy recovery Paul.

 

[koby]

that toe is the devil !

you need to poke it with a needle then attach a leech.
let the blood sucker stay on there for a good 6 hours
then for sure you'll want to make a nice paste from
dandelion root, the mud flap from a Winnebago and
of course eye of knut, and apply liberally to the effected area!

all the best!

 

[Glory Hills Guy]

Thanks everyone for your stories/encouragement. I will keep you posted.
Sled Mamma - I will let you know what the Dr. says about my fingers (similar story/appearence to your toe).

 

[bigdaddy35]

Sorry for your troubles. Not to make light of your situation, but it made me thing of adam sandler...

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6pDeTKoa-4[/media]

 

[heavy d]

I'm curious what the answer from the specialist will be. I have been wondering the same thing about my big toe. I did this to my toe on a very cold Feb 23rd in Elkford. It started out mostly white with no feeling at all, except a tingling in a dime sized area that was blue/black. Then, it swelled and blistered. Over the next few days, the frozen white part turned black as well and the feeling (pain) returned. In the last three days the pain has subsided and the affected part has become rock hard.

My brother says that next it will form a scab and fall off. Sounds like fun .

Ya...uhmmm.....that's lookin' like it's gonna fall off