The finger

Part of the reason I've been somewhat scarce around here lately: Wednesday, on my way home from a work trip, I stumbled and fell in baggage claim. The upshot is that I tore a tendon in my left ring finger, so I can't straighten out the last joint (aka mallet finger -- note there is a non-gory but potentially disturbing picture on that page). So I'm going to be in a splint for about eight weeks. The emergency room confirmed that nothing was broken and put me in a whole-finger splint; today, I saw an orthopedist, who put me in a fingertip split. This is both more and less of a pain than when I had a fingertip split for a broken finger a few years ago -- less, because it's positioned so that I can use the pad of the finger to type and to grip things; more, because I can't take it off, ever. It's almost more like a cast than a splint, although the assistant did show me how to tape it up if it ever gets wet.

I'm still getting used to how typing works, so I may still be a little scarce here for a few days. Fortunately it doesn't really hurt at all. (I'm actually in more pain from the knee I banged up, but that seems to be getting better on its own.)