Last Weekend With All Ten Fingers!

[L84Cabo]

Fiancé lost 3/4 of her index finger the first week of May. She's been recovering and we've talked to a few reconstructive surgeons and many folks at the hospitals we've been to over the last month and a half. She's now just accepted the fate of having a mangled finger
(due to cost and would be heal time if we had it worked on) what's always interesting is how the body can heal wounds so life can go on (so long as massive infections don't occur)

Fingers (and toes) can be here one day and gone the next. Certainly be mindful of hand placement when moving things.

Oh man. Very sorry to hear that. If you're cool with talking about it, how did it happen? Or just ignore me if you don't want to say.

 

[ZA_Survivalist]

Oh man. Very sorry to hear that. If you're cool with talking about it, how did it happen? Or just ignore me if you don't want to say.

We were moving a BBQ! Something as simple as that! We were loading it up and into the back of my truck and her finger was right in the path of the lid.
What's crazy is, it didn't slice her finger, it actually pinched it so hard it ripped the entire pad right off down to the bone. 3/4 gone just like that.
We found out it was pinched and not sliced due to the chunk left behind.. the ER folks said to check and see, they were hoping to suture the pad back on.. I had a friend go to the house and sift through the trash where we had left the rubber glove she was wearing at the time, sure enough there it was, big meat chunk in a perfectly in tact blood soaked glove. Got it on ice and rushed it over to the second ER, first was not equipped to help (supposedly).

What sucks is, even though they sewed it back on, there is only so much blood flow.. less than a 10% chance it would have grafted back on. Sure enough she was the 90% and it didn't take. We've been back to the doctors a few times ensuring a deep tissue infection didn't occur, now that's all behind us as the dead skin acts as a cap while it heals underneath. Eventually it'll just purge itself right off and she'll have a 1/4 finger. The nail is in tact, but everything under the nail including some bone is gone.

And all that from a bbq lid that weighs maybe 25-30lbs?

I'm pissed at myself because the BBQ wasn't heavy at all, just awkward so I had asked for her help to lift it up and into the back to better stabilize it. Ultimately I consider it my fault for asking her to help, I should have just lifted it myself.. which I did later on and it was insanely easy.. had I just muscled it up myself none of this would have happened.

 

[nammac]

We were moving a BBQ! Something as simple as that! We were loading it up and into the back of my truck and her finger was right in the path of the lid.
What's crazy is, it didn't slice her finger, it actually pinched it so hard it ripped the entire pad right off down to the bone. 3/4 gone just like that.
We found out it was pinched and not sliced due to the chunk left behind.. the ER folks said to check and see, they were hoping to suture the pad back on.. I had a friend go to the house and sift through the trash where we had left the rubber glove she was wearing at the time, sure enough there it was, big meat chunk in a perfectly in tact blood soaked glove. Got it on ice and rushed it over to the second ER, first was not equipped to help (supposedly).

What sucks is, even though they sewed it back on, there is only so much blood flow.. less than a 10% chance it would have grafted back on. Sure enough she was the 90% and it didn't take. We've been back to the doctors a few times ensuring a deep tissue infection didn't occur, now that's all behind us as the dead skin acts as a cap while it heals underneath. Eventually it'll just purge itself right off and she'll have a 1/4 finger. The nail is in tact, but everything under the nail including some bone is gone.

And all that from a bbq lid that weighs maybe 25-30lbs?

I'm pissed at myself because the BBQ wasn't heavy at all, just awkward so I had asked for her help to lift it up and into the back to better stabilize it. Ultimately I consider it my fault for asking her to help, I should have just lifted it myself.. which I did later on and it was insanely easy.. had I just muscled it up myself none of this would have happened.

Although you may feel responsible, it was an accident, and those weird type accidents do happen. Prayers for an uncomplicated recovery.

 

[ZA_Survivalist]

Although you may feel responsible, it was an accident, and those weird type accidents do happen. Prayers for an uncomplicated recovery.

Thank you. One thing is for sure, I'll just move stuff by myself at home from now on.

 

[HA556]

and a good 10% of the females are missing one as well.

