Accident Prone: Trimming Trees & Picking Up Hedge Clippers

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a personal injury involving an eye incident while trimming trees and the subsequent reactions and advice from other participants. The scope includes health concerns, potential medical emergencies, and humorous exchanges about the situation.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • One participant describes an incident where a branch went into their eye, causing bleeding and concern about potential injury.
  • Several participants strongly urge the individual to seek medical attention, emphasizing the risks of not addressing possible eye injuries.
  • There are humorous remarks about the possibility of wearing an eyepatch and playing pirates after a visit to the emergency room.
  • Concerns are raised about the potential for infection or complications, referencing a disturbing anecdote about a co-worker who suffered a severe eye infection.
  • Some participants express sympathy while also stressing the importance of getting checked by a doctor to avoid serious consequences.
  • One participant mentions the use of safety glasses and reflects on lessons learned from the incident.
  • There are light-hearted comments about the situation, including jokes about the injury leading to a tree growing out of the eye.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that seeking medical attention is important, but there is some uncertainty about the severity of the injury and whether immediate action is necessary. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the best course of action for the individual.

Contextual Notes

There are references to potential complications from eye injuries, including the risk of infection and the seriousness of a scratched cornea, but no consensus on the exact nature of the injury or the urgency of medical intervention.

Evo
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I was trimming some trees and a branch went into the white of my eyeball. It's stopped bleeding now. At least the branch didn't go through my cornea. While I was waiting for the Child of Evo to come by to look at it, never being one to leave well enough alone, I decided to pick up the hedge clippers and cut into a hornet's nest. :cry:

Evo Child says I need to get to the emergency room, I think if I just keep it covered to prevent anything (dust, dirt, hornets) from entering it, it should be ok. I can't tell if there is a part of the branch lodged in my eye. It feels like it, but that just may be because the branch went through it.

I can see just fine now that the bleeding has stopped.

Oh did I mention a dangerous storm is approaching. :bugeye: We all know I've been hit by lightning before, twice, the house once, so what are the odds?

If I disappear after tonight, I leave General Discussion to the more than capable hands of Moonbear and Math Is Hard.
 
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Go to the ER, Evo. They'll give you a cool eyepatch to wear. We'll play pirates when you get back.

Seriously, let 'em check you out and make sure nothing is stuck in there!
 
Go now!

Evo: Please get your butt to the emergency room pronto! Especially if it feels like something's still in your eye. Go!
 
Math Is Hard said:
Go to the ER, Evo. They'll give you a cool eyepatch to wear. We'll play pirates when you get back.

Seriously, let 'em check you out and make sure nothing is stuck in there!
Oooh, I want a cool eyepatch and to play pirates!

Seriously, It seems to look much better and I don't see anything, if I live through the storm and it still feels weird tomorrow, I will go. I just need some sympathy!
 
Evo said:
Oooh, I want a cool eyepatch and to play pirates!

Seriously, It seems to look much better and I don't see anything, if I live through the storm and it still feels weird tomorrow, I will go. I just need some sympathy!

Sympathy after you come back from the emergency room. :smile:

I believe everything is fine too, but I would always want to double check. You have killer eyes, so they deserve to have the service it requires. :-p
 
Evo said:
I was trimming some trees and a branch went into the white of my eyeball. It's stopped bleeding now. At least the branch didn't go through my cornea. While I was waiting for the Child of Evo to come by to look at it, never being one to leave well enough alone, I decided to pick up the hedge clippers and cut into a hornet's nest. :cry:

Evo Child says I need to get to the emergency room, I think if I just keep it covered to prevent anything (dust, dirt, hornets) from entering it, it should be ok. I can't tell if there is a part of the branch lodged in my eye. It feels like it, but that just may be because the branch went through it.

I can see just fine now that the bleeding has stopped.

Oh did I mention a dangerous storm is approaching. :bugeye: We all know I've been hit by lightning before, twice, the house once, so what are the odds?

If I disappear after tonight, I leave General Discussion to the more than capable hands of Moonbear and Math Is Hard.

!Go to the Emergency Room!:eek:

You may have a tree branch in your eye and your considering not going to the emergency room?!


There may be a small splinter you can't see, and an infection may develop.

You have my sympathy Evo, but please consider going to the ER!
 
I may have to go just to not be stupid. It feels bruised, but you're right, I don't need a splinter festering in my eyeball.

Did I mention my co-worker that got a parasite in his eye from showering in the Bahamas? They think it got trapped between his cornea and his contact lens. Since it couldn't get out, it burrowed into his eye, then layed eggs, The eggs hatched and the larvae ate his eyeball, then they spread to his other eye while the doctors were trying to figure out what was happening. He woke up blind one morning.
 
And a splinter taking root in your eye ball, then sprouting into a tree, won't be much better then a parasite laying eggs. Your kids will half to say, "Hay, there's my mom...please don't mention the tree growing out of her eye, we pretend its not there".


You should not wait till tomorrow, matters of the eye can turn bad quickly.
 
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Evo said:
He woke up blind one morning.

Yeah. So what's the matter with you? Go have it checked already. Geezzzwhiz. [Excuse the foul language.]
 
  • #10
That sounds so painful. Get it checked out, and I hope you turn out ok
 
  • #11
Evo said:
I may have to go just to not be stupid. It feels bruised, but you're right, I don't need a splinter festering in my eyeball.

Did I mention my co-worker that got a parasite in his eye from showering in the Bahamas? They think it got trapped between his cornea and his contact lens. Since it couldn't get out, it burrowed into his eye, then layed eggs, The eggs hatched and the larvae ate his eyeball, then they spread to his other eye while the doctors were trying to figure out what was happening. He woke up blind one morning.

