I couldn't stitch this one up myself (warning gore pix)

[nemoaz]

Man, that is one gnarly gash, glad you are OK! I posted a while back about CELOX, and in the interest of furthering my education, and since there seems to be a few medical pros on this thread, would it's use have been indicated here,

No. It is used for uncontrollable bleeding only. You can see that the surgeon is not needing to apply direct pressure even as he's suturing (and there is no one applying pressure to the brachial artery and no tourniquet), so whatever bleeding there was was already controlled by direct pressure.

Try pouring two quarts of water on the sidewalk sometime. Use that as a guide as to when you need to be thinking about severe measures (tourniquets or Celox etc.)

Like I said, you'll know if it's arterial if it's shooting across the room. Then you have real problems.

A pair of hemostats isn't a bad thing to have either, though you will often damage the vessel by applying them. But if it's life or death....

 

[breakthru62]

That brings back memories...............

In 2000, my girlfriend and I, along with another couple were going to go shopping (us guys HAD to go). Our friends were on their way, so I had to bring our dog in. On my way out the door, my gf wanted a kiss but I was being a smart-ass and told her to come and get it..........Well, she gives me a little shove and I trip over my hugely clumsy feet and there goes my arm throw the utility door window!!!

Let me pause here and ask a question:

So, you guys know that feeling when you feel your skin spead from a cut?!?!?! That sharp, skin peeling feel??
Yeah, it's like that but you know it's worse because you get a whole shiver effect through your body. WOW!!! :thumbdn:

Ok, so I grab my wrist (which was where the cut was) and I turn around, go to my knees instantly, and say, "We can throw a bandaid on this one, call 911". In that 2 second moment there was the biggest puddle of blood I have ever seen on the kitchen floor, right there in front of my bambi like 21 year old eyes. :barf:

My girl looks like an Indian doing a rain dancing, you know, jumping in place while repeatedly tapping both hands over her gaping wide mouth. She starts running around looking for the cordless phone which she can find, face covered in tears. "Go next door", I say.
She runs to the neighbors and starts banging on the door. "Scott cut his wrist!!!". Well..........those neighbor were next door at the other neighbors, all just standing on the porch watching my gal wig out (we were all good friends). They flag her over and she starts telling them I cut my wrist.

This is were is gets scary.......

See, I have had cuts and broken bones before so I'm in a fairly calm state, really calm, like I know everything is going to be fine. Looking back, not sure I could remain that calm if it happend today. Anyhow, I make my way out the front door and sit on the neighbors back step knowing some help will be coming along any second. So, I'm sitting there, left hand is clamped over wound, arm on my knee, jeans covered in blood, when one of the male neighbors comes over with hammer in one hand and a towel in the other.
"Scott, you try to kill yourself?", says neighbor.
"What?, No.", I reply.
"Didn't think so, but I brought the hammer just in case." (neighbor)
"Hammer?", "In case of what?" (me)
Well, he goes on to tell me about a friend he tried to stop from killing himself only to get himself hurt.
"It was between this hammer or a 2x4, I can swing a hammer better than a 2x4!!", he says. Seriously!!! A claw hammer.

So, the cops show up with the paramedics........they start questioning my girl about "why" she did it. I guess because we both said she pushed me and I thats how I got cut. Those cops were taking this very seriously. They start telling me how men get abused too and it's ok and the such. I finally convince them it wasn't domestic violence as I'm getting in the ambulance. I'm glad to be in there cause the calmness is starting to leave me with the flashing lights and questioning. I'm scared since that towel my buddy brought over is soaked in blood. Later, my neighbor buddy tells me he had a nice pool of blood in his shoe.

I will speed it up now.

The paramedic was still fairly green because after the 4th shot at trying to get an I.V. in my, I start complaining and he starts apologizing.
"You from texas cause you got tough skin?" :jerkit:
Like a fool I ask for the 'worst case scenario" because this is my dominate hand and I'm going to college so I can be a cop. This guy starts telling me I can lose my hand and blah blah blah. Being a tough guy is hard when you got tears coming out of your eyes.

When we finally get to the hospital, I'm getting that calm feeling again until the ambulance doors open. It's like that t.v. show E.R., doctors and nurses coming running out and they are using terms I don't know (naturally). The paramedic forgets to unhook the I.V. line from the top of the ambulance, so the doctors got to put in a new one seeing how that one got ripped out. They stich the artery and leave me waiting for someone to close it up.