Do they at least have their teeth?!

 

[Mike_M57]

There is a Reddit post titled "Firework blows dudes hands off (All Angles) intense gore".

The title is quite accurate. Definitely NSFW.

Not as entertaining as watching the dingbats that try to launch bottle rockets from their butt cheeks. That NEVER gets old!

 

[solv3nt]

BAN dangerous ASSAULT Table Saws! NOBODY needs an Assault Table Saw!

If you could only save one finger, it would be worth it. Think of the fingers!

 

[Bacchus]

I read where an NFL football player was involved in a hard tackle. His hand hurt but I think those guys are incredibly tough in their ability to play through pain and endure exhausting workouts.

Later he is on the sideline and pulls his gloves off. A finger came off inside the glove. The bone was completely broken through from the tackle, and when he removed the glove he pulled through the skin, which was the only thing holding on the finger.

Edited to add:

ESPN story 2013

I don't think this is the same story I read back then, but it is a story of the same event. Some of the details are a little different than I remember, but it's been over ten years.

 

[Capn Jack]

Two of them are crooked, numerous scars and a wrinkled thumb nail, but after 85 years, I can still count to ten.

 

[TTSX]

Two of them are crooked, numerous scars and a wrinkled thumb nail, but after 85 years, I can still count to ten.

But can you count to 21?

 

[Capn Jack]

But can you count to 21?

My belly doesn't get in the way yet.

 

[ilostmypswrd]

Puthies…. you only need one finger to get the job done.

View attachment 1907197

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH

 

[L84Cabo]

We were moving a BBQ! Something as simple as that! We were loading it up and into the back of my truck and her finger was right in the path of the lid.
What's crazy is, it didn't slice her finger, it actually pinched it so hard it ripped the entire pad right off down to the bone. 3/4 gone just like that.
We found out it was pinched and not sliced due to the chunk left behind.. the ER folks said to check and see, they were hoping to suture the pad back on.. I had a friend go to the house and sift through the trash where we had left the rubber glove she was wearing at the time, sure enough there it was, big meat chunk in a perfectly in tact blood soaked glove. Got it on ice and rushed it over to the second ER, first was not equipped to help (supposedly).

What sucks is, even though they sewed it back on, there is only so much blood flow.. less than a 10% chance it would have grafted back on. Sure enough she was the 90% and it didn't take. We've been back to the doctors a few times ensuring a deep tissue infection didn't occur, now that's all behind us as the dead skin acts as a cap while it heals underneath. Eventually it'll just purge itself right off and she'll have a 1/4 finger. The nail is in tact, but everything under the nail including some bone is gone.

And all that from a bbq lid that weighs maybe 25-30lbs?

I'm pissed at myself because the BBQ wasn't heavy at all, just awkward so I had asked for her help to lift it up and into the back to better stabilize it. Ultimately I consider it my fault for asking her to help, I should have just lifted it myself.. which I did later on and it was insanely easy.. had I just muscled it up myself none of this would have happened.

Wow. That's crazy. But don't beat yourself up too badly. It wouldn't occur to me either that moving a BBQ could result in something like that. Thank you for sharing.

 

[DirectDrive]

And stay away from your local Indian reservation and their $4.00 "Finger Takers" !

 

[WillametteWill]

That's exactly what I thought this would be about.

Table Saw Injury Statistics

1. Over 30,000 table saw injuries per year.
2. Over 10 injuries per day resulting in amputation of fingers.

I think the table saw is more dangerous than a miter saw or circular saw because with the table saw you push the wood toward the blade, meaning your hand gets closer to the blade as you operate it. With the other two saws you push the blade towards the wood, meaning your hand remains the same length from the blade as you operate it.

With the table saw you can also suffer injury from kickback. I don't know if that's true of the other two saws. I'm not going into that here, not really pertinent to the OP about losing fingers.

I used to wear leather gloves in my wood shop for many tasks, and then I read you shouldn't wear gloves while operating a rotating blade. The reason is that if your gloved hand comes into contact with the blade, the blade might snag the glove (instead of merely nipping it), and then reel the glove (and your hand) into the blade faster than you can react. One minute you're cutting wood, the next second you see your fingers on the table, the next second you feel pain, the next second see a lot of blood.

