One opposable thumb

[helli]

Thanks to a rather sharp kitchen knife, my left thumb is temporarily out of action.
My right hand is fully operational as are the fingers on my left hand. But it has given me some insights into the life of a non-primate.
I now understand why
- horses don't wear trousers with hook fastenings
- sheep don't wring out their own fleeces
- dogs don't do finger pricking
- sows don't wear bras
- cats don't fill syringes
- mice don't do the washing up (actually that's the only benefit I have found so far)

Apart from the washing up, in only 2 days, I had adapted by approach to these tasks which gives me realise how incredibly flexible we are but as the paralympics approaches, how amazing the paralympians really are.
(Even though there is no paraclimbing this year ... but it is planned for 2028.)

 

[Robin]

My daughter reckons her cat would be 'borrowing' her phone to order salmon and tuna if she had opposable thumbs. I reckon that’s probably something you could manage without them, so warned her not to let the cat see her passcode…
Sorry about your poor thumb, hope it heals quickly.

 

[Deb_l]

Oooh what a nightmare............ouchies

Hope you heal very soon.

Funnily enough, I was just musing recently about having a dodgy left big toe (gout). It's amazing how much you rely on your big toes for stability!

 

[trophywench]

Well my fingers have recently been fatally attracted to sharp knife blades. Nothing new about knife blades being sharp but just not realising that fleshy parts of my fingers were it the path of them, so holding a tomato and slicing it for sandwiches involved a lot more blood than you normally get from salad items! Hellishly difficult to staunch and get a plaster to stick on too then takes ages to successfully heal.

 

[helli]

Well my fingers have recently been fatally attracted to sharp knife blades. Nothing new about knife blades being sharp but just not realising that fleshy parts of my fingers were it the path of them, so holding a tomato and slicing it for sandwiches involved a lot more blood than you normally get from salad items! Hellishly difficult to staunch and get a plaster to stick on too then takes ages to successfully heal.

Yes, it is amazing how much blood you can get out of a finger or thumb when you do not want to do a finger prick.
I wrapped kitchen towel around my thumb and carried on ... until the blood started to soak through and then added another towel ... until ..
Eventually, I asked my partner for help with the cooking and confessed to being a little careless with sharp objects.

 

[rebrascora]

I often tell Rascal just how relieved I am that he doesn't have opposable thumbs, although I suspect taking advantage of being able to pull on and fasten trousers would not be high on his list. He could easily rule the world if he developed them and he would make a shockingly bad dictator.
It makes you realise what a massive advantage this feature gives us over other creatures and no doubt brings that home to you all the more when you temporarily lose it.
Hope your thumb heals quickly!

 

[Taighnamona]

Well my fingers have recently been fatally attracted to sharp knife blades. Nothing new about knife blades being sharp but just not realising that fleshy parts of my fingers were it the path of them, so holding a tomato and slicing it for sandwiches involved a lot more blood than you normally get from salad items! Hellishly difficult to staunch and get a plaster to stick on too then takes ages to successfully heal.

For future reference, dog vet tape is extremely useful to have around for holding plasters and dressings in place. It sticks to itself and I’ve used it more often on myself than on the dog.

 

[Vonny]

I didn't know whether to put a laughing or caring emoji! The thought of sows wearing bras! Hope your thumb heals soon xx

 

[Inka]

I hope your thumb gets better soon @helli Meanwhile you need a panda! They have opposable thumbs and will help with housework (and trouser-fastening) for an appropriate amount of bamboo:

 

[rebrascora]

Well, that set me off on an interesting journey as looking at that photo the panda has 5 claws indicating 5 "fingers". It turns out they don't have true opposable thumbs but developed/evolved a growth from their radial sesamoid bone (wrist) which acts as a thumb and enables them to live solely on bamboo despite being a carnivore species (bear) Amazing what you learn from being on a diabetes forum.

 

[helli]

Well, that set me off on an interesting journey as looking at that photo the panda has 5 claws indicating 5 "fingers". It turns out they don't have true opposable thumbs but developed/evolved a growth from their radial sesamoid bone (wrist) which acts as a thumb and enables them to live solely on bamboo despite being a carnivore species (bear) Amazing what you learn from being on a diabetes forum.

And I have learnt more.
The bear classification of panda rang a faint alarm bell so I had to check it out ...

For many decades, the precise taxonomic classification of the giant panda was under debate because it shares characteristics with both bears and raccoons. In 1985, molecular studies indicated that the giant panda is a true bear, part of the family Ursidae. These studies show it diverged about 19 million years ago from the common ancestor of the Ursidae; it is the most basal member of this family and equidistant from all other extant bear species

 

[Inka]

Well, that set me off on an interesting journey as looking at that photo the panda has 5 claws indicating 5 "fingers". It turns out they don't have true opposable thumbs but developed/evolved a growth from their radial sesamoid bone (wrist) which acts as a thumb and enables them to live solely on bamboo despite being a carnivore species (bear) Amazing what you learn from being on a diabetes forum.

Nit-picking @rebrascora They can still do the dishes. Although never ask a large group of them to tidy your kitchen cupboards. That would be panda-monium!

 

[rebrascora]

Nit-picking @rebrascora They can still do the dishes. Although never ask a large group of them to tidy your kitchen cupboards. That would be panda-monium!

I am not letting them loose on my mothers best "china" that I inherited or my lead crystal glasses unless they have proper thumbs! Might be nit picking but you have to draw the line somewhere.

 

[s'nic]

It turns out they don't have true opposable thumbs but developed/evolved a growth from their radial sesamoid bone (wrist) which acts as a thumb and enables them to live solely on bamboo despite being a carnivore species (bear)

Thank you - I was looking at that pic, and thinking that the 'thumb' did not look like a fully formed digit. Now I know why.

 

[helli]

I didn't know whether to put a laughing or caring emoji! The thought of sows wearing bras! Hope your thumb heals soon xx

Apparently, crop tops are the answer as modelled here

 

[EMcKT]

In all these good days and bad days and diabetic woes, it is lovely to read an lifting post. We have all had a good laugh at your predicament, but I do send you best wishes. It will heal but bit of a nightmare until it does. Xxx xxx

 

[Dishevelled]

What you need is an extra thumb.

 

[eggyg]

I didn't know whether to put a laughing or caring emoji! The thought of sows wearing bras! Hope your thumb heals soon xx

They’d have to wait until Marks’ sale was on ‘cos they’d need a few! 😉

 

[eggyg]

I sliced the fleshy part of my thumb just a few weeks ago unpacking my new Ninja professional mini chopper. Those blades are lethal, it was nearly down to the bone ( slight exaggeration but felt like it). The plaster wouldn’t stay on for longer than five minutes. I couldn’t wash the dishes but luckily I managed a bra. Ain’t no one wanna see that! 😳

 

[nonethewiser]

Only just recovered from slashing right thumb, was washing out tuna tin for recycling & managed to slice it open, wife said it needed stitches as it bleed & bleed & cut was deep but refused to go, stubborn sod when it comes to going to drs or A&E.