The following was sliced in 2:
Artery
Tendons
Nerves
Some skin

Again, like a fool, I look at the wound and I almost :barf:. I didn't really realize that your skins spreads more with larger cuts.
Anyhow, someone comes by to stitch it up and comments on how the tendons keep popping out while he is trying to close it. Yeah!!! Some things you can un-see. This guy throws on some baseball like stitching and I'm out the door loaded up on some good drugs. Good drugs.

That night we come home and find out our neighbors got together and cleaned up the glass and blood, and took care of our dog. What great friends!!!! Class act!!! :thumbup: Hell, they even left us some booze.

One week later I have a four hour surgery to tie everything together again.

One month later my hand/arm comes out of the cast a lot hair'er. :barf:

Two months later I'm basically good as new other than a new scar that almost looks like I tried to kill myself. My wrist does get achy sometimes and I don't have all the feeling back in two fingers and half of the hand, but that's it.

Oh yeah, no pain during the whole thing other than the I.V. practice the paramedic took.

Anyhow, glass can do things a knife can't. Trust. :thumbup:

Scott

Also, you should have seen the look on the face of our friends (the ones who were coming over to go shopping) when they pull up and see police, an ambulance, and bloody clothes. Haha

JackBauer24,

Thought I would share my story since it's simular. Glad your ok.

 

[peripatew]

Any current photos?

 

[Chinpo]

I hope it heals well and that you can get back to what you enjoy soon.

Take care.

 

[JackBauer24]

That brings back memories...............

In 2000, my girlfriend and I, along with another couple were going to go shopping (us guys HAD to go). Our friends were on their way, so I had to bring our dog in. On my way out the door, my gf wanted a kiss but I was being a smart-ass and told her to come and get it..........Well, she gives me a little shove and I trip over my hugely clumsy feet and there goes my arm throw the utility door window!!!

Let me pause here and ask a question:

So, you guys know that feeling when you feel your skin spead from a cut?!?!?! That sharp, skin peeling feel??
Yeah, it's like that but you know it's worse because you get a whole shiver effect through your body. WOW!!! :thumbdn:

Ok, so I grab my wrist (which was where the cut was) and I turn around, go to my knees instantly, and say, "We can throw a bandaid on this one, call 911". In that 2 second moment there was the biggest puddle of blood I have ever seen on the kitchen floor, right there in front of my bambi like 21 year old eyes. :barf:

My girl looks like an Indian doing a rain dancing, you know, jumping in place while repeatedly tapping both hands over her gaping wide mouth. She starts running around looking for the cordless phone which she can find, face covered in tears. "Go next door", I say.
She runs to the neighbors and starts banging on the door. "Scott cut his wrist!!!". Well..........those neighbor were next door at the other neighbors, all just standing on the porch watching my gal wig out (we were all good friends). They flag her over and she starts telling them I cut my wrist.

This is were is gets scary.......

See, I have had cuts and broken bones before so I'm in a fairly calm state, really calm, like I know everything is going to be fine. Looking back, not sure I could remain that calm if it happend today. Anyhow, I make my way out the front door and sit on the neighbors back step knowing some help will be coming along any second. So, I'm sitting there, left hand is clamped over wound, arm on my knee, jeans covered in blood, when one of the male neighbors comes over with hammer in one hand and a towel in the other.
"Scott, you try to kill yourself?", says neighbor.
"What?, No.", I reply.
"Didn't think so, but I brought the hammer just in case." (neighbor)
"Hammer?", "In case of what?" (me)
Well, he goes on to tell me about a friend he tried to stop from killing himself only to get himself hurt.
"It was between this hammer or a 2x4, I can swing a hammer better than a 2x4!!", he says. Seriously!!! A claw hammer.

So, the cops show up with the paramedics........they start questioning my girl about "why" she did it. I guess because we both said she pushed me and I thats how I got cut. Those cops were taking this very seriously. They start telling me how men get abused too and it's ok and the such. I finally convince them it wasn't domestic violence as I'm getting in the ambulance. I'm glad to be in there cause the calmness is starting to leave me with the flashing lights and questioning. I'm scared since that towel my buddy brought over is soaked in blood. Later, my neighbor buddy tells me he had a nice pool of blood in his shoe.

