Pdqdl asked if I would tell the rest of the story, so here it is.
First off, I was in my mid 20's and knew how to operate a saw. I knew nothing at the time on how to cut trees. I cut quite a bit at work and cut firewood growing up. I am glad to survived to eventually learn better and safer ways to cut.
I has posted this story on an offroad forum years ago, and I had to go back to find it.
I got a helicopter ride, 5 hours of surgery, 4 titanium plates and 20 screws to put my face back together.
I was working and cutting a relatively small tree (10 to 12 inch white oak) that I didn't notch. It barber chaired and kicked off the stump, hitting me in the face.
I had under cut the tree, then started angling in from the high side. The tree started to go and leaned into another tree top. The trunk was at a slight angle.
Better judgment was over ruled because we were behind a deadline and I was pushing it way too hard. That tree was cocked cannon.
I stepped in beside the tree, touched the heart of the tree with the saw.
I saw a flash of wood and felt pain in my shins.
I opened my eyes about 15-feet away from the tree, laid out on my back with the saw still in my hands running. I sat up, turned off the saw, yelled for help and started the damage assessment.
I stood up, and couldn’t see my nose. I knew it was broken (understatement – I didn’t have a nose anymore). I thought, “I bet I lost some teeth in this one”, and ran my tongue around my mouth feeling my teeth. Oddly, they were all there, but I couldn’t figure out why my upper right rear molar was where my front teeth used to be. My front teeth were rotated around to the left side of my mouth. I was bleeding badly.
The guys I worked with got there and wanted to see the damage. I didn’t want them to freak, so I reached down grabbed my hat, put it on, and told them “Get me out of here.”
Here is the second big mistake of the day. The truck was about a ¼ mile away. We took off running toward the truck, while one guy steadied me on each arm. As I ran, blood way spraying out in front of me and I can still recall hearing splatter on the leaves.
I thought, “I’ve killed deer that didn’t bleed this much.”. Don’t EVER let someone that is hurt run, it just pumps the blood our faster.
We got to the truck and one guy got in back, me in the passengers seat and another guy was driving. We left the fourth guy on the hill with the equipment (he was in radio contact of another crew). He was in shock and never moved from behind the survey instrument during the incident.
We were driving off the mountain, but the guys didn’t know how to get off the mountain. We had surveyed up one side the previous two days, and that morning I hiked off to get the truck. I drove around to the next town, and up the other side of the mountain.
I was fading in and out due to blood loss. They kept yelling at me saying “Matt, stay awake – which way do we need to go.” There were a lot of logging roads that zig zagged up the mountain. I stayed conscious and pointed the right direction off the hill.
We hit the highway and Wes was burning rubber. I told him, “Man, I’ve already had a bad day – slow down, I don’t need to be in a car wreck too.” By this time my head was clearing up.
Part 2
We pulled into Elkins General Hospital, not the place you want to go for a trauma injury.
Wes ran in to get help as Phil helped me get out of the truck. I was walking toward the door when a security guard casually came pushing a wheelchair out the door to get me.
I walked over, and sat down. The security guard just stood there in shock. I thought “Great, I’m going to have to walk on in.” Mind you that this is the front door of the hospital, not the ER.
Phil grabbed the chair and wheeled me inside. I was met by a large number of astonished staff. I imagine that people in the waiting area were amazed that some guy with no face just came in the front door. I remember seeing a woman with the horrified look on her face as she was covering her child’s eyes.
They started working on me. They started to cut off my carhart bibs and boots. I stopped them and told them I would take them off myself. I raised up and they helped undress me. That was a lot of money they were getting ready to cut up, and I didn’t want them to ruin a good set of carharts or rocky boots.
As they worked on me I talked some. Most avoided looking at my face and tried to comfort me. Most of the nurses were wearing short sleeved white shirts. I was amazed at how much of my blood they had all over them. On their arms and splattered on their shirts. At one point one made a comment like, “we’ll fix you up.” I said, “I used to have a nose. It was something like hers [pointing to one nurse], but not quite as pointy. It was more like hers [pointing to another nurse]. That nurse turned white, walked out of the room, and never saw her again. I figure she is a librarian somewhere nowdays.
They tried a cat scan but I couldn’t stay laying down long enough because I was drowning in my blood. The guy running the machine was rude and said “You have to remain lying down for 3 minutes until we are done.”
I told him that I could only hold my breath for about 1 minute and that I was going to drown in 3. After several attempts they quit trying.
Part 3
My supervisor showed up and asked if he wanted him to call my wife. They had already called the life flight in and were moving me to Charleston (160 miles away by road). I said, “Call my wife and tell her that I have a broken nose and they are taking me to Charleston for surgery. He called and told her.
Unfortunately, the guy we left standing on the hill had already called our office. The owner of the company had already called her and said that I was injured with a chainsaw to the face. She said after that call she couldn’t stand up out of the kitchen floor.
The latter phone call eased her nerves enough to where she could drive to the hospital.
As I flew in, I was in and out. I raised up as we flew into Charleston and I looked over on the hill where my Dad was building a new house. I thought, “I wonder why no one is working on the house? The weather is great.” It was because they were all waiting at the hospital for me.
Part 4
We land, and they started to unload me. The flight nurse left the IV bag in the helicopter as they tried to pull me out. They tugged 3 times, I was screaming in pain and finally grabbed the nurse by the arm and tried to put her in as much pain as I was in. Yes, an IV line and a surgical sized hepernlock (sp?) in your arm will keep 3 men from pulling the gurney out of a helicopter. It did some major damage to my arm and bent the needle into a “J” shape.
I saw my wife, mom, and dad before surgery and woke up sometime the next afternoon. I couldn’t open my eyes due to swelling. I laid there and listened to people come and go and talk about my condition. The next morning I had enough strength to open my eyes and motion people. I went home and was back at work 5- weeks later because workmans compensation sucks so bad, that I was about to go under financially. I showed up for work and went back out. I worked 3 weeks before I got my first check from Comp. The same day I got my first pay check from work. I was starting to have bills that were late.
I don’t look the same after, but overall my appearance is normal. My teeth don’t mesh right, and I have weird feelings and sensations in my face now. My vision isn’t as good, and have pain sometimes.
I was eventually compensated for my time off, and didn’t sue or get any settlements. I was the supervisor on the job, I was running the saw, and the accident was my fault. I’m just happy to be alive, close to normal, and still employed. No one was at fault besides myself, so no owed me anything. I’m greatful for modern medicine and good surgeons.
Overall, I’m happy to be here and happy to be alive.
