Yesterday I went to Oahu and had three fingers released (right ring and left ring and small). It was a surprise to find out that the percutaneous release performed by Dr. Atkinson wasn't aided by the ultrasound (that was a misunderstanding on the phone with the nurse), but the guy has done hundreds of them and convinced me he didn't need any guidance:" I know exactly where to cut plus I can actually feel the A1 pulley when I go in there".
I replied with a story that amused him: "That is still a lot better than what I did in Bali 8 years ago".
"Why, what did you do?"
"I went to see a Chinese doctor (Dr. Chandra, I still remember his name) for a shoulder pain, which he brilliantly eliminated with just one acupuncture session. Seeing how good he was with those needles, and since at the time I had the right thumb stuck in a straight position, I thought about asking if he had done any percutaneous trigger finger releases. He said that he hadn't, but was happy to try... shouldn't be too difficult, he said.
20 bucks was the cost of the procedure (!) which he did with no anesthesia of any sort. That was the most intense pain I have ever felt. I remember I felt like Mel Gibson on the torture bed in Braveheart... at one point I almost screamed FREEDOM!!!, to make the scene more dramatic, but I doubted Dr. Chandra saw that movie...
And unfortunately it wasn't freedom at all, as he did not release the pulley and the torture was completely worthless."
In comparison, yesterday's procedure was a breeze. The three shots of the local anesthetic Novocaine where the most uncomfortable part, but again... nothing compared to Brevaheart.
The whole thing lasted like 20 minutes, after which I was free to go. Compared to the open flesh cut procedure I did last year in Maui for the right index (when they put me to sleep), the percutaneous technique is a lot easier on the patient (tiny cuts that don't require stiching). It's harder for the doctor though, who can't see what he's cutting, that's why you want someone who is experienced.
Of course, the real extent to which this was a success, can only be assessed once the little bit of swelling goes down and the internal lesions heal, so it's not time for final proclamations yet. But I'm very happy right now. Oh yeah, no problem typing either, as you can see... :)
Just expect some late posting times for the next few days in which I'll stay precautionarily out of the water.
No photos from yesterday, this is a Facebook memory from 2013 (might have been the year of Doctor Chandra). That was a wonderful Kazuma 6.6 with which I caught some amazing waves in Indo (you can see them peeling in the background). I had it fixed locally and it was still great, but it got eventually stolen out of a sketchy storage place at the Kuta hotel where I left it for a year.
6am Surfline significant buoy readings and discussion.
South shore
Barbers
1.4ft @ 15s from 188° (S)
Lanai
1.3ft @ 16s from 178° (S)
Small long period energy at the buoys (source still unknown). Check the Lahaina
or Kihei
webcams if interested, for size, conditions and consistency.
North shore
N
2.8ft @ 12s from 291° (WNW)
Waimea
1.5ft @ 11s from 312° (NW)
Pauwela
The usual (for this week, at least) mix of ENE windswell and small 11s NW energy will give Hookipa waves in the chest to possibly head high range.
Forecast and energy spectrum of Pauwela from this PACIOOS page.
Wind map at noon. The other ones can be found here (click on animation of the 10 meter column).
Fetches map (circles legend: red: direct aim, blue: angular spreading, black: blocked) from Windy.
North Pacific (about 4 days travel time from the NW corner of the North Pacific):
South Pacific (about 7 days travel time from east/west of New Zealand):
Morning sky.
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