I will speed it up now.

The paramedic was still fairly green because after the 4th shot at trying to get an I.V. in my, I start complaining and he starts apologizing.
"You from texas cause you got tough skin?" :jerkit:
Like a fool I ask for the 'worst case scenario" because this is my dominate hand and I'm going to college so I can be a cop. This guy starts telling me I can lose my hand and blah blah blah. Being a tough guy is hard when you got tears coming out of your eyes.

When we finally get to the hospital, I'm getting that calm feeling again until the ambulance doors open. It's like that t.v. show E.R., doctors and nurses coming running out and they are using terms I don't know (naturally). The paramedic forgets to unhook the I.V. line from the top of the ambulance, so the doctors got to put in a new one seeing how that one got ripped out. They stich the artery and leave me waiting for someone to close it up.

The following was sliced in 2:
Artery
Tendons
Nerves
Some skin

Again, like a fool, I look at the wound and I almost :barf:. I didn't really realize that your skins spreads more with larger cuts.
Anyhow, someone comes by to stitch it up and comments on how the tendons keep popping out while he is trying to close it. Yeah!!! Some things you can un-see. This guy throws on some baseball like stitching and I'm out the door loaded up on some good drugs. Good drugs.

That night we come home and find out our neighbors got together and cleaned up the glass and blood, and took care of our dog. What great friends!!!! Class act!!! :thumbup: Hell, they even left us some booze.

One week later I have a four hour surgery to tie everything together again.

One month later my hand/arm comes out of the cast a lot hair'er. :barf:

Two months later I'm basically good as new other than a new scar that almost looks like I tried to kill myself. My wrist does get achy sometimes and I don't have all the feeling back in two fingers and half of the hand, but that's it.

Oh yeah, no pain during the whole thing other than the I.V. practice the paramedic took.

Anyhow, glass can do things a knife can't. Trust. :thumbup:

Scott

Also, you should have seen the look on the face of our friends (the ones who were coming over to go shopping) when they pull up and see police, an ambulance, and bloody clothes. Haha

JackBauer24,

Thought I would share my story since it's simular. Glad your ok.

hahahha you're experience wasn't all that different from mine except yours being significantly worse. I was much more lucky than you. I actually LOL with your "indian dance" description. That is spot on what my wife did. When I heard the "quality" of her 911 call I decided to call it in myself on my fire radio. I asked her to get it and she ran to the bathroom. I said "hun my radio is not in the bathroom" lol. And just like you I maintained a level of calm I am very impressed with.... until I got in the ambulance. A combination of losing consciousness and not entirely trusting the medics took it's toll. I can maintain a calm until I'm losing consciousness... you know, you're no longer in control.

 

[JackBauer24]

Any current photos?

this is the one I said I would post of just after he was done. I took some pics last night when I changed the dressings, but I didn't get the pics of the cam yet. It looks fair I guess. STill getting some bleeding. And this dressing changing is breaking me up. All that dressing stuff costs a fortune.

 

[NoFair]

Hope it heals well, looks pretty clean:thumbup:

Can't believe you are paying for treatment as a firefighter. Wouldn't have cost you a penny here in Norway.

Sverre

 

[JackBauer24]

Hope it heals well, looks pretty clean:thumbup:

Can't believe you are paying for treatment as a firefighter. Wouldn't have cost you a penny here in Norway.

Sverre

eh. It's a service I'm receiving. No big deal. I do somewhat expect to not get get a bill from EMS. I help them on a volunteer basis a lot, I do feel like I deserve that much.

 

[NoFair]

eh. It's a service I'm receiving. No big deal. I do somewhat expect to not get get a bill from EMS. I help them on a volunteer basis a lot, I do feel like I deserve that much.

Here either the goverment or your employer would pay for that service. Hope EMS doesn't bill you.

No offence intended.

Sverre

 

[JackBauer24]

Here either the goverment or your employer would pay for that service. Hope EMS doesn't bill you.

No offence intended.

Sverre

none taken in the least. I do what I do because I love it and like to help, I don't expect perks. Some people abuse it though.

what is the health care system like there? good or bad?

