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- Jan 7, 2016
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- 3,286
I didn't know if I wanted to post this because I never look for sympathy or anything like that but it is an interesting story.
Just a little background to set the stage. I have had 3 low back surgeries and have congenital narrowing of my spinal canal, particularly my cervical area (neck), which limits my range of motion and quite frequently have pain that is controlled by Vicoden. Been on that stuff for years. I am 54.
One week ago today I was out cutting some trees down on our property. We built a new house and a new shop last year on 22 acres of land that we purchased which has frontage on a larger river for this area. I was cutting viewing lanes so we could see the river better and was working on a little 6"dia tree. I was also wearing chainsaw chaps and a Stihl helmet that one of my daughters bought me for my 50th. It was also extremely windy out. Maybe 25 knots or so.
While cutting that little tree, I think I was in the process of standing up straight when something hit me with tremendous force on the head and back causing extreme pain and putting me on the ground. My wife seen this all happen from the deck and two of my daughters and son-in-law were able to get to me with seconds (20?). My first thought was to wiggle my toes, which to great relief, I could. I knew I was in trouble though because I handle pain fairly well yet this pain was like I had never experienced. I was really struggling with breathing and general awareness.
So, to make a very long story short, the medics were able to carry me out of the ravine and to the waiting ambulance which drove down the road to med flight heli that was waiting for me in the neighbors yard. Elapsed time was about 15 minutes or so. I had told them to get me out of the woods before they started to administer drugs because the one medic already screwed up and IV and I just wanted to get headed towards a trauma room.
On the heli I went for the 40-ish mile ride to the nearest trauma center. Worst ride of my life. The drugs they administered made me start to hallucinate and I truly, and I mean truly, thought I was dying. The noise of the rotors and the sunlight flashing though the cabin from the rotor blades apparently set me off. I remember thinking about my daughters (ages 24, 26 and 28) and the new house that wasn't done and the mess I was going to leave behind for my wife. I did think about seeing my dearest brother, who passed away 3 years ago from brain cancer, and my mom, but that provided little comfort in what seemed like a chaotic end to my life.
This post is getting to long so I will shorten this up.
I had a serious concussion, so bad that I am still trying to form sentences and find words. I have a broken shoulder blade and 3 broken ribs on my left side. My T-12 vertebrae is broke. I have a partial collapsed lung on my left side. I have major bruising and swelling down my whole back. I think there is something else but can't think of it at the moment.
They will reevaluate my neck on the 29th to see if further surgical action will be required, once all the swelling and pain subside so they can better determine what is going on. I wear a C-collar 24/7 now along with a large brace that goes around my body.
So what happened?? A large tree, most likely 50+feet tall and 12" or more in diameter decided to break off half way up and stuck me on the way down. So the piece was 20+ feet long coming from 25 feet up or so hit my head about 3" back from the crown of my head. If it were not for my helmet, my head injury would have been much worse. If the tree would have hit me 3" farther forward, it would have compressed my spine and either paralyzed my or killed me. 3 inches. Life or death.
I am thinking about how close this was, and how awesome my daughters are. Someone must be cutting onions in here because the tears are running down my cheeks as I write this.
HUG your loved ones.
Just a little background to set the stage. I have had 3 low back surgeries and have congenital narrowing of my spinal canal, particularly my cervical area (neck), which limits my range of motion and quite frequently have pain that is controlled by Vicoden. Been on that stuff for years. I am 54.
One week ago today I was out cutting some trees down on our property. We built a new house and a new shop last year on 22 acres of land that we purchased which has frontage on a larger river for this area. I was cutting viewing lanes so we could see the river better and was working on a little 6"dia tree. I was also wearing chainsaw chaps and a Stihl helmet that one of my daughters bought me for my 50th. It was also extremely windy out. Maybe 25 knots or so.
While cutting that little tree, I think I was in the process of standing up straight when something hit me with tremendous force on the head and back causing extreme pain and putting me on the ground. My wife seen this all happen from the deck and two of my daughters and son-in-law were able to get to me with seconds (20?). My first thought was to wiggle my toes, which to great relief, I could. I knew I was in trouble though because I handle pain fairly well yet this pain was like I had never experienced. I was really struggling with breathing and general awareness.
So, to make a very long story short, the medics were able to carry me out of the ravine and to the waiting ambulance which drove down the road to med flight heli that was waiting for me in the neighbors yard. Elapsed time was about 15 minutes or so. I had told them to get me out of the woods before they started to administer drugs because the one medic already screwed up and IV and I just wanted to get headed towards a trauma room.
On the heli I went for the 40-ish mile ride to the nearest trauma center. Worst ride of my life. The drugs they administered made me start to hallucinate and I truly, and I mean truly, thought I was dying. The noise of the rotors and the sunlight flashing though the cabin from the rotor blades apparently set me off. I remember thinking about my daughters (ages 24, 26 and 28) and the new house that wasn't done and the mess I was going to leave behind for my wife. I did think about seeing my dearest brother, who passed away 3 years ago from brain cancer, and my mom, but that provided little comfort in what seemed like a chaotic end to my life.
This post is getting to long so I will shorten this up.
I had a serious concussion, so bad that I am still trying to form sentences and find words. I have a broken shoulder blade and 3 broken ribs on my left side. My T-12 vertebrae is broke. I have a partial collapsed lung on my left side. I have major bruising and swelling down my whole back. I think there is something else but can't think of it at the moment.
They will reevaluate my neck on the 29th to see if further surgical action will be required, once all the swelling and pain subside so they can better determine what is going on. I wear a C-collar 24/7 now along with a large brace that goes around my body.
So what happened?? A large tree, most likely 50+feet tall and 12" or more in diameter decided to break off half way up and stuck me on the way down. So the piece was 20+ feet long coming from 25 feet up or so hit my head about 3" back from the crown of my head. If it were not for my helmet, my head injury would have been much worse. If the tree would have hit me 3" farther forward, it would have compressed my spine and either paralyzed my or killed me. 3 inches. Life or death.
I am thinking about how close this was, and how awesome my daughters are. Someone must be cutting onions in here because the tears are running down my cheeks as I write this.
HUG your loved ones.
