Off work!!!!!!

Topmason · Nov 7, 2003

I've been off work all week, ........................and it's drivin me crazyyyyy!! I thought I'd share the reason why. I had surgery on Monday to have an exposed nerve removed from my recently skilsawed thumb. It was like sticking your finger in a light socket every time the end of the thumb touched anything,...even wind!!

Then they removed the 2 pins outta my middle finger. The one that was sticking out the end of my finger has been extremely painful, especially every time I bang it against a brick or something. I'm beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel,.....................just hoping it aint no train!

Boomyal · Nov 7, 2003

Re: Off work!!!!!!

Ouch, I feel for you Topmason. It's only by the Grace of God that I have not experienced similar accidents. I hope it settles down for you.

gaugeguy · Nov 7, 2003

Re: Off work!!!!!!

After seeing the pics, you gotta tell the story on how you skilsawed it. Did it hurt, blood spurt out, did you bring the other piece to the docs with you?

Topmason · Nov 7, 2003

Re: Off work!!!!!!

Guys, I was helping my boys make some wooden swords. After jig sawing the design they had drawn on a 1x4, they decided they were too thick. Not owning a table saw, I put my quickie fence on my worm drive and proceeded to rip the 1x4 the 1" direction. Got 1/2 way through while #1 son was holding other end, all was well. I told my son to step back and let Dad finish it. Well, 2 things done wrong,....#1 I put end of 1x4 on stump so no where for piece to shoot out if necessary,....#2 the only place I could hold wood piece caused the two halves to squeeze together resulting in "ultimate carbide traction action". As soon as I squeezed trigger, it was all over with. I looked down and thought, "oh you SSOB" and ran immediately to the house to get a towel on it and applied the pressure. Wife called 911, they told me to sit down,.....I did for 2 seconds and got back up, sweating bullets by now, she made me sit back down. I looked over at skilsaw and noticed guard locked open! I never do that, but a closer look revealed the remains of my thumb was stuck between blade and guard. Couldn't reattach as the remains had seen to many RPM's with the blade. I never really felt any pain to speak of, but my right hand was aching by the time the PM showed up from squeezing the other so hard for so long. I first felt real pain when the doc gave me a nerve block with a needle the diameter of a 16d nail.

Next pain was when they removed stitches, especially the one that went through the exposed nerve!

One other painful moment that sticks in my mind is a couple weeks ago I was hammer and chiseling some mortar joints and............yeah, you guessed it, I hit that thumb full on with my masonry hammer. Instant sweat bath,.....employee knew what happened instantly, he got up and ran

JGREGORY · Nov 7, 2003

Re: Off work!!!!!!

I Think OUCH is an understatment.

KennyKenCan · Nov 7, 2003

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Ouchy Wah Wah!! That still had to hurt! Sorry about that accident. Bet you'll be more carefull with them power tools from now on.

Topmason · Nov 7, 2003

Re: Off work!!!!!!

Kenny, I look at it this way, I'll bet neither one of my 3 sons ever have a power tool accident!

KennyKenCan · Nov 7, 2003

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And niether will you...again!!

tylerin · Nov 7, 2003

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LORDY!!! I don't think I could bear to see that happend to my father

Scoop · Nov 7, 2003

Re: Off work!!!!!!

Topmason, I am sorry your thumb could not be reattached. It sounds like you are in good spirits. Every time, I use my saw, I am going to remember to use the gaurd as much as possible. I hope the nerve removal works.

Topmason · Nov 7, 2003

Re: Off work!!!!!!

Thanks Scoop, My glass is always half(or better)full. I figure God only gives ya what He knows you can handle, so I'll handle it

Honestly, it's really not as bad as one might think. I used to see people with missing digits and such and think it was awful, but now I see it is bearable. I've got some pretty good sayings to go with. I hold up both hands, fingers spread and say "I used to be a 10, now I'm a 9 and a 1/4!"

Then of course you'll never catch me twiddlin my thumbs now will ya?

Hitch hiking is a one handed thing now, can't switch from one to the other anymore.

Then there's the one I use down at the brickyard "It was time to level up the playing field". Fellow masons get a kick outta that one.

FLATHEAD · Nov 7, 2003

Re: Off work!!!!!!

Topmason I know your pain three fold. I was using a 12 inch table saw to rip a piece of bruce oak flooring. As I pushed it through I held the end that had already been cut by a notch in the board. Well the **** thing bound up and kicked back pulling my hand right along with it. Before I even knew what happened my fingers were toast. Blood pumping out of the ring finger about two feet with every pulse of the heart. I have made literally thousands of cuts on the table saw, it just goes to show you cant get complacent and you can never try to be too safe. As far as pain ,like you I did not feel much right away but man the next day I was off the chart. The worst pain I ever had, after a few days it decreased a little each day.

