Busted my ankle

[Toolman]

Exactly one week ago I was sawing hickory logs for a customer at my home. The guy dropped off 18 20" plus logs on Friday. I was finishing up on monday with 3 logs to go. I was positioning a log to roll onto loader when my cant hook let go and I flew forward. My ankle stayed wedged between the log I was trying to roll and another log that was sitting behind it. I could feel and hear my ankle "snap". The pain was incredible!! Nobody was around and my cell phone was 30 ft. away in the saw shed. I eventually crawled to shack and called a buddy of mine who lives about 2 miles from me. A trip to emergency room was a loooong trip. I broke a bone in my ankle and severely tore a ligament. Now I'm in a cast for 4-6 wks, going crazy!! I'm not cut out for this laying around stuff.

[metalspinner]

Ouch!

Sorry to hear this.  We all have that close call everytime we grab the hook.  Hope you heal up quick. As hard as it is for you, stay off your feet!

[Toolman]

Yea, I tried getting on my feet earlier longer than I should've, and watched my leg swell up again. I'm still running my sharpening business. I spend about 30 minutes a day in the shop. My turn around time has increased, but, my customers have been real decent  about it. My wife helps me where she can. This stinks! >:(

[Meadows Miller]

Gday

I feel your pain Mate  ;) i shatterd my feama and smahed my ankel n foot to peices in a car accadent when i was 18yo when i was pushing too hard with work n everything else a young bloke does  n fell asleep comming home n woke up just before plowing into a tree at 60 + mph   :
I was soppose to be outa action for 12 to 18 months + but it only took me 6 months and abit rehab to teach myself how to walk again too be back fulltime at work   ;) startn back early cost me an extra opperation down the track though  ;) Like metalspinner said stay off your feet  ;) and keep it level asmuch as possible as it gives you better blood flow mate ;)

It wont take long to heal but itll seem like forever I wish you a speedy recovery Mate

Reguards Chris

[Meadows Miller]

P.s

another thing you can try that i use to do when i was sharpening the band and cansaws in the shed for dad   ;) if your sharpening use a stool alittle lower than the chair to rest your ankel n cast on it use to work for me alittle uncomfatable but its better than getting the swelling  mate  ;)

[beenthere]

Ouch!
Sorry to hear that.
I'm guessing that it wasn't a LogRite hook that slipped. They grab so much better.

Wish you well in recovery, and finding some things to do to keep from being bored.

[farmboy1tn]

the advice giving is so true i know,ive been where you are and if you don't take it easy it will take longer to heal up

[WDH]

Toolman, don't push your recovery and make it worse.  These things cannot be hurried or you will pay the price.  At least you can spend more time on the Forum  ;D.

[Fla._Deadheader]

My break was strange, and, the DR would NOT put a cast on it. At least you have a cast, so, stay off it, as best you can. Good luck on a speedy recovery

[DanG]

Sorry to hear about that, Toolman.  Hopefully the swelling problem will go away soon, and that'll help your mobility a bunch.  It might help you build up the sharpening biz a bit, since you'll have more time to put into it for a while.

[Toolman]

Thank you for all of your responses. I feel bad for my wife. I think I'm driving her crazy!! :D

[kelLOGg]

Sorry to hear of your bad news but I'm glad it wasn't any worse and that you chose to tell about it. I was too embarrased (or vain) to talk about mine. Last December I nipped a half inch off left middle finger between a chain and sprocket while doing maintenance.  >:(. Couldn't really bear to bring it up until you told your story. A friend had given me a Quick Clot from Deluth Trading which really worked. Got 3 of them now. Funny what you think about at such times. I thought of Logwalkers quote; "Let's all be careful out there"

[bull]

Toolman, don't rush it !!!  I tried to rush and I'm still paying for it, Will be 5 years Sept. 12 and I still have pain daily!!  Arthritis is a huge issue for me !!  Don't The the PT people try to rush your recovery either, let that ankle heal !!!!
The forum can be a life saver with all the down time an ankle injury requires, listen to your body if you think you fell pain head for the chair and get your feet up---- Ice the injury and drink plenty of ice water, it's a big helper--- keeps they system hydrated and the fluids moving !!!!! The ankle can fill with and incredible amount of bad fluid when it swells !!!!

[Ga. bow-man]

So sorry Toolman, I pray that you will heal back as good as new.
We all know playing with these mills and logs you're gonna get hurt sooner or later.
We all just hope it will heal so we can get back to this stuff that gets in your blood.

[ljmathias]

Recovery is tough and the older you get, the longer it seems to take- both because it really does take longer and because you value more whatever time you have left so you don't want to waste any of it...  Just had the old prostate removed and for the first time in my life, actually listened to the doctor on recovery- course the wife was there, too, and she made sure I "remembered" what he said.  Long story short- took almost as long to get back up and doing full time as he recommended, mainly because I took my time, didn't rush it (too much) and listened to my body- it will tell you when you're doing too much (at least my body will tell me that, you might have to listen to yours instead).

