alan j quinn

Some of you may know and/or may have read “Delivering Knock your socks off customer service“. One thing I learned from my time in software support is knowing everything is not good support. Asking the right questions will get you much further down the road to a happy customer than coming across as a know it all. Also, follow ups are equally as important, checking in to see if the solution worked or is the customer has any additional questions or concerns.

My recent thumb job was fixed by the nice folks at Lahey Clinic (Peabody MA). Not only did I get a follow up call but today I received “speedy recovery” card that was signed by all the staff I interacted with.

This goes above and beyond my expectations of knock your socks off customer service. I was very happy with how things went to date and this is just icing on the cake.

By the way, I’m doing much better, (think I’ll go for a walk).

Card and club hand!

Update on my thumb job. Outpatient surgery went very well yesterday and my doc said I’ll make a full recovery. We got into the hospital at 11:30am and out the door at 4:15pm.

Before the event. With 5 days into the first fix I’m doing okay on pain. However, I suspected that will change!

Doc cutting off my cast. He cut around the art work and he said he couldn’t bring himself to destroy it. It even came home as a souvenir.

If you never had a nerve block it’s almost worth trying…..once. The anesthesiologist finds a nerve and only numbs a particular area. In my case it was my right arm from shoulder to fingers. Essentially it turned my arm into a lump of meat that I had zero control over. On several occasions I found myself trying to scratch a phantom hand. The feeling was so real that I’d reach out and scratch the air, all the while my real hand was 16″ away in a brace…..very weird.

Along with my souvenir cast the real and very permanent additions I now have are a titanium plate held in place with 6 (1.5 mm diameter) titanium screws. Having spent a good deal of time in my past careers playing with metals I know that my new addictions will out late me by many lifetimes. As we used to say years ago about titanium “it will never lose it shape, color, texture, or rust, rot, warp, fade in any way….ever”. In other words there here to stay.

The final results. Now all I need to do is lay low, let the meds work as this hurts like a mofo and get back on my feet.

Looking from the palm side.

Looking the other way.

This was the initial fracture.

Following up on “This just happened”, here’s one thing that folks educated as architect can do when they can’t push a mouse around.

While sitting on the couch watching yet another bad movie I figured I could kill some time doodling on my cast. Clearly this is not a new concept but as this was first break it was very new to me.

Up first we have our old friend from 1975.

Da-Dum…Da-Dum…Da-Dum-Da-Dum-Da-Dum

How about some Celtic Art.

Here’s a little reminder for the doc who going to fix me all up with a titanium plate and screws in a few hours.

No architectural drawing set is complete with out details.

Everyone added a little something and all mine were by left hand. Apparently, the nuns only removed the pen from my left hand when conforming me to a right handed kid!

Good job my left hand is still wired to the right side of my brain. Odd thing is I can’t write with my left, only my right and it’s all caps all the time. More later….after the meds wear off.

That just happened a few hours ago now.

Fairly certain the middle of my thumb should not be pointing in two directions!

End result of a rather painful afternoon. Note to self, springs on clay throwers are really really strong. Long story short, while trying out my clay target thrower in the back yard….it threw me a broken thumb. More later after the meds wear off.

We all went pumpkin picking today. This year granny Quinn was here.

For a change is scenery we went to Boston Hill Farm in Andover MA.

We took a walk to the patch but it was slim pickings at least at the road. My guess is further in would be better, but not wanting to hike out and back we settled on one big and small one.

Of course we made room for hot apple cider and donuts.

JMan enjoying the view….and apple cider.

Mom and I are taking a little trip down memory lane. 495 to 28 right to the Christmas Tree Shops! Well, we went to Starbucks first….one needs priorities in life.

Bourne Bright, gateway to lala land…..I mean Cape Cod.

Mom outside her favorite store in the entire world. I may never get her out again.

Okay, I found one thing for me.

It’s wicked…

Woods Hole MA. Mom waiting for her ship to come in.

Captain Kidd Woods Hole MA. Tad bit different but still the same after 30 years. But, no Rolling Rocks and little necks this time.

Dinner with some friends in the Hyannis area. It was a long, but good day.

Today’s was GMans birthday.

Overall it was a low key event but we did manage to sing him the happy birthday song. The bonus was granny Quinn filling in the high notes.

Go here for a video.