曾经何时钢琴老师常常交待我要好好保护自己的手指，特别是考试期间，一定要确保手指不会受伤，最好也不要煮饭。
如今我为了工作导致手指充满伤痛。看着自己的手指变得红肿，不再像当初十指不粘的瘦长手指，心里确实不好受。
手总算好了很多，但血斑还未消失，关节疼痛也还有。看来这些后遗症就是我在纽西兰得到最难忘的纪念品。
Showing posts with label chilblains. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chilblains. Show all posts
Saturday, 10 September 2011
Thursday, 8 September 2011
The cycle of Chilblains
20 July 2011
On this day, I started to realize my swell fingers. I didn't know it was chilblains. I just thought my fingers became wider due to the hard work.
3 August 2011
Blood spots started to appear after two weeks. Fingers were so itchy and painful especially after work. Once I cried because I felt helpless for the painful fingers. I could even feel the sore when someone touched on my hands gently.
10 August 2011
Blood spots continued to develop and spread. A crack was formed on the last finger on my right.
The left hand was so terribly swollen as you can see the swell spread to the back of my hand. The supervisor noticed my swollen and reddish left hand. Eventually I was allowed to wear an inner cotton liner to keep my hands warm while working.
16 August 2011
The crack became wider and started to have infection. The pain now was mostly on the crack but no longer on the other swollen fingers.
19 August 2011
The infection on the crack became more serious and consequently my last finger became even more swollen.
24 August 2011
The swell disappeared and the fingers became drier. More small cracks were developed. The infected crack on the last finger didn't get better still after 2 weeks. I finally showed my hands to my supervisor and she was so surprised to see my hands
27 August 2011
After taking the antibiotic and applying hand cream prescribed by the doctor, the crack was slowly recovering. The blood spots on the fingers turned to dark spots which take time to disappear in my opinion.
29 August 2011
The wound almost recovered.
5 September 2011
The skin is still dry though I apply aquos cream prescribed by the doctor. Hopefully it gets better soon.
Watch this to see the difference on my left hand and you may be surprised.
a month ago
current
Thursday, 25 August 2011
Doctor Consultation
25 August 2011
While I was still in the waiting list to get a doctor appointment, I was assigned simple task by my supervisor. Basically I needed to fold the overalls and pair the gloves. I finally do not have to work at machine speed.
pic: check if there is any holes on the glove
pic: Pair the gloves in correct sides and size and place them accordingly into bins
I received the call from the doctor in afternoon today. After explaining about my finger condition, I was finally scheduled to have an appointment later on the same day. I waited for 1.5 hour to see the doctor, despite the fact that I had made an appointment. Unexpectedly, I was protected under ACC (Accident Compensation Corporation) even though my fingers' situation was not caused by accident.
pic: To be filled up by the doctor to determine what kind of tasks I can work.
pic: ACC claim form printed out by the doctor
pic: prescribed with antibiotic, anti-inflammation cream on infected area and moisturizer for the cracked skin. Total was 31 dollars which I have to pay on my own
And now, I am determined to be on light duty. I cannot work more than 40 hours per week.........My earning has greatly reduced.
Wednesday, 24 August 2011
Waiting to see the doctor
24 August 2011
Teabag saw my fingers this morning and she was shocked to see my fingers getting more serious. She asked me to tell my situation to the supervisor but I refused as I was worried I would be asked not to go to work. She promised that it would not happen and brought me to the supervisor.
My impression towards the supervisor has greatly changed since two week ago and after today, I think she is real real good. She showed her concern and she said that I should have informed her that the fingers get more serious instead of being over worried. She assigned me other task, that is to pair rubber gloves at the counter. It is an easy but boring task. Everyone was so surprised to see I was working at the counter that they started to ask about the fingers. I have become a popular staff since then.
Also, the supervisor arranged me to see the doctor today. Unfortunately I am still in the appointment waiting list. I never expect I could see the doctor and in fact I do not need the doctor as much as I did two weeks ago.
Because of my fingers, I was only allowed to work not more than 8 hours. Sigh.....
pic: From swell to dry and cracked skin. The fingers no longer look like my used-to-be-tiny fingers
Thursday, 18 August 2011
Better work experience
12 August 2011
During smoko time today, my hand condition was finally noticed by my supervisor who was sitting behind. Showing a serious facial expression, she asked me to go into the laundry room. At that moment, I was worried that she would ask me not to go to work.
To my surprise, she showed her concern and mentioned that I should have told her about my hand condition before it became so serious. Serious? Is it? I am not sure...I have been struggling with chilblains for more than one month, going through different stages and now I feel numb with the problem. In fact, the swell is not the most killing now but only the broken and cracked skin which is one of the symptoms of chilblains happened in extreme cases. Infection started to develop.
She asked her colleague to apply a chinese herbal cream on my fingers which is claimed better than frost cream. She was so surprised to see my fingers too. Thanks to my supervisor, I am now allowed to wear a cotton liner underneath the rubber glove to keep my hands warm. It is really much more comfortable now. I am amazed that my supervisor can be so kind sometime as well.
