A cautionary tale. Warning (very graphic photo)

[BilletHead]

        Sharing something I did to myself with a wood bandsaw. From injury through where I am now. Things can go wrong quickly, and I want to share this to make everyone think twice or even three times before you do anything. I want to come clean to all that read this. A few of you on the forums know about this. I actually began to find humor pretty quickly as soon as hitting the emergency room. I still smile thinking about all this even now. It's been a journey and kind of messed up a good portion of the summer. This might be a couple chapters or more. I can only type so long before my fingers start to complain. So here we go and one more warning with the damage picture. Yes, moderators I secured permission to share the photo. 

      July 2nd it was hot and humid I decided to go to the shop and work on cutting a blank for making a bowl on the wood lathe. The log section was already prepared, and I had basically a four-inch-thick piece of wood about five inches plus or minus that had been cut with a chainsaw. Rough and not so straight on the faces (flat sides). I took a compass and made the biggest circle on the biggest face. Remember this is one half of a log section so there is some curvature on the sides. Next set up the bandsaw and tightened the blade for tension. Turned on the saw and began to cut the blank round. Was doing really well until the final cut trimming off one last cut. For some reason I decided to trim this cut on the inside of the blade. You always cut with your hands on the outside of the blade so that anything that happens you are in the clear. Lesson number one! My blade was getting pretty dull Lesson number two! My bowl blank was somewhat wobbly because of the chainsaw cut. Lesson number three!  As I was trimming the last cut with the dull blade with the wobbly slab on the inside of the blade it wobbled and caught the blank and cut out and the back of my right hand went into the blade. There was a thump that actually stopped the blade for a millisecond that flickered the lights. Instantly I thought oh crap. I pulled back and looked at the back of my hand that was a mess. Hardly bleeding with a gaping hole. I shut the saw off with left hand and looked again at my right hand. Seeing the knuckle bone and drooping index finger. Then I said a bad word and headed for the house loudly saying Pat I need a towel, said this again as I was heading to the door. Little did I know she was sitting on the back porch reading. What did you do she said? Cut myself up pretty bad I need a towel, let me see and I said not now please. As she gave me the towel, I covered it quickly so she could not see what I had done. I told her to lock up and let's go to the hospital, not to our local hospital but to the closest big one, Joplin came to mind. Off we went South down I49. As we went, I just used direct pressure not looking at the hand at all. Call back from DR Russell you need to go to KC or Springfield you need a hand surgeon. I told her where we were and quickly, she said Springfield Cox. I said what about Mercy. She responded you better be darned sure they have a hand surgeon on call. Ok with her then saying you let me know! I googled up Mercy emergency room and called. A lady answered and how can I help you? I asked if they had a hand surgeon on call, yes, the best. I told her the deal, she asked if I was driving myself, nope wife is. How far are you away, about 30 to 35 minutes out. Please get here as soon as you can safely, and we will be waiting for you. Pat did just that speeding only to keep up with the traffic on I44 at 80mph. Finally, we got to the emergency entrance and Pat stopped. I told her just find a spot in the parking lot and I will walk up to the door. Inside the big sliding double doors was a room full of people looking at us like a bunch of owls on a tree branch. I stood back as Pat went to the reception desk taking out my insurance cards out of my wallet. Another person came over and asked if I was the one who called ahead, yes that was me and five people came out and the first one said let me see it. The lady at the desk told Pat at the same time we can take care of this later. So, I removed the towel, and this was the first time Pat seen the carnage and out of her mouth came a Oh (fill in the blank). The young man that wanted to see it said oh that's Awesome I looked at him like what and he said we like to see things like this. Let's us learn and treat you. You will hear that from many people today. The others all took a look. Then one said hand laceration involving an open fracture. Need to get him back now, about that time a wheelchair hit me in the back of my legs and off I went to the back onto a gurney and parked in the hall outside the nurse's station. Noisy place with workers scurrying here and there, police bringing in handcuffed people. Well-oiled chaos was my first thought. My hand was put on a portable table for all to see. Someone came over and she and Pat talked about registration. I was then taken for X-rays. then back and finally an ER doctor came to see the hand. Left and came back to tell me I would have surgery at the Mercy orthopedic hospital the next morning then left. Next thing here comes a young lady, she introduces herself as a physician assistant in training. Then I will be setting you up with an IV. She left for a minute and came back. I will be doing this but have never done this before on a person. One of the nurses will be here to help me do you mind if I do this? I said don't mind at all and in the back of my mind I thought what could go wrong I'm in an ER (humor starting now). I told her you have to learn. Nurse shows up and trainee did really good. Another nurse gets the fluid running and said this is one of three antibiotics you will be getting before you leave. Another like in forever time passing someone would check on me. I would ask may I have something to drink like in water? We will ask and no water came. A male Physician assistant brought another rolling cart over. Introduced himself and told us what was next. I am going to clean this wound out and temporary close up the wound loosely with stiches. It will not look pretty it is just for the night. I am going to first off deaden the area. I think I will just be pouring in some lidocaine first then injecting some in the surrounding area.  Ok then and he did just that and it was like liquid cold lava and boy did it burn that gaping hole was overflowing with lidocaine ouch. He dabbed up the extra and then the needle was like bee stings. Ouchee again. Up until this point including the band saw incident there was no pain involved, none, nodda ,nothing. After deadening he began to stitch while doing this here came the young lady physician assistant again and the guy said she will be watching. Pretty soon she asked can I do some? Yes he said finish up and I will watch you. She looks at me and yes, she said I have never done this on a person before do you mind? I said go right ahead I feel fine about contributing to your future. Again, she did excellent. She finished up and told us she normally worked in the ER pediatric part. I would much rather work on children or even women. I think I would like to specialize in pediatrics or OB. I asked why and she said men are mean. In the ER they come in drunk or high on drugs. They cuss and are mean. I said was I mean? Oh no you are an exception I told her thanks. IV Removed and discharged papers with instructions given. Home we went for a short night and back tomorrow for surgery. 

