Caju
ArboristSite Lurker
February 9th 2013
A 51yo Ohio man went to help a friend from church with intentions of cutting down a large tree in the Akron area. I'm told that man just happened to be me...
I've been in construction my whole life and just enjoyed playing with chainsaws often taking down trees for friends in my spare time.
I've been using chainsaws since I was a teenager at home, I've done some crazy things and somehow never had an accident with chainsaws, this time was different.
Because of the size of the tree and surrounding buildings we decided to use a crane to assist with the take down as we had done a few times before with no problems. We met a little before 7am with 5 saws and started taking down some limbs, dang we were having fun!
None of us were climbers and no bucket truck, no worries. I had a 40' extension ladder and would tie it off to the limb on the tree side and take off the limb after it was attached to the crane. It was all going good until an 18-20" by 35' limb that I had cut freakishly turned and somehow released itself when I was on my way down the ladder. They said I was well over halfway down when the limb hit me knocking me off the ladder. To make sure I didn't get away the limb decided to land on me and pin me to the ground! Unable to move the limb the other 3 men started up another saw and made a few cuts to free me. The sweet old 026 I was carrying was smashed...
I wasn't moving or breathing, I looked like a dead man. An ambulance quickly came and took me to the hospital where I stayed for 19 days, 17 in ICU and 2 days in step down, then in a nursing home for 3 months. I have NO memory of my 19 days in the hospital.
I'm told all of my ribs were broken, one missed a main artery by a fraction of an inch that would have given the limb a kill shot had it hit according to the doctors. Both lungs were punctured and collapsed. My nose was broken, multiple fractures in the back of my skull, The Plastic Surgeon that spent 7+ hrs on my face said my jaw was pulverized with bone chips everywhere.. I now have 4 plates and 23 screws in my jaw.
Both collar bones were broken, the right one had two or 3 breaks and now has a unique shape. The bone that holds the right shoulder joint had several breaks and is now healed tilted down. Multiple breaks in the right shoulder blade,10 broken vertebrae, several breaks in my right ankle and a few broken toes on that foot.
I had my mouth wired shut, had a trach in my throat and a feeding tube going into my stomach for 8+ weeks. I felt like one lucky prisoner...
My family was initially told by the Doctors that it was a miracle I survived, but that there was a chance I'd end up paralyzed and or brain damaged.
I had so much pain I really couldn't function without pain meds and was worried that I'd either need them for a few years or become addicted. God had mercy on me and healed me. I no longer need or want pain meds, haven't needed any in over 4 months and I'm back to work.
I went from a muscular 6' 200 lbs to a scrawny 165 lb. But I feel healthy and I'm SO blessed to be doing so well! I can walk, run, ride bike, and love going out with my chainsaws!
A 51yo Ohio man went to help a friend from church with intentions of cutting down a large tree in the Akron area. I'm told that man just happened to be me...
I've been in construction my whole life and just enjoyed playing with chainsaws often taking down trees for friends in my spare time.
I've been using chainsaws since I was a teenager at home, I've done some crazy things and somehow never had an accident with chainsaws, this time was different.
Because of the size of the tree and surrounding buildings we decided to use a crane to assist with the take down as we had done a few times before with no problems. We met a little before 7am with 5 saws and started taking down some limbs, dang we were having fun!
None of us were climbers and no bucket truck, no worries. I had a 40' extension ladder and would tie it off to the limb on the tree side and take off the limb after it was attached to the crane. It was all going good until an 18-20" by 35' limb that I had cut freakishly turned and somehow released itself when I was on my way down the ladder. They said I was well over halfway down when the limb hit me knocking me off the ladder. To make sure I didn't get away the limb decided to land on me and pin me to the ground! Unable to move the limb the other 3 men started up another saw and made a few cuts to free me. The sweet old 026 I was carrying was smashed...
I wasn't moving or breathing, I looked like a dead man. An ambulance quickly came and took me to the hospital where I stayed for 19 days, 17 in ICU and 2 days in step down, then in a nursing home for 3 months. I have NO memory of my 19 days in the hospital.
I'm told all of my ribs were broken, one missed a main artery by a fraction of an inch that would have given the limb a kill shot had it hit according to the doctors. Both lungs were punctured and collapsed. My nose was broken, multiple fractures in the back of my skull, The Plastic Surgeon that spent 7+ hrs on my face said my jaw was pulverized with bone chips everywhere.. I now have 4 plates and 23 screws in my jaw.
Both collar bones were broken, the right one had two or 3 breaks and now has a unique shape. The bone that holds the right shoulder joint had several breaks and is now healed tilted down. Multiple breaks in the right shoulder blade,10 broken vertebrae, several breaks in my right ankle and a few broken toes on that foot.
I had my mouth wired shut, had a trach in my throat and a feeding tube going into my stomach for 8+ weeks. I felt like one lucky prisoner...
My family was initially told by the Doctors that it was a miracle I survived, but that there was a chance I'd end up paralyzed and or brain damaged.
I had so much pain I really couldn't function without pain meds and was worried that I'd either need them for a few years or become addicted. God had mercy on me and healed me. I no longer need or want pain meds, haven't needed any in over 4 months and I'm back to work.
I went from a muscular 6' 200 lbs to a scrawny 165 lb. But I feel healthy and I'm SO blessed to be doing so well! I can walk, run, ride bike, and love going out with my chainsaws!
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I really AM bonier than that... My bones are fat! 
