Almost died

[ACAT]

Long post. First post here or anywhere but followed AS for years. I have my own thing going on, do the contract climbing for a few local companies as well. Had a large 3 lead ash that was partially dead from eab that had to come down. Between size and condition of tree and targets below should easily have been 2 day or crane job. I shoulda walked away first thing in the morning when I found it was only a day. It was a contract climb for an increasingly greedy local company owner. First stem down to 25 ft or so and lead guy on ground had locked the rope up on porta wrap while hanging that log. Made him cut rope right at the log with a polesaw cause I saw him losing some hand skin trying to get it undone. Second time that day I had a talk with everyone about safety and paying attention, told them one day their boss was gonna get someone hurt bad or killed. Brushed out second lead and then 8-10 footers on a tag line till about 20 ft up. Right over two sheds chunking down 20" wood with snap cuts over two sheds with about a 6 ft wide LZ. Everyone chipping, raking, etc trying to make it all happen. The angle of the stem changed a bit and for whatever reason I was gonna need someone on a rope to pull some chunks but they were busy. Gotta make do. So in rare stupid moment, right before I finished cutting through I put my off hand on the block to push it to a safe place WHILE still full tilt on throttle. Saw(261) kicked out of kerf and buried itself along my knee. I saw the spurts and knew I was dead. Hollered to call 911 and told them put a rush on it cause I got like 2 minutes to live, I got my femoral. Blood still goin, I tried to tourniquet w/ rope a few times one handed cause the other was holding back the blood. Couldn't do it so I burned down to the ground and had them tie rope around leg. Tight, real tight. I asked for phone and called my wife, then mom. Just to say I loved em. I was sure I was dead. Funny after I talked to them it sucked but was ok. Still knew I was a dead man till ambulance got there. They applied another tourniquet and left the rope on too! Force fed me iv fluid through needles that felt like pencils. Short ride to open spot then life flight. Surgery for 2 1/2 hrs. I'm alive but still in hospital. This was just on Tuesday. Saw took some of the bottom of my femur. I'm here and will be till they're sure it's not going to have bone infection. I've been cutting since '03 so it's not the inexperience. It's the pushin beyond reasonable limits and complacency. And before 20+ people clamber to shame me over the one hand, no ****. I also know that lots that would chastise me have pushed a little too far before but have gotten away with it. Just like I had before. I know it's ultimately my fault alone. Please be safe people and if it's not right then it's ok to walk.

 

[DR. P. Proteus]

Isn't it kinda shady to be lurking all those years and never even say hello?

 

[Ryan'smilling]

Isn't it kinda shady to be lurking all those years and never even say hello?

Sounds like the OP normally keeps pretty busy. I bet he's got a lot more spare time now...


Anyway ACAT, thanks for posting. Occasional reminders like this help the rest of us remember to stay safe.

 

[Jed1124]

Wow thanks for sharing. Can't remember anybody cutting their femoral artery and living to tell about it.

 

[rwoods]

Thanks for posting. Hope you mend well. Ron

 

[HuskStihl]

Wow thanks for sharing. Can't remember anybody cutting their femoral artery and living to tell about it.

Down by the knee you can get a tourniquet on it, and the artery has branched and is smaller. Up by the hip is a different can of worms.

 

[ACAT]

Sorry, not shady. See a lot of threads here turn into juvenile antics. Didn't want to be a part of that but it was important to me to share this. Thanks for all the well wishes though. Been let out of the hospital for bed rest at home w/antibiotics with instructions to return for any problem, however small. Guess even a simple cold could result in no leg because chance of infection is so
high. Talked to head trauma doc that put me back together and she said didn't get the femoral by microscopic amount but got some branches off of it. Some muscle chewed up and got my mcl a little. Other misc connective tissue stuff. She said our site applied tourniquet saved me for sure. I lost about 2 QUARTS of blood. Good thing I'm not one of them smaller climber guys, being 270 lbs I have more blood. I'll be checking back so if anyone has any questions, please ask. Thank you all.