OBJ · Nov 7, 2003

Re: Off work!!!!!!

I come close to losing my right thumb about two years ago Top....Putting up some pretty heavy duty shelving at the shop. Stupid me leaned them up against a boat. Next thing I know, heavy upright "A" making contact with heavy upright "B" with my thumb as a bumper. Severed the tendon and fracture of the bone. Walked aroung for three weeks with a pin in my thumb waiting for the tendone to grow back together and the fracture to mend. Now I got a little "Arthur" in that joint.

ebbtide176 · Nov 7, 2003

Re: Off work!!!!!!

TM your attitude is awesome. i'm glad it didn't hurt at the time you first saw it, but it made me hurt real bad- just looking at both you & FH's injuries!

i had a cousin who mutilated his thumb when it got caught in a motorcycle gear sprocket, and he had to spin the wheel enuff to extract it. a broNlaw lost end of index finger in lawntractor pulley, and the poor guy just did same injury as TM a few weeks ago. i haven't seen him though. he's a machinist by trade. kudos on being strong.

11 footer · Nov 7, 2003

Re: Off work!!!!!!

I hate broken bones in my hands, I've been there. I never cut anything off, but I was in a fight..... its not like in TV, when you hit someone in the head with your bare hand....its gonna mess you up, just as much or more then the other guy. I broke three different bones in my right hand and had to wear two pins for three weeks, you never realize how much you use your hands untill your hand is out of action. This happend to me about a year ago its still is not right. If I lean on it just the right way, its painfull. When it happed pain was not on my mind, but three days later when the docter had to set the bones back..... man, that was painfull. All and all, when in a fight, don't use your bare hands. I find bats and clubs more usefull

Topmason · Nov 7, 2003

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Flathead, Dayumnnnn, I guess you do! Sorry to see that my fellow "digitally challenged" friend! I kinda wish I'd lost the smaller fingers instead of the thumb as it is 40% of the hand. I definitely understand the complacency factor for sure. A person can just get too comfortable with his occupation or hobby and take for granted that which should never be. OJ, sorry about the "arthur", but glad you still retain your digits.

Thank you ebb for your kind words, sorry for the broinlaws accident. The machinist trades are really hard on digits. Ryan T. You must be a young'en. Age and experience will eventually teach you, as it did I, that violence is merely a display of ignorance. I've learned over the years that you can verbally render a person useless in their own mind, for the moment at hand, only because they think physical instead of mental when it comes to indifferences. Your mind is a helluva lot more powerful than your fists. Stay cool dude.

11 footer · Nov 7, 2003

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That was almost a year ago, nothing like that has happend since. People often look really stupid when they get in fights, too. That must really suck not haveing a thumb. Do you find it mess's up alot of dayley things?

Topmason · Nov 7, 2003

Re: Off work!!!!!!

Ryan T. Ya know, I'd have to say my sig pretty much sums it up! I'm also a diabetic of 28 years and people can't seem to imagine living life this way. It's simple, do what ya gotta do, be damned glad that you can, and be happy doin it. I'm glad you have taken the proper outlook on physical violence. I had my X wife's b-friend jump me from behind about a year ago, I ducked outta his way and all the while my 3 boys are watching this happen. Next thing I know, I have one son holdin one arm and another son holding the other crying. I looked down at them and that's when he hit me square on the jaw!

God knows I coulda and woulda killed him then and there in my younger frame of mind, but instead, I calmly walked over and picked up my glasses and put em back on, told my boy's I loved them, got in my truck and drove away. That took more strength than any a$$ woopin I woulda given him, and I looked 10 times the man in my son's eyes. Still do!

Cheers dude

Kenneth Brown · Nov 7, 2003

Re: Off work!!!!!!

I don't know Top, I'da had to open up some power washing,garbage dumping, chasing the kids on the bicycle arsh whooping on him at that point. You are definetly a bigger/better man than me, I'da lost it. The post about having to remove the finger from the sprocket brings back bad memories for me too. I made some dumb moves. I was drilling (with a 5/16 bit) a piece of plastic for a light mount while holding it in my hand. The bit decided to stop drilling and s c r e w through instead. My finger happened to be on the other side. It drilled right though it. I wasn't thinking clearly at that point. I could only think to get it out. I switched directions on the drill

Luckily it didn't work right so I had to twist it out REAL SLOW. I sure am glad that the drill was messed up, that woulda been NASTY. No real damage, it hurts in the cold weather and the nail always feels funny, like something is stuck under it. They say you know a good carpenter/roofer/butcher whenever you see the missing digits.

GodsBeast · Nov 7, 2003

Re: Off work!!!!!!

Guys, all I can say is OUCH! I promise to be careful when using those POWER tools, yall continue to be careful also.

Off work!!!!!!

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