Messed up pretty good this time...
Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2011 8:53 am
I was chopping wood last night and using my hatchet to strip off some kindling. I was kinda just keeping my fingers out of the way so I wouldnt have to call Jenny, my wife, and tell her to hurry home cuz I just cut one of them off. What I did was miss my mark and the hatchet glanced off the side of the chunk of wood i was working on and I parked the hatchet in my ankle.
I looked down and knew it wasnt right and that I couldnt fix it here. It immediately welled up with dark red blood and looked like a wide open mouth.
I calmly had my youngest, Lauren age 5, go inside and get my oldest, Cole age 15. I had already gripped my ankle tighly with one hand and had my foot on my other knee. I told him I was gonna keep it calm but I needed him to #1 get into my pack and get my Mudinyeri EDC, first aid kit, and #2 call Jenny and have her get home immediately.
While one hand was holding my ankle closed tightly, I got into my kit and got a bandage out with the other hand. I wrapped that sucker TIGHT!
Jenny got home with our oldest daughter, Allison age 12, and we headed to the hospital. Cole stayed home. I got to a room and the nurse unwrapped my ankle and the thing opened wide and belched blood! It was kinda cool, cuz I hit an artery and you could see the blood pulsing out of it!!! My baby stood right by the bed and watched the doctor stitch it closed! Only 4 stitches though, I'm a little disappointed...
Allison watched too and managed to get this picture with her phone!
Moral of the story, complacency = accidents. Dont get comfortable with seemingly mundane tasks. Knowing basic first aid is a plus and its useless if you dont keep supplies on hand. Its hard to think about needing something through the simple day to day, but dont wait till its needed. Knowing simple things to prevent bleeding out like elevating the wounded or injured body part, and applying pressure can potentially be a life saver. I hit an artery didnt loose any more blood than what was on the bandage. I know adrenaline is pumping, but knowing ahead of time what to do and being prepared for it can again save your life or someone elses. Dont get excited, dont get up and run around, and if youre the injured one, be able to instruct those around you. Had I got all kinds of excited, I may have lost enough blood to pass out and my hormonal teenage son and my otherwise unskilled 5 year old would have been no help at all and panicked them selves calling everyone but 911 and my wife.
Keep supplies on hand
Know how to use them
know how to advise
Stay calm
Know when to get help in the event its more than you can handle
If anything like this happens on a hiking/backpacking/hunting trip, the consequences are significantly more dire.
Be safe!!!
I looked down and knew it wasnt right and that I couldnt fix it here. It immediately welled up with dark red blood and looked like a wide open mouth.
I calmly had my youngest, Lauren age 5, go inside and get my oldest, Cole age 15. I had already gripped my ankle tighly with one hand and had my foot on my other knee. I told him I was gonna keep it calm but I needed him to #1 get into my pack and get my Mudinyeri EDC, first aid kit, and #2 call Jenny and have her get home immediately.
While one hand was holding my ankle closed tightly, I got into my kit and got a bandage out with the other hand. I wrapped that sucker TIGHT!
Jenny got home with our oldest daughter, Allison age 12, and we headed to the hospital. Cole stayed home. I got to a room and the nurse unwrapped my ankle and the thing opened wide and belched blood! It was kinda cool, cuz I hit an artery and you could see the blood pulsing out of it!!! My baby stood right by the bed and watched the doctor stitch it closed! Only 4 stitches though, I'm a little disappointed...
Allison watched too and managed to get this picture with her phone!
Moral of the story, complacency = accidents. Dont get comfortable with seemingly mundane tasks. Knowing basic first aid is a plus and its useless if you dont keep supplies on hand. Its hard to think about needing something through the simple day to day, but dont wait till its needed. Knowing simple things to prevent bleeding out like elevating the wounded or injured body part, and applying pressure can potentially be a life saver. I hit an artery didnt loose any more blood than what was on the bandage. I know adrenaline is pumping, but knowing ahead of time what to do and being prepared for it can again save your life or someone elses. Dont get excited, dont get up and run around, and if youre the injured one, be able to instruct those around you. Had I got all kinds of excited, I may have lost enough blood to pass out and my hormonal teenage son and my otherwise unskilled 5 year old would have been no help at all and panicked them selves calling everyone but 911 and my wife.
Keep supplies on hand
Know how to use them
know how to advise
Stay calm
Know when to get help in the event its more than you can handle
If anything like this happens on a hiking/backpacking/hunting trip, the consequences are significantly more dire.
Be safe!!!