 

[tholiver]

All this trauma reminded me of the story about what happened to Elmer Keith.
Below is an excerpt from "Elmer Keith: 1899-1984"-By John Taffin
http://www.sixguns.com/bunkhouse/elmer_keith.htm

"In 1911, Elmer was burned terribly in a hotel fire in Missoula, Montana, and carried scars for the rest of his life. An ordinary man would have died from the fire. His entire body was covered with burns and his chin was "welded" to his right shoulder with his left hand turned upside down on the back of his left wrist.

Elmer recounted this: "When we moved from Missoula back to Helena I was considerable of a wreck. My left hand was just turned upside down and back on my wrist, just a claw extended from the top of my wrist. I used to wrap a towel around it when Father sent me to school so the girls wouldn’t cringe at the sight of it. The right side of my face was all drawn down towards my shoulder, also. I was a horrible looking sight.

I told Father I had to have a left hand so I could hold a rifle and do normal things. Father contacted every doctor in Helena to try to get them to operate on the hand and break it over and straighten it out. None of them would tackle the job. They all said I would never live to be 21 anyway and they were not going to torture me any further.

Finally, I had had enough of going with only one hand, so I asked Dad if he would break it. Mother said, "Can you stand it?" I said, "I don’t know, but you can go ahead and do it anyway."

So mother got a bunch of cotton bats and gauze, soaked them in melted deer tallow, and had a lot of bandages ready. Father went down to Goodkind’s wholesale liquor store and bought a gallon of Old Granddad, 100 proof, and came home with it.

He said, "Son, do you still want to go through with it?" I said, "I do." I said "Regardless of how much I howl or pass our or whatever, get the job done. I want this hand straight whether I’ll ever be able to use it or not."

After Elmer’s Dad got him good and drunk, Elmer went on the say: "Dad put my arm on a heavy table and sat down on it with my hand between his legs. When he picked up those fingers that were doubled back of my wrist and broke them, the pain was terrific and I passed out. Father took a board he used for stretching mink and sanded it until it was smooth and slick as glass and would reach from my elbow out past my fingers. When I came to, my hand was straight. It was all laced down solid to the mink board."

Elmer’s dad had a dozed buckskin gloves made to fit his left hand, and for the next two years, Elmer wore a glove with melted deer tallow in it and forced himself to use that hand.

"In this way, I finally made a new left hand, but it was a long struggle. At first, I could hold it up to the light and see daylight between the bones right down to the palm of my hand. After a couple of years working with it every time I could and also riding broncs and pulling on the rope with that hand, I finally wound up with a pretty good hand. Even today, it’s a sorry looking hand, but it’s useful, and for a time, I even did two gun demonstrations with sixguns."

 

[NoFair]

none taken in the least. I do what I do because I love it and like to help, I don't expect perks. Some people abuse it though.

what is the health care system like there? good or bad?

Usually great. Most of it is free, but anything non critical might not happen at once. If you want something cosmetic or not too important one has to pay or wait a while. Many have insurance in addition to national health care, but all professions get injuries at work covered completely.

When I was in the army we fixed our own with no cost at all, think it is the same for most in save and serve professions here. More of an offset to job hazards than a perk for most

Sverre

 

[JackBauer24]

Usually great. Most of it is free, but anything non critical might not happen at once. If you want something cosmetic or not too important one has to pay or wait a while. Many have insurance in addition to national health care, but all professions get injuries at work covered completely.

When I was in the army we fixed our own with no cost at all, think it is the same for most in save and serve professions here. More of an offset to job hazards than a perk for most

Sverre

I wasn't at work, maybe that's the confusion.

 

[Myal]

dam ...

heal fast

start inventing a way cooler story about how it happened too

 

[tgiannes]

That brings back memories...............

In 2000, my girlfriend and I, along with another couple were going to go shopping (us guys HAD to go). Our friends were on their way, so I had to bring our dog in. On my way out the door, my gf wanted a kiss but I was being a smart-ass and told her to come and get it..........Well, she gives me a little shove and I trip over my hugely clumsy feet and there goes my arm throw the utility door window!!!

Let me pause here and ask a question:

So, you guys know that feeling when you feel your skin spead from a cut?!?!?! That sharp, skin peeling feel??
Yeah, it's like that but you know it's worse because you get a whole shiver effect through your body. WOW!!!