Hasn't happened to me (yet), but for me it's kinda like shooting: I always divide up my thinking between 1) what I'm trying to accomplish and 2) also keeping aware of staying safe. Before I start cutting (or shooting) I double-check what I'm doing to consider what could go wrong.

I definitely don't dispute your info, knowing some who have lost fingers on table saws. For me, it is one of the most important, if not the most important, power tools in my woodworking shop. My father, brother, and Junior High School shop teacher all taught me abundant respect for and how to use them correctly.

When properly used, they are safe. Your fingers should never be close and moving toward a blade; that is what push sticks and sacrificial boards are for. Use jigs. Agree...never use gloves around spinning blades. USE GUARDS (I understand this is by far the #1 cause of table saw injuries). Use kickback cleats (or better on the new saw, riving knives).

And just like with firearms, brain cells must be front and center at all times.

All this and my wife still really wants me to get a Saw Stop saw, which drops the blade as soon as it detects flesh touching the blade. You can watch the video on their site. When I have an extra three grand lying around that I don't know what to do with I'll consider the upgrade.

Be safe this 4th everyone!

 

[Mikej]

"4th of July" A lot of good times have been had on the 4th of July. Still have all ten fingers too. Growing up in Utah we had the 4th, and also the 24th, of July. The latter was Utah's "Statehood Day". Pretty much the same with the parades and fireworks in many of the communities in The Salt Lake Valley. TWO hella good times in one month!

I've heard that this year the minor mayor of potland has banned the use of fireworks in the city. Don't know whether to laugh, snork or chortle. What a Putz that guy is.

Anyway....

View: https://youtu.be/jw7ajsKmbd4?t=94

 

[Bacchus]

I definitely don't dispute your info, knowing some who have lost fingers on table saws. For me, it is one of the most important, if not the most important, power tools in my woodworking shop.

...

When properly used, they are safe. Your fingers should never be close and moving toward a blade; that is what push sticks and sacrificial boards are for. Use jigs. Agree...never use gloves around spinning blades. USE GUARDS (I understand this is by far the #1 cause of table saw injuries). Use kickback cleats (or better on the new saw, riving knives).

I agree. The table saw is the cutting tool I use the most. Featherboards are your friends.

Quite a few years ago I went to work on a Monday. I needed to get copies of some paper made so I went to the little room where the copy machine was. There was a middle aged guy there making copies, and he had a bandage on his hand with three fingers missing. You have to be careful around copy machines, too!

 

[JRuby]

When I was a kid we used to have firecracker fights. I was getting ready to throw a firecracker at one of my brothers so I was holding it between my index finger and my thumb on my right hand. My girlfriend lit it and I did not know she had til it went off. It was one of those zebra firecrackers. It felt someone had hit my hand with a baseball bat. My fingers had blood blisters and the feeling was gone. At least til it started coming back and they hurt with a vengeance. I am fortunate to have ten fingers today.

 

[DirectDrive]

When I was a kid we used to have firecracker fights. I was getting ready to throw a firecracker at one of my brothers so I was holding it between my index finger and my thumb on my right hand. My girlfriend lit it and I did not know she had til it went off. It was one of those zebra firecrackers. It felt someone had hit my hand with a baseball bat. My fingers had blood blisters and the feeling was gone. At least til it started coming back and they hurt with a vengeance. I am fortunate to have ten fingers today.

We used to hold Black Kats in our finger tips and light them off to show our bravery (stupidity) to each other.
It would sting a bit and you didn't do too many in a row.

 

[Nosferatu]

bubbleguming digitcist assumes I started out with 10 fingers!

I have broken every finger I have, some twice. Somewhere I have an x-ray of my left middle finger (aka driving finger) after surgery where the amateur comic, also known as my surgeon, put 3 screws in it. This, to this day, is the only straight finger I have.

I have never handled a firework in my life. I intend to keep it that way.