Saturday, January 12, 2008

Redneck Medical Devices

Yeah, with that title I'd be scared, too.
Here's the deal: My second toes stick out past my big toes by a substantial amount. A quarter-inch or so - and the left is worse than the right. And every winter, it gets sore and inflamed simply because everything hits it - blankets, socks, winter boots, etc. It's painful and very slow to heal because I don't think there's anything farther removed from my heart - so it gets less bloodflow.
Last night I'd had enough. I took a spare utility shelf brace and cut it down with tin snips. Smoothed the edges on a grinder. Bent it with a ball peen hammer on a vice, lined it with moleskin. Taped it over the affected toe and to the two next-door toes, so now nothing can actually touch the toes itself unless I really kick something hard. This is the result:

So far, so good. I'm trying to get my manufacturing process ISO certified now...

8 comments:

Next Stop Oregon said...

Elliott logic strikes again!

Anonymous said...

This sounds like something Uncle Dave and your Dad would do. Sorta scary.

Sonnjea said...

SORTA scary? Good lord, man, you're not supposed to MacGyver your own appendages.

Steve said...

As long as it continues to work and protect my ailing toe, I'll take it.

In other happy news, it was finally warm and dry enough up here today to test my speedometer. I am happy to report it and the odometer work perfectly.

Sonnjea said...

Woo hoo! We also had warm and dry today. I worked outside in a t shirt. Well, pants, also.

Steve said...

Diane has been wearing long underwear under her jeans. Today she was outside in just her long underwear - and she calls me a redneck!

Next Stop Oregon said...

We'll, like Sonnjea .... hopefully Diane was wearing a shirt too!

Dave V said...

If any of your toes start turning green, by all means, REMOVE your Elliott-Illogic.