          Are you ready for this? Picture from ER. Last warning. 

Hard to see but in that knuckle, there is cut bone,

  

   Maybe tomorrow chapter two Surgery

[jdmidwest]

Looks like beak of something trying to stick its head out of your hand.

[ness]

Holy cow! That’s way worse than I thought! 

[BilletHead]

11 minutes ago, ness said:

Holy cow! That’s way worse than I thought! 

              Yea it was a bad deal. 

[dpitt]

I looked quickly, then scrolled to read without seeing the picture, bad idea, the quick images with your rapid fire description made me a bit nauseous   Did not look at the picture again, scrolled it out to the like button, then replied. 

[BilletHead]

38 minutes ago, dpitt said:

I looked quickly, then scrolled to read without seeing the picture, bad idea, the quick images with your rapid fire description made me a bit nauseous   Did not look at the picture again, scrolled it out to the like button, then replied. 

                     You know Mr. Pitt I had a hard time even tolerating it myself for quite some time and it is on my phone. Time was a good healer. No more pictures like that will follow on other chapters. Humor will be though. Humbling experience through all of this. 

[dpitt]

Thanks, you can post pics, I'll just not look, but will read the next chapter Thanks!

[Daryk Campbell Sr]

Holy cow, man.   I'm so sorry to hear and see that.   I'm glad you seemed to be in good spirits about it.   That's quite a bit of damage,  and I hope you get full recovery.  I'm sure we will learn about that in following chapters.  

[BilletHead]

12 minutes ago, Daryk Campbell Sr said:

Holy cow, man.   I'm so sorry to hear and see that.   I'm glad you seemed to be in good spirits about it.   That's quite a bit of damage,  and I hope you get full recovery.  I'm sure we will learn about that in following chapters.  

              I will put it this way right now. You all seen the only graphic picture. 

[MOPanfisher]

Dang that is gonna leave a mark.  Sorry it happened but sure hope you heal up correctly.  Other people blood and injuries don't bother me but still DANG!!