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Amputated tip of strong hand index finger


kcobean

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I was working on a mountain bike and long story short I took off the tip of my "shooting" finger at about the base of the nail. Accident happened on July 2nd. It's healing nicely and the joint itself is in tact. The amputation missed the tendon attachments to the distal phalanx. Some of the nail is growing back and the doc says in 2 to 4 weeks he'll be able to close up what's left of the open wound. God willing I'll still be able to shoot with it. I hope to get a match or two in before the end of the year, but this came at a bad time given the upcoming A8 championships and Limited Nationals.

Rather than attach a pic, I'll provide a link for anyone with a morid curiosity. Kinda graphic.

http://www.vipercrazy.com/hosting/kcobean/misc/finger.jpg

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Sorry that happened, man; hope you mend soon. And thanks for not imbedding the picture. That's the kind of (I haven't looked at it) gross stuff that people on Facebook think nothing of forcing out on everybody within shouting distance. I appreciate the discretion.

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I work on a lot of bikes so I have to ask for my own personal safety.... What in the heck on a mountain bike is capable of doing that to your finger???? Either you've got REALLY sharp teeth on your crank sprocket and a REALLY tight chain or you have knives welded to your frame.

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Guy I shoot with doesn't have the strong hand index finger tip. Lost it years before he started shooting. When he moves and reloads it looks like his finger is in the trigger guard, but it isn't.

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^^^^^
Yep - and this same fellow and I were doing a little shooting together in one of the bays and after looking at a target I made the comment that I thought he had too much finger on the trigger...and then he held up his trigger finger.

...and then it got a little awkward. :rolleyes: Obviously, I was wrong.

KC - I think you will be able to shoot again, the body is an amazing thing when it comes to healing and compensating for injuries. Many others have been able to overcome....and you can too. Hope you heal quick and get back to the shooting soon!

Edited by Bamboo
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Thanks for the kind words guys. I do think I'll still be able to use it to shoot with. The joint is perfectly functional, the finger is just going to be a tad shorter. The first thing that went through my mind the instant it happened was "crap..I can't undo that."

Lifeislarge, I was adjusting the caliper on the front disc brake. I spun the front tire to see if the pads were rubbing on the disc and my finger slipped into the one of the openings in the disc. The action of the disc spinning through the caliper was like one of those cutters you use to take the tip off of a cigar.

And yeah, it hurt. :)

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^^^^^

Yep - and this same fellow and I were doing a little shooting together in one of the bays and after looking at a target I made the comment that I thought he had too much finger on the trigger...and then he held up his trigger finger.

...and then it got a little awkward. :rolleyes: Obviously, I was wrong.

Damn Bob, that is funny!!! I'm guessing Duane gave you a different finger once he stopped laughing.

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Uh, ummm, yeah....when I realized my faux pas I gave him a full body Bro hug and told him it wasn't my fault as I was born insensitive and it is a curse. :wacko:

Thankfully, Mr. Duane is a gentleman and didn't kick my ass. I appreciated that. :bow:

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Merle Eddington was a prominent GM a few years back who had the same problem (not sure if it antedated his shooting career). Didn't slow him down a bit.

And, yes, he had the same problems with RO's thinking what was missing was inside the trigger guard.

When you're well, come back and shoot. Like any injury, rehab and adjustment will be needed, but you can and will get back to where you were, and beyond, if that's your goal.

Good luck.

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Merle Eddington was a prominent GM a few years back who had the same problem (not sure if it antedated his shooting career). Didn't slow him down a bit.

And, yes, he had the same problems with RO's thinking what was missing was inside the trigger guard.

When you're well, come back and shoot. Like any injury, rehab and adjustment will be needed, but you can and will get back to where you were, and beyond, if that's your goal.

Good luck.

Thanks Kevin. I will be shooting again ASAP. It's what I do, and this isn't going to stop me. A friend told me about Merle when this first happened. 1994 Open Nationals Champ as I understand it.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I've experienced the near the same injury to my strong hand...I was lucky(?)mine healed good enough without add'l work by Doc. Get used to letting the R.O.'s know about the shortness of your finger. You'll also appreciate finding short reach trigger combinations and Grips. With the nerves kinda fubar'd that finger tip gets heat/cold INSENSITIVE. It'll take some effort but, soon you'll not be thinking about it and just shooting.

Good luck, John

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Thanks John. It's healing up pretty well. Here's a picture of it 44 days post-accident. I have an app't with the plastic surgeon on the 30th. We'll see if he wants to do anything with it.

http://www.vipercrazy.com/hosting/kcobean/misc/finger-healing.jpg

Still a fair amount of swelling, especially if I do a lot of walking and such. I've been RO'ing matches my son shoots at and it really sucks not shooting, but it's still sore to the point that pulling a trigger is uncomfortable. It's a little better every day though and I hope to be shooting in a month or two depending on what the doc does.

Edited by kcobean
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By the looks of the pic, I'd say it's healing pretty well. I lost a little bit more than you did, I've barely got a nail at all... You'll be good to go soon. Dryfire at first to get the feel of the trigger again(or lack of). I have a bit more take up on my triggers now. Little or no take up can surprise you...Trust me, your finger tip will just be numb. Sensitivity will come back, just not right away.

Practice a bit before heading back to matches and you'll be fine. With off season coming up, maybe you'll be able to take in indoor match if available. (takes the cold out of the equation).

Good luck!

John

Edited by FJR05
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That is amazing! I can't believe how well that has healed up.

I trimmed the index finger & thumb on my left had ( I'm a righty ) on a table saw. I too thought "crap..I can't undo that."

25 years later you wouldn't notice it unless I pointed it out but at the time, it looked bad.

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