I probably shouldn’t edit this post at all, just to show how ugly it is.
This project is apparently tough on the body; at least the way I’m doing it. As I type this the ring and pinkie fingers on my left hand aren’t working so well and the whole hand lacks strength. The index finger on the right hand is also numb and tingly.
I started last Thursday, when I finally got all the sick kids back to school, the taxes squared away, and a full day to work uninterrupted on the boat. A little after 8:00am I started running out caulk. I pretty much went full out until noon – when I stopped I noticed some funny feelings in the hands but figured an hour for lunch ought to get things circulating again. So I did that, then put a couple more hours in the afternoon before collecting the children.
It was then I noticed that things were just not right with the left hand – I barely noticed any problems with the right. It really struck home when I went upstairs after dinner to change into jacket and tie to take my daughter to the “Father and Daughter Dance” at school. What should have taken five minutes (ten if I dawdled) took half an hour – I couldn’t button my pants, I couldn’t put on my belt. I used to put my tie on driving to work with a stick shift in Manhattan; it took me three tries to get it right in my own bathroom with a mirror and two hands.
So, smart guy that I am I put in another four hours or so on Friday. Bad move, it only got worse.
For Saturday I purchased a brace for the arm, that did help a lot in that I could work all day and it didn’t get any worse. But it didn’t get any better either. Today (Sunday) discretion seemed the better part of valor, and I declared a moratorium on boat work for the day to recover from my self inflicted injuries (I’m not even going to whine about the knees, the back or my already irritated rotator cuff…too much). And there was much rejoicing…I can’t say the kids are enthusiastic about sanding teak yet.
The problem I suspect is the working space. I’m not a huge guy, but I am six feet tall and am overweight. I believe the cause of my left hand problems is the need to scuttle around like a crab under the winter cover with a teak gun in one hand, supporting my body with the other. And holding my weight on the left hand while running a bead with the right since there is no room to actually stand up, or in most cases kneel over the work area. Bad ergonomics. REALLY bad ergonomics.
So I’m hunched over, holding my weight on a none-too-strong arm in awkward positions for hours at a time. Repetitive motion injury, pinched nerve, whatever – the problem now is I really can not stop this project to heal for a couple of weeks. The boat needs to be ready to move at month’s end, and we would like to go sailing again some day.
We’ll see how it works this week. I can fit a rubber glove over the wrist brace and I am doing all I can to avoid putting any more unsupported weight on it.
Could just be that I’m out of shape and getting old, too.