Advice for what it's worth (consider the cost): you've got the rest of your life to enjoy a fully healed and functional ankle, less of course you mess it up worse trying to get going too soon.  And now you've got a great story to tell!

Lj

[backwoods sawyer]

Ankles are not like knees, they cannot be changed out as easily. Doc said I would wear one out in no time then be stuck with out one. So take care of it, and next time watch that you do not get into those pinch points. Take this time to go over how to make things around the mill safer, and when you do get back out there be vigilant about you safety. Logging and sawmills have a long history of being man-eaters.  Best of luck on your recovery.

[Dan_Shade]

what type of shoes were you wearing?

I like high top shoes, hoping they provide a little ankle support if needed.

Sorry to hear about your accident. :(

[Toolman]

Thanks for all of the advice. I will chalk this one up as a "learning experience". To answer your question Dan, I was wearing ankle high boots, go figure. Imagine what might have happened if I was wearing sneakers. Oouch!! :-\

[Dan_Shade]

yeah  :-(

I tell folks that logs and chainsaws don't have a conscience, and enjoy hurting people.

[redprospector]

I had a wreck with a cant hook in 2001. I was unloading log's from a gooseneck trailer. One of them turned a little & started toward me, I jumped off the trailer and started to run. that's when I learned it's hard to outrun a rolling log. It hit me on the outside of my left knee. Shattered the knee, and tore the ACL in half. I was down for almost 9 months, that was a rough time.
Give it time to heal, and don't push it too much or you'll be gimping around like me.  :D
That's the same advice my dad gave me. I didn't listen either.

Andy

[Coon]

All in all just remember.....  You're not a cat.  You do not have nine lives.  ;) :D  Take your time with the healing process it'll pay off in the end.  Don't be stubborn headed like me and over do it while healing up. 

[WildDog]

Sorry to hear about your injury Toolman hope it mends without complications.

When I was younger I busted my Tib & Fib a radial break playing rugby league, on the way to hospital the ambulance officer said "You will be off football for 3mths, I thought thats O.K. The surgeon never plated or pinned it and I had a full caste to my groin, the caste became loose as the swelling subsided and for 4 months I'd wake in the morning with my foot lying at right angles to my leg and dad would have to twist my foot and plaster upright, this really hurt and when the plaster came off there was holes in my leg and dried blood in the plaster where the bone had poked through my skin.

The probblem was that the surgeon was head of the Australian Medical Association and the 2 other Dr's we went to too have it rectified said, it wasn't right but they weren't prepared to go against the head of AMA one Dr refering to him as God. When the plaster finally came of 10 months later my leg was 3/4 inch shorter.

From experience with other breaks the sooner the bone starts to knit and you can get moving the more the blood flows and aids in healing,(my experience only you do whats best for you) 

[bandmiller2]

Like sands through the hourglass and poop through the goose,toolman be carefull you don't get hooked on soaps.Sorry to hear of your uncomfortable incident guess in our line of work/play we're seconds from disaster, but for the grace of God.Years ago my hand got between a log and steel post pocket almost lost two fingers.Too dang stubborn to rest should have seen me trying to handle the old hand clutch 830 diesel and trailer with one hand in the woods.This will soon pass and be but a memory spend more time here.Frank C.

[mike_van]

Toolman - Get better soon! How quick our lives can change, huh?  Yesterday doing my most hated job of the year [weedeater along 200 ft of stream] I slipped off a wet rock. Dinged up one shin & one knee, but that could have been much worse. Hang in there,  8)

[Fla._Deadheader]

Geez Loueeze, one clumsy lot, EH ???  ;D :D :D :D :D :D

[Toolman]

Just spoke with Dr. on the phone. Asked him why I have little to no pain at break, but unbelievable pain running from little toe ,across my foot and up to my knee. He told me a severe strain or tear in muscle. Will be visiting him tomorrow afternoon for checkup and possible CT scan.  :-\

[Meadows Miller]

Geez Loueeze, one clumsy lot, EH ???  ;D :D :D :D :D :D

Gday
:D :D :D :D :D Fdh You reckon we should enter Guinnes book of world records  mate  ??? ???  ;)  :D ;D

Reguards Chris

[Meadows Miller]

Gday Toolman

The pain from that will fade away and you will notice the pain of the bone soon enough mate  ;) :(

[Fla._Deadheader]

After the swelling went down, mine didn't hurt at all. Sure did ITCH like crazy, at times.

  Naah MM, Guiness is too finicky to mess with.  : ;D

[Sprucegum]

We're all pullin' for ya.

As Red Green would say "Keep your stick on the ice."

[DanG]

Just a couple of ideas for helping out with the mobility issues, once the swelling problems are past:  Go to one of those rental places for medical equipment and get a walker with wheels and a seat.  You can rest the knee on the seat and push yourself along with the other foot.  Credit where credit is due, I learned that little trick at Tom's house, right after Gael had surgery on her ankle.  It seemed to be working out great for her!

