I'm lucky to have the injurys I have

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Damn lucky my man.

Sounds like fall arrest may not have helped you anyway seeing as how the bucket broke, (you may have lost your anchor point).
Will the fact that you were not using all safety equipment affect any insurance payout? I sure hope not.
Worst thing is when you eventually go back to work, big brother will probably watch you like a hawk - lots of spot audits and random checks.
At least you are alive and kicking.
 
Isnt it just amazing how good our hospitals are! They fix you right up usually. I had a bad accident about 2 years ago paramedics got to me when i had lost over 2 and half liters of blood and my blood pressure was 80/40. I got starflighted to the nearest hospital next morning i woke up and was alive and doing fine!

Glad you made it, but dont ever put aside safety. Some of it is cumbersome, but its there for a reason. Especially when you have a family...jeez!
 
I'm glad to hear that you're alive and well (as well as can be expected). I can't imagine taking a 4 story fall and still be around. Please do what the docs recommend and go thru with all the PT that's recommended. It will make the healing process go quicker.
 
I also recommend seeing a chiropractor regularly from now on. Combine that with the PT and you'll heal in half the time. Worked for me when I destroyed my knee, and my wife when she blew her hip out.

This is why we all pay into Disability. I don't mind when it goes somewhere useful like this incident. Safe and quick recovery, brother. God speed.
 
DeAvilaTree said:
I wanted to share my recent accident with you guys. On 7/7 I was finishing up the day with a small cabling job. I was parked on the street and I snaked my way thru the pole wires to get to my tree in my bucket truck. Finished the job and was making my out to fold up the boom. As I turning a piece of my plywood that I store next to the turrent hit my upper/lower selector switch and one of my boom controls. It took my control away from me, and sent me up while I was under the primary wires. I yelled to my helper to clear the wood but he couldn't it was wedged to tight, so I told him to shut down the truck. He got the truck shut down and he heard me hit the ground.
Before I fell I sat down inside my bucket thought for sure Iwas going to get fried. I braced myself as much as I could. The bucket broke and emptied me and the liner I fell 40' and landed in the street. That was the last thing I remembered.
I woke up day later in hospital. I ended up with 13kv burn on my forehead,arm,and just under armpit, I broke 4 ribs 2 on each side, bruised both lungs, broke my upper left arm,shattered my elbow, broke my pelvic bone 8 places, shattered my tailbone, internial bleeding of my pelvic area, and lots of nerve damage in my left leg.
Needless to say I'm typing this from my hospital bed right now, hopefuly I'll be able to walk in 7-11 weeks. Lucky with the injurys I have.
Click to expand...
DeAvilaTree, Sorry to hear of your horrendous accident. I greatly admire your terrific attitude. [II] too have been badly hurt in the past. My prayers are with you. God bless you! Bob(Cheeves)[/I]
 
I figured I'd give you fellas an update. I'm doing well I sleep thru the night now I wake up between 5-6am and I have to press the nurse call first thing, my body is so stiff and in pain in the morning. It takes about 45mins to an hour for the pills to kick in. I'm able to transfer myself to a wheel chair. And I sat on a toilet for the first time today. Slowly getting better in a week or 2 I'll start learning how to walk again. My left leg is a noodle I can't put any weight on it at all. I have a very difficult time trying to control it. A newspaper reporter interviewed me a couple days ago, so I guess I'l be in the paper sometime next week. When I get home I'll scan it and post it here. The support for my family has been overwhelming, and for the fellas that are here on AS thank you for your advice, and just plain listening. Thank you.
I'll give an update when I have more news to tell.
 
Thanks for the update ! Glad to hear your making progress and that your family has not been left out because I'm sure they need support as well , just different than your needs at the moment .
Remember that it's the small steps that lead to the bigger milestones so take small steps and don't worry about the big leaps (I hope that this makes sense).
 
Dancan that made perfect sense. I am doing very well getting very strong. But I'm doing it in baby steps. I want to make sure I'm always going forward, in my mind there is no reverse.
 
Thanks for the update Brother, glad yer getting stronger...that's the key to a quick and full recovery. The pain, or the fear of it, is often the limiting factor...it's just hard to work past that threshold sometimes. The bummer is scar tissue, and muscle atrophy...you don't want either of 'em. Scar tissue will need to be regularly "torn" to make sure you have full range of motion (or best, considering the nature of the injuries). Tearing scar tissue don't feel good, but it's mandatory for full recovery. Yer Othopedic doc and physical therapist will help you gauge the nature of that task...then it's up to you to cowboy-up and work through it.

Muscle atrophy is another inevitable downside to being laid up with major injuries...and it's surprising and really dissapointing just how fast it happens. The only way to combat it working every muscle group you can, with as much effort and resistance as possible and allowable by yer med team. You don't want to re-injure your doctor's fine repairs, but you need to keep as much muscle mass as possible. This involves a lot of stretching (see "scar tissue tearing"), and resistance training. Slow and careful reps, in slow and careful sets, no ballistic movements for sure. This will do WONDERS for your recovery...

I wish ya well Brother, and keep yer friends here on AS posted as you progress...:msp_thumbup:
 
Here's what I did when I had major surgery about 10 years ago. Granted, I wasn't dropped 40 feet from a bucket but I did have an invasive surgery: I left the hospital in 2 days instead of the 2 weeks they were trying to keep me there for. I had no desire to lay the amongst the dying. I took a job working for a friend toting lumber for 10 dollars an hour 10 days after I got out of the hospital. I worked my ass off because I knew it was use it or loose it. Docs told me I would never have full motion in my shoulder again but I went to work right after the surgery and kept my #### in shape. I can do anything I have always done. Working and breaking your muscles and scar tissue down continuously is going to be key in recovering. Was for me anyway.
 
DeAvilaTree said:
Dancan that made perfect sense. I am doing very well getting very strong. But I'm doing it in baby steps. I want to make sure I'm always going forward, in my mind there is no reverse.
Click to expand...

:rock: Amazing what the human body can endure. Glad you're doing so well in such a short time. Blessings to you along with another rep. :msp_biggrin:
 
An update for evryone. I'm doing very well, I'm now home but of course we had a hurricane, so my guys are scrambling trying to keep. It's nice to be home. At least I can get my office finally cleaned up. I still have nerve damage, and I'm partial weight baring on my left leg, I graduated to a walker this week, in 3 weeks I can learn to use a cane. But I have survived and I am itching to get back to work.
 
DeAvilaTree said:
An update for evryone. I'm doing very well, I'm now home but of course we had a hurricane, so my guys are scrambling trying to keep. It's nice to be home. At least I can get my office finally cleaned up. I still have nerve damage, and I'm partial weight baring on my left leg, I graduated to a walker this week, in 3 weeks I can learn to use a cane. But I have survived and I am itching to get back to work.
Click to expand...

Glad to hear you're in good spirits. Don't get over ambitious about work. It will still be there when you are truely able to handle it. I know of a 34 yr old man who hurt his back. His Doc said stay off work, but the 'HE MAN' in him went against the Doc's recommendations and now all four limbs are completely numb. He can't do anything for the rest of his life. So, don't let 'PEER PRESSURE' and 'EGO' knock you out of a good life ahead. Do it right the 1st time, you may not get a second chance. :bang:
 
I cannot stress the above post enough! It seems I am slowly loosing the use my hands and arms as well. Take it very easy!
 

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