 

[rwoods]

I'm thankful that you kept your head and that there were medical professionals that knew and had available what it took to keep you with us. Ron

 

[kz1000]

God Bless and hope you heal fast, insurance I hope.

 

[Jed1124]

Good on you for posting. That's a nasty cut. Heal fast, and get back to cutting!

 

[DR. P. Proteus]

It appears you are no stranger to juvenile acts. At least the ones here won't kill you.

I can see how your mindset was pushed into this accident though I have to say I have seen many a guy one hand a big saw and have always thought that kinda over-heroic.

You can't be THE NICE GUY. I know it makes sense to do so sometimes.

My advice at this point is to play " the kunt" and get a slimy lawyer.

 

[TBS]

Thanks for sharing and you better go buy a lottery ticket now. Get healed up well.

 

[ACAT]

Thanks again for the support. I don't have comp on myself as WV doesn't require it for sole proprietors. My general liability wont cover it but the guy I was subbing from provided his insurance info to me and it is probably going to take care of it. Hopefully it will go along smoothly and no lawyers will be necessary, not looking for a payday. I am getting around alright on crutches and am able to put some weight on the leg. Gotta go in for a follow-up as there's a sharp pain in the center of the calf muscle that just sorta appeared. Thanks again and safe cutting.

 

[AGoodSteward]

Thanks for the pics. Will use them to badger my groundies when I catch them chapless.

 

[derwoodii]

thanks for the post many will learn lessons from your story told, hope that wound heals over real soon.

 

[ACAT]

Just a quick update. I tried to get my follow up appt w/the follow up contact on my discharge. They wouldn't schedule, said I already had one. So I follow up w/my primary care. He sent me for ultrasound which showed 3 blood clots right behind and below the injured knee. He had me return to office (which was closed) and gave me blood thinner and put me on blood thinners. I'm on that and bed rest for a while. Gotta reschedule everything; what a pain. Everyone stay safe.

 

[rwoods]

Be extra careful while you are on the blood thinners. Ron

 

[scarygary92]

that really sucks man glad you made it, i'm just curious to what cause the saw to kick, i know one handing isn't safe but what interfered with the chain to cause it? I've never experienced a bad kickback with a saw, I always assumed the nose of the bar had to contact something for it to happen.

 

[ACAT]

After the fact, looking it over, a tiny sliver of bark remained uncut out at the bar end of the cut. 18" bar with a 20" log to cut. I had rotated the saw around to cut the wood clear at the tip end of the bar first. when I was sure it was good I rotated saw back around and cut like normal, only there was that tiny bit uncut. That's all it took, heck, there weren't even wood fibers left from what the fellas told me after they took it the rest of the way down a couple days later. The stem I was tied into was hollow which didn't play into my scenario but did when they tried to pull it w/still attached top. They tried to make it go 90° away from its lean without even a tag line to guy it. Just a rope through a block attached to a tiny 4wd truck. They notched it toward the block, observed the hollow spot and promptly put it directly through the customers fence, a few trees, and another businesses fence. The guy driving the truck (the business owner) managed to snap it off snatching the saw right out of the cutters hands and it fell exactly where it's weight layed.

 

[ACAT]

According to my primary doc, not too good of a chance me getting to return to cutting. Apparently there are valves in your veins that prevent reverse blood flow. Between the initial injury and clotting, they were more than likely damaged as evidenced by swelling. The thinners don't dissolve the clot, there is a separate med for that. But due to the surgery I do not qualify for the clot busting drugs. So as the clots slowly dissolve, the damage to the veins slowly builds. So by the time they are gone the valves will be pretty well screwed so bye- bye to anything constrictive on my leg (hooks) or even further up the leg (saddle) that might potentially cause a clot to form. I guess I could run a bucket but my big niche were the big ones with no equipment access. So I'm still crossing fingers he's wrong on the prognosis. I have another follow up with the orthopedic from the ER tomorrow so we'll see what he says.