[The Placid Casual]

I thought that I may as well post my sorry tale, as I have nothing else to do... After a somewhat 'different' accident this weekend, I am laid up, ordered not to move too much;

Thought I'd post as a lesson to others out there who may have to use chainsaws this winter...

Ok, so to yesterday afternoon;

I live in France, and we have wood burning fires in the house as heating (quite normal here). We always have a few years of wood stocked up, in different state of dryness. When the wood becomes seasoned enough, I spend a few days chopping it to size for the fires, and stacking it in the grenier/garage here.

(As a background, I work in IT, and have no formal training to be a woodsman! But for the last 15 years or so, after significant instruction to the dangers and usage of chainsaws from my Father (who was highly trained), and various other people, I have used chainsaws every year without issue...)

So, I got a solid wooden stand for the logs, had protective chain-mail trousers, gloves and eye protection... all went well for the first 2 hours.

On the final load of wood, I got a large section of tree that needed cutting into 4 or 5 good sized logs. I put it on the cutting rack, and started to trim it down. Next thing I know, a large splinter breaks free from the log, and kicks up...

It hits me on the underside of the right forearm... (It is here that things get a little hazy)... I instinctively lifted my arm from the sting of the splinter...

Straight into the underside of the chainsaw blade that for some reason, I was holding in my left hand at a higher level.

My right forearm, about 10cm above the wrist only touched the blade for a few seconds before I obviously pulled it back *very* fast indeed...

Weirdly I felt very little pain initially, and when I had the courage to look, I thought that it was not 'overly bad'... well, I still had by arm, which was a start. I called my wife over (who is 7 months pregnant), and not to shock her too much, said that she had better get the first aid kit, as 'I may need some stitches'... At which point she mouthed the words 'oh...my...god' and went a whiter shade of pale. I figured it may not then have looked too good...

My wife rushed off to get her Mother, a Pharmacist of 40+ years experience who lives close by. I apparently (it is bit of a blur) calmly turned off the chainsaw, put the blade cover on - noticing a little bit of skin still on the blades - and headed into the house to make a cup of tea for my nerves, started to clean the wound, and awaited the Cavalry.

My Mother-In-Law rushed over, followed the trail of blood, and found me in the kitchen, looking at this stage a little pale.

Ok, the injury - very thankfully, surprisingly little.

I now have a nice 6.5cm long, 1.5-2cm wide and maybe .5-1cm deep (at the deepest point) 'trench' sawed across my right forearm.

The blade went straight through the skin, pretty much all the skin, into what I can only think is the subcutaneous tissue. (Looked red, with little globules of fat etc. Very much like a skinned animal...). Remarkably little blood was involved.

My Mother-In-Law got all the bits of wood etc out with antiseptic, and then tried to put some sutures across to keep it closed - but they wouldn't stick to my arm as I had too much hair! I had to shave my arm (myself, they were too scared - what gives!), re-clean, and then put on some butterfly sutures to close it. We were all of the opinion that it needed proper stitches, but the medical center was closed, and the wait is always huge in the Emergency Room. I am now bandaged up, no longer bleeding, but still a bit shocked.

One thing is for sure, I'm not going near the chainsaw again for quite a while...

The moral of the story is... when using chainsaws, always, always wear as much protection as you can, especially across the forearms!

Peace out,

TPC

[OreoCookie]

Typical fall injury. My mom works in a hospital, every fall when people start to cut their firewood, they take out saws, axes and chainsaws -- things they use only once a year. Most of the time they're luckily missing only a few fingers. If they use a blade saw, the cuts are usually rather clean and they can be reattached.

I'm glad you were reasonably lucky.

[RAILhead]

My toe story still wins.

I get no respect...

[Cipher13]

Pretty scary story really. I just got back from a weekend away with some mates, during which we spent a lot of time working on a log cabin we're building. This involves not just cutting wood to size, but felling the very trees we need to shape; using a chainsaw, naturally.

They're bloody dangerous things, and I end up using the axe or bushsaw as often as is possible.

Glad to hear you're okay.

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by The Placid Casual 

I thought that I may as well post my sorry tale, as I have nothing else to do... After a somewhat 'different' accident this weekend, I am laid up, ordered not to move too much;

Thought I'd post as a lesson to others out there who may have to use chainsaws this winter...

Ok, so to yest -

Yo Placid, I'm really happy for you, I'll let you finish, but RAILhead had the best story of all time.

- Kanye

[lexapro]

Pictures?

[OreoCookie]

Originally Posted by RAILhead 

My toe story still wins.

I get no respect...

Ah, come on, you must admit that a story involving a chain saw and blood is pretty cool
(Although your frankentoe pic is weird, looks photoshopped, hehe.)

[imitchellg5]

Awesome story, and glad it came out okay! Sort of related, my father is friends with a woodworker. He's lost 3 fingers from saws. Says it's a sign of the trade.

[ort888]

The French and chainsaws don't mix.

[Face Ache]

I've still got a nice scar on my thumb from chopping wood when I was fifteen.

IMO, God invented reverse-cycle ducted air conditioning because he intended us to have ten fingers.

