55 Years with Saws and Wood without Serious Injury and then…..

[Billhook]

How did it happen?  Chainsaw kickback? Barber Chair? Chopping kindling?  Kickback feeding wood in the planer thicknesser?

Like a lot of accidents it was not related to arbwork.  I went into the garage to drain the oil of my car and lifted the heavy wooden cover over the pit which flipped up and trapped my thumb between the chassis and the cover.

I really thought I had broken it or at least ripped the tendons.

Anyway next part of the story is a journey to A&E at Louth who were very good and quick but could not stitch it and I would have to go to Grimsby.

Arrived there at 5.00 pm and there were eighty two people waiting and the projected waiting time was eight hours which turned out to be accurate.

Sitting there for all that time I see more people from different walks of life than I would see here on my remote farm in twenty years!  Interesting conversations 

A policeman and police woman (am I allowed to use those terms anymore?) walked in with a distressed 15 year old girl that they eventually put in handcuffs.  I could not see why as she seemed to be behaving but would not give the permission for an examination 

Everyone in the room could hear the conversation and at one point glass in the vagina was mentioned 

When my wife came to fetch me at 2.00am she passed three young girls at a junction near the hospital and saw a man cruising with his window down.  I had the feeling that the handcuffed girl was another one of these. 
All a big eye opener for my wife and I as to what goes on in the world while we are tucked up safe and warm most nights 

The young female doctor was brilliant when I was eventually seen and put five stitches in very skill fully and assessed that there were no broken bones or ligaments 

The moral of this story is for goodness sake be as careful as you are when doing arbwork when you do other jobs like cleaning windows, gutters, hanging pictures draining car oil.  The A&E system is overloaded and you will be at the end of a long queue 

[Bolt]

Hope you mend quick.

 

Never mind the pain or long recovery, it is the fear of witnessing A+E that is my motivation to avoid injury, or undertake diy quackery!

[Doug Tait]

Ouch, that'll nip for a while. Agree with the sentiment, recently one of the guys at work was off for a few weeks after hurting his back lifting his shopping off the doorstep.

[Ty Korrigan]

1 hour ago, Doug Tait said:

Ouch, that'll nip for a while. Agree with the sentiment, recently one of the guys at work was off for a few weeks after hurting his back lifting his shopping off the doorstep.

Probably suffered more back pain lifting shopping and sleeping than ever I have at work.

 

[woody paul]

Bit of luck only cut and no breaks or tendon cut. Most of my cut injuries have been non tree work last major one was cut tendon in top of thumb skinning a muntjac. That was three years ago, had an appointment to get it stitch backed together and had it do 14 hours after appointment time. 

Edited April 3, 2022 by woody paul

[treevolution]

Now is the time to realise that the nhs is pushed beyond limits and its our own responsibility to look after ourselves so we don't need to rely on it. 

 

I know that if my life needs saving then there is nothing better then the nhs to do that but I don't want to have rely on it for ongoing health problems that I coupd avoid from a change in lifestyle. 

[trigger_andy]

Now is the time to realise that the nhs is pushed beyond limits and its our own responsibility to look after ourselves so we don't need to rely on it. 
 
I know that if my life needs saving then there is nothing better then the nhs to do that but I don't want to have rely on it for ongoing health problems that I coupd avoid from a change in lifestyle. 

Nothing better than the NHS? 🤣

[Mick Dempsey]

I think that people conflate the NHS with medical treatment generally.

 

It’s like they think without the NHS there are no doctors or nurses or medicines.

 

8 hours sitting in casualty is unacceptable, yet we (you) accept it.

 

It is not good enough and needs shaking up and sorting out.

 

 

 

 

 

[Lowestoft Firewood]

Try getting an ambulance then. Round here you'll have to wait 5mins just to speak to a call handler then if you happen to say the right words you'll get one within half an hour or if not then it'll be a good while. 

 

Being a 1st responder you get to see the true delays there are, especially at hospital which is generally where crews are sat. 

[Stubby]

1 hour ago, Lowestoft Firewood said:

Try getting an ambulance then. Round here you'll have to wait 5mins just to speak to a call handler then if you happen to say the right words you'll get one within half an hour or if not then it'll be a good while. 

 

Being a 1st responder you get to see the true delays there are, especially at hospital which is generally where crews are sat. 

I remember when my old Dad fell over indoors ( 96 and frail so could not move him ) I had to wait 7 hours for an ambulance they were that stretched .Not their fault , just had to prioritize calls .