So I was trimming this palm tree...

I was up in a large canary island palm almost 10 months ago to the day and while cutting out the dead fronds with a pole saw, a large frond (they seem to be about 10-12 ft long each), came down and stabbed me in the arm real good. If you are familiar with palms you know the spikes on those things can be BRUTAL.

Somehow I was able to descend the tree though I couldn't really use my arm. I am very fortunate the fire department didn't have to come with a ladder truck and get me out because it REALLY hurt. For about three weeks it was incredibly painful when I would clench my fist because I assumed a piece of the spike had hit a tendon or something. I couldn't work for at least a month.

Anyway, right after it happened I went to the ER and the doctor took X Rays, dug around a little bit in my arm, and said there was not a foreign body in my arm. I went to another doctor a week or so later and he said the same thing.

After a few weeks I developed a large growing bump and recently noticed that a point was beginning to protrude from my arm. And tonight I started poking at it with tweezers and THIS CAME OUT:

I couldn't believe how big it was! I was in my arm for 10 months! It wasn't too comfortable so I was really happy when it came out.

yeah you look pretty happy, I would be too. Are you saying that you went to two doctors and they both said there was nothing in there? I wouldn't be to happy about that. I would a least ask for my money back-lost wages?:monkey:

HOLY CRAPS!

I pulled out a one incher that had been in my finger for a few weeks, and my goodness was it nice to pull that thing out. Ill bet it was like taking a thanksgiving constitution pulling that thing out...

that looks painfull

I HATE canary island date palms!!!

Wow, that's just nasty...I would take those pictures and the thorn and go back to those doctors...they need a lesson in how to pay attention! Really, they need to see what they missed, you could have gotten a bad infection, in fact with all that redness, you probably got something going on now.

I have two thorns I've kept that had to be dug out of my arm. one went in straight into my elbow joint, aalmost came out the other side...I couldn't bend my arm, went to the ER, it took the doctor about half an hour to find it and dig it out. I was really lucky it missed everything vital, another doc passing by stopped in for a look and comented how fortunate it was the thorn missed the artery and the joint capsule...
The other one went in 'along the grain' in my forearm just under the skin. They hurt like hell to try and pull them out, I reckon they've got microscopic backward facing barbs or something.
Even just getting stabbed by them where they don't get stuck into you HURTS like a bugger for a long time after.

No to mention the dust and fibres and crap and bugs and invasive seedlings up in those big old heads...

Did I mention I HATE those palms???

I have a bid in to trim 10 of the nasty things...priced it high to include a bucket truck, and time off for ER visit!

Bermie said:

I HATE canary island date palms!!!


Did I mention I HATE those palms???

.priced it high to include a bucket truck, and time off for ER visit!

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:agree2:
That is the only time I am glad to hear "Oh , my lawn man takes care of that tree".
for the lawn man.

CRAP!!!!!!!!!:jawdrop:



I saw one of those things in a space movie once, be carefull with that thing!
Right after they erupt out of the skin they start spitting acid and eating peoples faces!



Bermie nailed it. Get back to the Doc and take that Vampire Killing stake with you, so you can ask the Doc what he would do if HIS doc had him running around for a year with it under his hide. He better offer free office visits for your lifetime as it would be cheaper than the obvious lawsuit.

He also better get you on some antibiotics...your arm is kinda looking nasty!

Good to hear ya got the thing out finally!


Stay safe!
Dingeryote

I am not one to promote frivolous law suits but it sounds like there may have been some needless pain and suffering involved there. two doctors twice the money.

It would be fun to go and do some tree work at the two doctors house.

Drop a tree straight through their roof and then tell them 'there aint nothin there, come back and see me later, ding, next patient please!'

Seriously though, this is negligence, and you could have had life threatening complications from that. Those things are filthy. I don't think I have ever had a puncture from one that didn't become infected. From the look of your arm I would be seeing a doctor anyway. Some broad spectrum antibiotics might not be such a bad idea.

I'm just glad to have it out!

The initial ordeal was quite a while ago and I honestly cant remember either of the doctors' names. One was at the ER in UCLA hospital and the other guy was a regular family doctor. I found him in the phone book and assumed he was really smart because his office was in a nice part of LA and his name sounded Indian. I don't blame them for not seeing the spike as it must have been very deep initially and my arm was all weirded out. The X-Ray obviously wouldn't have picked up a palm spike either. All that to say, I don't blame them for missing it.

Missing a month of work wasn't the worst for me because I am also a full time seminary student and it gave me more time to work on papers and exams that I needed to catch up on. I had a little money saved up as well, so in God's providence it worked out pretty well.

And I also share your hatred for palms. I actually removed one today but thankfully, I remain unscathed!

Man that looks brutal, must have felt amazing when it finally poked out of there...

Man thats an ouch with a capital F!!!!

Dunno if it helps but when we prune Phoenix canariensis we first cut the frond where it begins to "vee out". Then we remove the rest of the petiole which is where the worst thorns are. I hate the sensation of cutting a frond and then watching the SOB run down the polesaw towards me.

I am reasonably sure Date palms are the reason god invented petrol and matches.

Wow!

Reminds me of an incident at a plant where I worked years ago. It was a plywood plant and after the shets of veneer went thru the dryers we had p-eop-0le yanking it off the belts onto carts. One guy yanked one and it slid along his thigh stabbing him with about a six inch long splinter. It looked like a knife sticking into his leg.

we have these nasty spikey palms here called phoenix palms and they hurt like a Mother #####er. ouch!!!

outofmytree said:

......I hate the sensation of cutting a frond and then watching the SOB run down the polesaw towards me....

.

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For real mate!!
...then the THUNK as it hits you and you peek out the corner of your eye to see the dagger sticking out of your anatomy...

Did I mention I HATE phoenix palms....

Yeah, well there are obviously thousands of pros capable of pruning or removing date palms without getting impaled by them, even after pruning thousands of them for decades.

Brush up on your pruning techniques and put away the stupid polesaws!

Nothing about palms are easy, and date palms will separate the men from the boys real quick in my experience here in SoCal.

A pole saw to prune a date palm practically guarantees a trip to the hospital.

All you need is a sharp midsize chainsaw like a 262 xp husky, saddle and gaffs with a steelcore lanyard and the right technique.

Fan palms kill far more climbers here than date palms do.

jomoco

jomoco said:

.

All you need is saddle and gaff

jomoco

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We don't have any palms around here but seems unprofessional to dig holes in those trees.....do they look like this when you get through?

I like the way you post examples of anything but an actual date palm TV, and offering opinions on trees you have no hands on experience with to boot.

Careful you don't get a date palm spike in yu TV!

jomoco

Holy Crap, I can feel that !

I have had more than my share of all the phoenix I hate the suckers.

I had one this summer that went right into my ankle , couldn't walk for three days, and even when they don't break off they hurt really bad.

whats worse is even heavy wielding gloves or boots offer little protection they will pierce even heavy leather.

not sure an Xray would show them good thing is they do work there way back out eventually, unless its a heavy calous area and then you might have to lacerate it after it has decided to come back out. warning could be really gross.

Glad you got it out

jomoco said:

Yeah, well there are obviously thousands of pros capable of pruning or removing date palms without getting impaled by them, even after pruning thousands of them for decades.


jomoco

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Bull#### try your hand at a Phoenix reclinata with a chainsaw. without getting poked.
or for that matter a simple Phoenix roebelenii with hand clippers will get you if your not damn careful