Since returning from Hueco I’ve been struggling with recurring pain in one of my knuckles, something that seems to be a yearly ritual at this point. I initially injured the joint pulling on pockets at Wyoming’s Wild Iris…in 2001. Apparently climbing 6 out of 8 days in Hueco was enough to enrage the injury for the umpteenth time, and I’m well on my way to having another wasted winter season, much the same as the past 3 winters. Negative.
In times like this its important to keep things in perspective, something I think this video from Australian climber Jerome Pink does nicely. Jerome was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, but that hasn’t kept him from still trying to push himself climbing:
In October 2009 I realised a long goal of mine whilst on Chemo, to climb the Nowra classic “Trigga Nigga” 25. I picked this climb because it required me to work on both my endurance and strength, the two aspects of my climbing most damaged by the chemo therapy. At the time I chose TN as a goal I was having trouble walking up flights of stairs so in the end it was an incredibly challenging goal. In the end I suspect the process was much more important for me than the actual achieving of the goal.
Warning: this video contains needles, blood and other medical situations. Prepare to fast forward if you are squeamish.
“Trigga Nigga” 25 from Jerome Pink on Vimeo.
Compared to what Jerome is dealing with, minor things like the occasional finger injury seem rather insignificant. Best of luck to Jerome in his battle against cancer!
I love the victorious “YEAH!” at the end of the route – you know there is more joy than the regular amount of “I finished a project” kind of joy. That was very cool, Narc, thanks for sharing some Friday inspiration. And if you can pass some ‘get wells’ and ‘stay strongs’ to Jerome from Kansas, please do so.
Best,
Jason
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Narc-
Upon suggestion I bought a bucket and some rice last night. The idea being that you stick your fist in the bucket and open it against the pressure, working the fingers in the opposite way of climbing… Similar to something from an old Kung Fu movie, I don’t know I’ll let you know how it works…..wish me luck!!!
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It’s hard to say how well any of this stuff works but I’d be interested to hear how it works for you. I did something similar during the rehab from my thumb surgeries with puddy and it seemed to help. Hard to tell what is real and what is mental though.
The finger problem I have now is more of a bone problem than a tendon one it seems. My memory is fading but I’m pretty sure I cracked the bone in my knuckle when I initially injured it. Despite taking 10 months off at the time it’s never fully healed and I’ve never regained full bend in my finger. Not really sure what the treatment is besides not aggravating it.
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I do the rice bucket exercise and an exercise with a rubber band (wrap a rubberband around your fingers when they are closed like you are making a duck shadow puppet, and then try to open them) for rehab for tendon injuries. I think it is really helping. Just be sure to warm up the injured area before, and my athletic trainer recommends I ice after as well. Good luck!
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Brutal, Am I the only one that wishes for a forewarning when needles and blood are present in rock climbing videos? Nice vid tho 🙂 !! Always good to remember that a rolled ankle is nothing compared to real strife.
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That’s probably a good idea, I’ll throw in an update just so people are aware.
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Great vid, Go Jerome.
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“My memory is fading but I’m pretty sure I cracked the bone in my knuckle when I initially injured it.”
ummm this doesn’t sound like the thing one forgets. have you actually had an mri or other diagnostics? having an injury that limits one from doing the things one wants to seems rather requiring of proper diagnostics, says me.
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Usually I find that i stop paying attention to climbing vids after a few mins, but that never really happened on this one. I really hope you get better man… Good Luck.
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