"Man from the South"

Biomechanics Blog 4:

The story "Man from the South," it based around a U.S. naval soldier that was in training, a man from South America and a local man that is from Jamaica who is narrating and watching the "bet" between the two. The man from South America was trying to get the U.S. soldier to place a bet with him, based on the boys lighter would light 10 times in a row. The thing was, if the U.S. soldier won, he would get the South American man's Cadillac. However, if the boy was to lose, then he would have his pinky finger chopped off by the South American man. On the eighth strike of the lighter, a woman comes charging in and ends the bet. She states how he has done this numerous times and they have had to move, because of people threatening to put him away. Concluding the story, it makes mention that the woman has only 2 fingers left on her hand, because she won it all from him and that Cadillac he was betting was actually hers.

I found this story to be actually interesting.
Since this story focused on losing a finger(s), it can relate to occupational therapy, specifically hand therapy. Thus, the ending was the most surprising to me. Especially about the woman who had only 2 fingers. Which would make daily occupations, such as cooking, a challenge.

Furthermore, I want to focus on the U.S. solider. If he actually lost his pinky finger in the story, he would have difficulty doing daily tasks and it would have injured that ulnar side of the hand and the nerve(s) involved. The boy states how he doesn't use his left hand as much, but you don't know how much you use something, until it is gone. What first came to my mind when I thought about a soldier losing a finger, was how it effected him shooting a firearm. He has to have all fingers tightly wrapped around the grip in order to shoot. For example, if I was to hold the grip of a firearm and it was too short, it would not feel comfortable and it would basically feel like I am missing my pinky, causing potential inaccuracy and for him possibly being dismissed from the program. It takes grip strength and motor movement all in which work along side preparatory methods. One strategy that could help, would be the use of electrical stimulation to regain normal hand function. This would allow those muscles and nerves that were potentially injured, to start "waking up" and assisting in muscle contractions. That way he is able to get his strength and coordination back, with the help of other therapy tools and exercises.