Posted: Sat Aug 08, 2009 9:21 am Post subject: So on Wednesday Andy says to me.....
.... 'You scare me the way you fire that dummy launcher. I swear you are going to take half your face off one day...'
And, here I am, just three short days later. Typing this slowly with my left hand, having not managed to destroy half my FACE, but having managed to basically entirely muller my right HAND.
Andy (Funkymonkey) and I were training with a friend, Jason, on Weds and for various reasons my own launcher (with shoulder stock which i handle in an effortless and safe way!) was abandoned by a hedge and I proceeded to fire off Andys whizz bang handheld launcher with zero kickback (god knows how, its American, that must be what it is....)
However my general awkwardness caused great alarm and dismay. Even when corrected I still forgot from time to time and whamed it out right between my eyes...
So fast forward to last night. A wonderful walked up training session on private land with cold game, bumper boys and launchers. Foolishly and without Allans knowledge (who was firing off his shotgun with adaptors and having a generally wonderful time) the guy organising it gave me a handheld launcher to ping out 'just now and then Di'.... I awaited my big moment.
Now I've fired a launcher a time or two But I never seem to get it right without a stock. Luckily my old launcher before I got the stock lacked an O ring and so had all the power of a wet sock being thrown by a 5 year old. Unlike this fierce and fearsome creature.
BANG! I pinged one out behind. Then the world seemed to centre on my right hand. I honestly thought i'd blown it off. I'm not sure I've had pain like it not just in my hand but up my arm. I doubled over with my hand between my legs and just stayed still hoping I might die on the spot to save me the trouble of having to kill myself.
After a full meeting of the engineer types at the session they decided I'd held it the RIGHT way (so back to front with my thumb nearest my body and my elbow facing outwards if you know what i mean) but had been holding it well down the handle, and so the force threw the launcher back in my hand smashing into my wrist and palm. Lovely.
I'm not really a wimp. But you know when something hurts so much you start to sway and everything happens from a distance? A friend came rushing over and tried to get my hand from between my knees but I was kind of scared what i wouldl see! Luckily it WAS still there. Well, a few minutes and a lot of kind comments from everyone but Al who simply chuckled and said 'Oh dear, thats your wine glass hand... and its a friday night.... I bet you are devestated!' Before him and Jade skipped off to have a pot shot at some more pidgeons. Nice. Men!
I knew it wasn't broken as my friend massaged it and forced me to move all my fingers and as the heat and bruise started to appear I decided I couldn't hold things up any longer so we carried on and Mallie was a dear girl, behaving well for her crippled mother.
I couldn't straighten it and the throbbing added an element to the training that made me probably lack a little something in 'staying sharp!' department, and of course, another hours worth of handling probably didn't exactly do it any good.
But I am pleasantly floating on ultra strong painkillers today and planning how to teach myself to drink in a vaguely adult manner with my wine glass in my LEFT hand tonight!
Note to self. Leave handheld launchers ALONE. I only mentioned to a forum member yesterday I would probably be dead in minutes if I even tried to load a bumper boy. I've now had to pull from the Open Test I was running in today and it pretty much serves me right!
Di
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The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
Now thats the most elaborate excuse I've heard for getting out of a test! Now "Get A Grip" (albeit with your left hand if you must) you southern softie
I never go near the operating end of the blinkin things. Its one of the very few things I am happy to admit are best left in the capable hands of men .
Hope the hand recovers soon. Believe me (I broke my wrist once and it was a bad break and took three months to mend) you can just about do everything with your left hand - the hardest thing is pulling your knickers up
Rach, its a good job I am typing with my left hand and therefore some keys are harder to reach than others or I'd reply to that....
Jill - good plan. I subscribe to your club from this minute onwards. No more handheld launchers. Not ever. Full stop. No exceptions. Stocks only. Or left entirely to burly men.
Di
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The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
Seriously, I agree with Mary, I would have your hand checked out just in case. If there is an injury and its not identified and sorted straight away it could lead to problems long-term. x
I think I might. I kind of needed the push because Al is like 'oh stop your moaning...' Well maybe not quite.... but not far off Hes the sort that would need to break both legs and his neck to take an asprin.
Hate clogging up the NHS when its my own stupid damn fault. But might have to.
D x
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The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
Hate clogging up the NHS when its my own stupid damn fault. But might have to.
D x
Most things people go to A&E for are their own fault Di but always best to be safe than sorry, you don`t want to find there`s a problem later when its too late to fix it properly
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But I never seem to get it right without a stock. Luckily my old launcher before I got the stock lacked an O ring and so had all the power of a wet sock being thrown by a 5 year old. Unlike this fierce and fearsome creature.
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