Hands are feeling better now, except for the cracked skin. Has the condition turned more severe, or better?
Wednesday, 10 August 2011
Chilblains Revolution
11 August 2011
I had to take day off today once again. I have been hoping the season can end soon so that I can escape from this hell and start travelling immediately. I have nothing much to share except for my hand condition at the moment. Started with itch, swell, redness and the condition deteriorated to have blood spots last week.
A few days ago, the swell spread to the back of my left hand. I can feel the pain but I do not know what inflamed that caused the pain. Was it the nerve? Or the blood vessels?
I applied the frost cream and now the skin became too dry and started to crack. The cracks are killing me now, more than the swell.
You must be wondering why I never see a doctor to get advice. I did try. The charge is 102 dollars and I would need to wait one or two weeks for the doctor. I can consult a nurse alternatively but I think it does not worth.
Thursday, 4 August 2011
Friday, 22 July 2011
钱，不容易赚
22 July 2011
在过去一年的工作生涯，虽然说压力非浅，但因为有亲朋戚友在身旁，工作也无时无刻得到同事的指导，所以也从未体味到钱是那么难赚的。
来纽西兰之前，已经听很多人说这里的工作都不简单，而且还是一个减肥的好机会，可以想象一定会是很辛苦的经历。尽管如此，我还是来到了纽西兰。我只抱着一个心态: 看着不一样的天空，体会不一样的生活。
来到纽西兰的第一份工作，就是在户外採奇异果。同样的，遇到很多人都说户外工不容易，但我觉得採奇异果还好。可能是採金果的关系，薪水是计时的，速度也不需要快。奇异果的树和苹果树相比较矮，除了不需要爬梯以外，也跟其他水果园来得比较阴凉。
工作的第一天，脖子痛的不得了。不过因为雨季，所以没有每一天开工，工作时间也不长，身体也很快适应了，反而开始享受当中的乐趣。
由于工作不稳定，所以我们就找到了第二份工作，在奇异果包装厂里当包装员。除了要长时间站着以外，手也要随着机器的速度工作，手指常常割伤，压力也是有。
过后我们又到了另外一家厂当选果员。我在这里度过了三个月以来最开心，最轻松的一个月。工作虽然沉闷，但是非常轻松，也学习到选果的知识。在这里认识了很多亚洲朋友，工作人员也和蔼可亲，就像在一个大家庭里生活。
奇异果季节结束后，我们就开始旅游。当中很幸运的当了数天苹果包装员。经历和奇异果大同小异，只不过没像奇异果那么严厉。
现在，我身在海鲜包装厂里切鱼柳。右手应为长时间握刀，手指关节都疼痛。手臂，背后，脖子也酸痛。由于工作性质的关系，身体开始出现状况，竟然得了冻疮，手指和脚趾痛痒。尽管如此，还勉强自己去上班，为的也是钱。手现在好多了，反而脚趾变本加厉。
毛病通常发生在第一和最后一根脚趾/手指。脚趾看来真的患上了冻疮，我开始怀疑手指也同时患上了关节炎。因为症状和脚趾不太一样。手指疼痛的地方大多数位于关节，看来是因为长时间握刀的关系，右手指都不能伸直了，而脚趾的痛痒位于红肿了的肉。
Monday, 11 July 2011
Working in Talleys Seafood Packhouse
12 July 2011
I have been working here for a week. I only have one comment about this work - it is tiring though it looks simple and relaxing.
I was assigned to cut hoki fish fillet. These fillets are the O-fish-fillet that we eat in Mc Donalds. The hoki fish are first processed to remove the organs and skins. People do the organs removal while the machines do the skin removal.
They are fillets at this moment and they are sent to the trimming section (where I stand). There are good and bad fillets. The first person is in charge to trim the bones near the head. The second person will pick the good fillets and cut them into standard size/length. The third person will backup the second person when necessary and also remove the fat at spine for those bad fillets before they are minced. The next two persons mainly do the fat trimming. If there are too many fillets on the table, they have to pick them up and place them in a box so that we can process them when we have time later. All of us have to make sure all skin and blood spots are cleaned/trimmed from the fillets.
I stand at the second position. When the machine works fast or there are too many good fillets coming in, I have to cut on my chopping board and at the same time keep an eye on the other fillets so that I do not miss any good fillets.
pic: Work Attire
pic: Female changing room
pic: Small room in the changing room to put boots after work. Heater is on to dry them
pic: The factory is clean everyday after work.
pic: Don't forget to clock in and out each day
pic: little shark
Right fingers are always sore after holding the knife for long hours. My right fingers especially at the joints are obviously wider now compared with the left's. Shoulders, back bones and legs are always tired after standing whole day. This job is even harder than kiwi packing, grading or even picking. But it is definitely not as stressful as kiwi packing. After two days, I realized that my right fingers were swollen due to chilblains, a medical condition that occurs when an individual is exposed to cold and humidity.
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