[lexapro]

[Phileas]

I am selling my chainsaw, pretty much because I decided that if I didn't use it enough to become really good at using it, I'd be much better off paying a professional for the odd occasion when I do need a tree cut.

Your story reminds me of of a bush pilot from Sault Saint Marie who, when trying to fish his hat out of the water from the plane's float got his shoulder pushed into the propeller arc. He fished out the severed arm (left the hat behind), applied a tourniquet, climbed back into the plane and made it back to camp and medical care just in time.

[OldManMac]

In 1982 I got 24 stitches in my left arm, just below the shoulder joint, from chainsaw kickback. Used to heat strictly with wood and was a very seasoned cutter. Be careful out there, kiddies.

[ghporter]

Man, Placid, when you goof, you do it right!

It does sound like you didn't get really into the muscle on your arm, and fortunately the outside (back side) of the forearm is covered first by muscle and the blood vessels and nerves are very deep, near the bones. Still, that's a BAD thing to do, and you're going to be VERY sore for a long time.

One final word about chainsaws: if you ain't actively cutting with one, it should be OFF. I had a neighbor who was trimming limbs that had been damaged by a tornado, high up in a tree on our street. He was good with that saw, very good, and had a lot of experience. But something slipped, and the end of the saw dug into the front of his right thigh. It took almost a year for him to get to walking properly after that...

[shifuimam]

I managed to slice my finger about down to the bone while trying to cut apart two pieces of balsa wood glued together with a hot glue gun (I was like 11, so sue me). I remember saying "Mom, I think I cut my finger pretty badly". It didn't hurt until I got to the hospital, at which point I threw up and had to get like nine stitches.

On the plus side, I had an entirely valid excuse to skip band for the next two weeks while it healed. Now I have a nice big scar on my left index finger that turns fun shades of purple and blue when it's freezing out.

[Eug]

So did you go to emerg or not? If not, I would suggest going back to emerg and getting the wound looked at again. If the wound is clean and otherwise OK, the doc there may still want revise the suturing, perhaps with the help of a general surgeon or plastic surgeon. They would likely also give you some antibiotics to prevent infection.

[AKcrab]

My chainsaw scares the sh!t out of me! I'm a nervous wreck every time I have to get out.
Glad you're (mostly) OK.

[ort888]

Originally Posted by shifuimam 

I managed to slice my finger about down to the bone while trying to cut apart two pieces of balsa wood glued together with a hot glue gun (I was like 11, so sue me). I remember saying "Mom, I think I cut my finger pretty badly". It didn't hurt until I got to the hospital, at which point I threw up and had to get like nine stitches.

On the plus side, I had an entirely valid excuse to skip band for the next two weeks while it healed. Now I have a nice big scar on my left index finger that turns fun shades of purple and blue when it's freezing out.

Were you cutting the balsa wood with a chainsaw?

[shifuimam]

Boxcutter.

[tooki]

Originally Posted by RAILhead 

My toe story still wins.

I get no respect...

Since I also had a Toe Incident recently, do you mind sharing?

[RAILhead]

I was diagnosed with a granular cell tumor on my right great toe, and I had to have it amputated to the first joint. Here's an iPhone pic of my Frankentoe 3 days after surgery:

 

I can post more pics at better angles if anyone would like me to.

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by RAILhead 

I was diagnosed with a granular cell tumor on my right great toe, and I had to have it amputated to the first joint. Here's an iPhone pic of my Frankentoe 3 days after surgery:

I can post more pics at better angles if anyone would like me to.

Do you have trouble balancing on your right foot? Big toe is pretty important for balance.

On a light note, you might be able to join the Ministry of Silly Walks.

[RAILhead]

I still can't walk on my foot with full weight yet -- too soon after surgery, so I'm on crutches. Stitches come out in 2 weeks, and the lymph node biopsies they had to do have left my leg numb from the hip down to half my calf -- and that could take up to 6 months to get back.

So, I have no idea how this will affect me just yet.

[msuper69]

Originally Posted by RAILhead 

I still can't walk on my foot with full weight yet -- too soon after surgery, so I'm on crutches. Stitches come out in 2 weeks, and the lymph node biopsies they had to do have left my leg numb from the hip down to half my calf -- and that could take up to 6 months to get back.

So, I have no idea how this will affect me just yet.

If it causes problems in staying balanced, just make the left foot the same.

[dav]

Originally Posted by RAILhead 

I still can't walk on my foot with full weight yet -- too soon after surgery, so I'm on crutches. Stitches come out in 2 weeks, and the lymph node biopsies they had to do have left my leg numb from the hip down to half my calf -- and that could take up to 6 months to get back.

So, I have no idea how this will affect me just yet.

wow, sorry to hear that. may you have a fast recovery.

[dav]

Originally Posted by The Placid Casual 

The moral of the story is... when using chainsaws, always, always wear as much protection as you can, especially across the forearms!

i've only used a chainsaw a few times (yard trees). i don't own one, cause although they do a remarkable job, they scare the crap out of me. glad it wasn't worse.