'Nother idea, use a riding lawnmower for getting around outdoors, like from the house to the shop, etc.   A golf cart would be ideal for this, but mowers are easier to come by.

[Toolman]

Way ahead of ya DanG. My neighbor has a golf cart for cruising around his farm. It's too buggy to be cruising around back there this time of year so he parked it outside my door . I took a trip along the creek road this morning with it. It was nice getting out. I had to head back after 20 minutes due to my foot swelling up again. Everytime I get up and move around my foot balloons up. That's the part that concerns me. The immediate swelling when I get up and move around. Had to stay out of shop today due to swelling.

[DanG]

Good deal on the golf cart! 8) 8)  You have a lot of tissue damage that you're dealing with right now, and that's what's causing the swelling and pain.  Bones don't swell, and they don't have nerves.  It is the damaged tissue around them that hurts.  Right now, it is the pain from that that is keeping you from putting pressure on the fracture.  When that part is over you'll really have to discipline yourself to keep from putting weight on it.  If you get these aids in place while you FEEL the need for them, they will be there for you when you need them but don't feel like you do.  You will be a lot likelier to use them if they're already there, than you would to scare them up after the painful part is gone. ;)

[Toolman]

Went to Specialist today about this excessive swelling. They did another X-ray and found that I have a broken fibula also!!!! It was located just above my cast. No wonder the swelling was'nt letting up. I've been hobbling around with an unbraced broken leg bone. Every time I would move, the bone was moving around freely causing continuous trauma. Dr. had to reset bone and recast up to my knee. This required an additional refill on percocet. I took a trip this evening without leaving the chair. ;D I feel better now than I have felt since this injury occured. A CT scan was done to make sure no ligaments were torn. Thank goodness they were still intact, just stretched a little. I quess Father Time and the forum will be my companion for about 6 wks.

[DanG]

I quess Father Time and the forum will be my companion for about 6 wks.

Looks like you might as well just settle back and make the best of it.  We'll be glad for the companionship. ;)

Now that they found the problem, you should be able to mobilize yourself in a week or two, as you won't have to keep it elevated all the time.  Spend part of that time cogitating about how you're going to do things once you're up and around but still in the cast.  There are all kinds of little tricks you can use.  I broke my hand once, and was out of work for eight weeks.  During that time, I built a deck on the back of my house.  I got a magnet on a stick and duct taped it to the cast to hold the nails with. ;D

I don't think you said if it was the right or left leg.  Will you be able to drive?  If so, you might even take a little vacation.  You have 2 businesses, don't you?  I know DanG well there are a bunch of little sit-down chores, like sprucing up your tools and such, that you've been trying to find the time for.  Again, if you will be able to drive, I'll bet you have some friends and/or relatives that would enjoy a nice visit.  Heck, I'd better shut up or I'll have you too busy to get on the Forum again!

BTW, did you ask those dumbclucks how they managed to miss the fact that you had a broken leg, to start with? >:( >:(

[Toolman]

How's that deck holdin up DanG? :D I liked that one.  I broke my left ankle/leg. Luckily I'll be able to drive before my 6 wk sentence is up. I'll still keep the sharpening business going. I figure in a day or two, I'll be back at that. As far as missing the break. I complained about my ankle when I went in origially, so they of course X-rayed that area. As far as the break up at the fibia, it was so high above the ankle, the X-ray never picked it up. He stated it took a good bit of torque to do what I did. It was an honest over-sight. I don't hold them accountable for missing it. The break is about 6" below my knee. It was pretty high.

I'm gonna make the best of it. My wife and I have been spending good quality time with each other since this happened. Our marriage was becoming strained lately with me working so much. Maybe this whole thing was a blessing. I've had time to appreciate all of the things I took for granted. It's amazing how a persons life can drastically change at the snap of a finger, know what I mean? It could've been worse.

Thanks again for your support.

[DanG]

The deck didn't last too long.  I sold that house a couple of years later.  About a year after that, they bulldozed it to build a motel.  The guy I sold to made a killing on it.  Story of my life! :-\ :D :D  That was all about 30 years ago.

I'm glad to hear that you're finding some positives in all this!  The mental battle is the toughest part!

[bandmiller2]

Toolguy you might as well be prepared and bend an old coat hanger now so you can scratch latter when it gets itchy under that cast.Frank C.

[John_Haylow]

Sorry to hear about your ankle Toolman. I wish you a speedy recovery.
John

[Magicman]

Glad to read that you are finally on the mend.  R&R is difficult to do when you are used to being active.  Your accident serves as a reminder that stuff can/will happen even when we are being "safe".   Wishing you a speedy recovery.

[backwoods sawyer]

This required an additional refill on percocet. I took a trip this evening without leaving the chair. ;D

Got to be careful where you take your trips to you may find yourself sawing logs.

[Handy Andy]

  Sounds like a good thing you went back to the doc and got checked out.  My luck, would have stayed home and tried to tough it out.  Hope it heals up right now.   Jim