Ok, so I grab my wrist (which was where the cut was) and I turn around, go to my knees instantly, and say, "We can throw a bandaid on this one, call 911". In that 2 second moment there was the biggest puddle of blood I have ever seen on the kitchen floor, right there in front of my bambi like 21 year old eyes.

My girl looks like an Indian doing a rain dancing, you know, jumping in place while repeatedly tapping both hands over her gaping wide mouth. She starts running around looking for the cordless phone which she can find, face covered in tears. "Go next door", I say.
She runs to the neighbors and starts banging on the door. "Scott cut his wrist!!!". Well..........those neighbor were next door at the other neighbors, all just standing on the porch watching my gal wig out (we were all good friends). They flag her over and she starts telling them I cut my wrist.

This is were is gets scary.......

See, I have had cuts and broken bones before so I'm in a fairly calm state, really calm, like I know everything is going to be fine. Looking back, not sure I could remain that calm if it happend today. Anyhow, I make my way out the front door and sit on the neighbors back step knowing some help will be coming along any second. So, I'm sitting there, left hand is clamped over wound, arm on my knee, jeans covered in blood, when one of the male neighbors comes over with hammer in one hand and a towel in the other.
"Scott, you try to kill yourself?", says neighbor.
"What?, No.", I reply.
"Didn't think so, but I brought the hammer just in case." (neighbor)
"Hammer?", "In case of what?" (me)
Well, he goes on to tell me about a friend he tried to stop from killing himself only to get himself hurt.
"It was between this hammer or a 2x4, I can swing a hammer better than a 2x4!!", he says. Seriously!!! A claw hammer.

So, the cops show up with the paramedics........they start questioning my girl about "why" she did it. I guess because we both said she pushed me and I thats how I got cut. Those cops were taking this very seriously. They start telling me how men get abused too and it's ok and the such. I finally convince them it wasn't domestic violence as I'm getting in the ambulance. I'm glad to be in there cause the calmness is starting to leave me with the flashing lights and questioning. I'm scared since that towel my buddy brought over is soaked in blood. Later, my neighbor buddy tells me he had a nice pool of blood in his shoe.

I will speed it up now.

The paramedic was still fairly green because after the 4th shot at trying to get an I.V. in my, I start complaining and he starts apologizing.
"You from texas cause you got tough skin?"
Like a fool I ask for the 'worst case scenario" because this is my dominate hand and I'm going to college so I can be a cop. This guy starts telling me I can lose my hand and blah blah blah. Being a tough guy is hard when you got tears coming out of your eyes.

When we finally get to the hospital, I'm getting that calm feeling again until the ambulance doors open. It's like that t.v. show E.R., doctors and nurses coming running out and they are using terms I don't know (naturally). The paramedic forgets to unhook the I.V. line from the top of the ambulance, so the doctors got to put in a new one seeing how that one got ripped out. They stich the artery and leave me waiting for someone to close it up.

The following was sliced in 2:
Artery
Tendons
Nerves
Some skin

Again, like a fool, I look at the wound and I almost . I didn't really realize that your skins spreads more with larger cuts.
Anyhow, someone comes by to stitch it up and comments on how the tendons keep popping out while he is trying to close it. Yeah!!! Some things you can un-see. This guy throws on some baseball like stitching and I'm out the door loaded up on some good drugs. Good drugs.

That night we come home and find out our neighbors got together and cleaned up the glass and blood, and took care of our dog. What great friends!!!! Class act!!! Hell, they even left us some booze.

One week later I have a four hour surgery to tie everything together again.

One month later my hand/arm comes out of the cast a lot hair'er. :barf:

Two months later I'm basically good as new other than a new scar that almost looks like I tried to kill myself. My wrist does get achy sometimes and I don't have all the feeling back in two fingers and half of the hand, but that's it.

Oh yeah, no pain during the whole thing other than the I.V. practice the paramedic took.

Anyhow, glass can do things a knife can't. Trust. :thumbup:

Scott

Also, you should have seen the look on the face of our friends (the ones who were coming over to go shopping) when they pull up and see police, an ambulance, and bloody clothes. Haha

JackBauer24,

Thought I would share my story since it's simular. Glad your ok.

Whar some people will do to get out of shopping!