Wow! And I thought hearing about you having a tree stabbed into your eye would be the most disturbing thing I heard today!

I've never been more thankful that I stopped wearing contacts!
 
  • #12
Evo, didn't we tell you that you couldn't have a Red Rider tree trimmer for Christmas?
 
  • #13
hypatia said:
And a splinter taking root in your eye ball, then sprouting into a tree, won't be much better then a parasite laying eggs. Your kids will half to say, "Hay, there's my mom...please don't mention the tree growing out of her eye, we pretend its not there".

No kidding! And just think of the neck problems that would cause.
 
  • #14
Evo you get to the doctor this instant!
 
  • #15
scorpa said:
Evo you get to the doctor this instant!
It's feeling better, just sore, the whole eyeball is bloodshot, but it looks like just the surface was broken, not a deep injury. I have safety glasses, I learned my lesson about using them. I will go to the doctor tomorrow. I've got a patch over the eye to keep it closed and keep anything from getting into it. My dog thinks I've lost my mind, he just stares at me with a frightened look on his face.

Hurkyl said:
Evo, didn't we tell you that you couldn't have a Red Rider tree trimmer for Christmas?
It's the VT 2-23 C WEED DRAGON® – 100,000 BTU Deluxe Vapor Torch Kit from now on. I'm not messing around with loppers anymore.

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=122258
 
  • #16
Evo said:
Oooh, I want a cool eyepatch and to play pirates!
SEXY ! I would love to see a picture of that.

:approve:

marlon
 
  • #17
It's feeling better, just sore, the whole eyeball is bloodshot, but it looks like just the surface was broken, not a deep injury.
As in a scratched cornea?! That could be serious if infection sets in.

One should use an opthamological solution, which may only be available from a doctor by prescription. Waiting more than 24 hrs seems awfully risky.

Ouch -- I have a scratched cornea!
http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/2459.htm
 
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  • #18
Astronuc said:
As in a scratched cornea?!
No, it wasn't the cornea.
 
  • #19
Evo said:
Did I mention my co-worker that got a parasite in his eye from showering in the Bahamas? They think it got trapped between his cornea and his contact lens. Since it couldn't get out, it burrowed into his eye, then layed eggs, The eggs hatched and the larvae ate his eyeball, then they spread to his other eye while the doctors were trying to figure out what was happening. He woke up blind one morning.

That's it. If I ever get an oportunity to go to the Bahamas, I won't do it.

Evo said:
My dog thinks I've lost my mind, he just stares at me with a frightened look on his face.

I totally can imagine that. :-p

marlon said:
SEXY ! I would love to see a picture of that.

:approve:

marlon

Funny, I was just thinking the same thing, but I thought it wouldn't be appropriate. Thanks for breaking the ice, Marlon - so I second that. :biggrin:


Are you going to see a doctor, Evo?
 
  • #20
radou said:
Are you going to see a doctor, Evo?
Yes, I'm not taking any chances with my eyes.
 
  • #21
Evo! Why are you waiting until tomorrow? How many kids have you yelled at here telling them not to be stupid about waiting to see a doctor after an injury? If your eye was bleeding, it's damaged enough that anything could be in it. You don't know for certain that the cornea wasn't damaged. And, if you get an infection in your eye, that's a REALLY difficult place to get antibiotic to treat it and you could lose your sight before it clears. Much better to get to a doctor right away and have them clean it properly so you don't risk developing an infection. It doesn't take long for it to settle in, and you don't want to wait until there's pus oozing out of your eye to decide it's infected. You don't need to have a tree branch still stuck in there for that to happen. You've already waited too long! Go to an urgent care center if you have one around. They can at least give you antibiotic eye drops to keep any infection from getting hold until you can schedule an appointment with an optometrist.
 
  • #22
Moonbear said:
You've already waited too long! Go to an urgent care center if you have one around. They can at least give you antibiotic eye drops to keep any infection from getting hold until you can schedule an appointment with an optometrist.
Ditto on the urgent care, but don't ask to see an optometrist - you need an ophthalmologist - a doctor who is qualified and licensed to perform medical procedures, including removal of foreign objects. If you go see an optometrist, he or she is just going to refer you to an ophthalmologist anyway, and that wastes more time. Do not wait any longer. Go today to get checked out. If the urgent care facility has an ophthalmologist on call, so much the better.
 
  • #23
Maybe you can invest in some safety goggles for next time?
 
  • #24
turbo-1 said:
Ditto on the urgent care, but don't ask to see an optometrist - you need an ophthalmologist - a doctor who is qualified and licensed to perform medical procedures, including removal of foreign objects. If you go see an optometrist, he or she is just going to refer you to an ophthalmologist anyway, and that wastes more time. Do not wait any longer. Go today to get checked out. If the urgent care facility has an ophthalmologist on call, so much the better.

Oh, you're right...sorry...I always mix up the two even though I know better. :redface: Thanks for the correction.
 
  • #25
Moonbear said:
Oh, you're right...sorry...I always mix up the two even though I know better. :redface: Thanks for the correction.
I used to work for a large ophthalmic practice, and I put together presentations for the doctors to use in educating optometrists how to recognize eye conditions and refer the patients to the proper specialist. I used to mix them up, too, but found out on my first day on the job how uppity some ophthalmologists can get regarding that confusion. We had a couple of optometrists on staff, but they specialized in prescribing and fitting contact lenses.
 
  • #26
I've got a call into my doctor to see if he'll call in some antibiotic drops.
 
  • #27
Evo said:
No, it wasn't the cornea.
My mistake, I was thinking of the epithelium which is the clear outside layer over the eye which covers the cornea and sclera. A superficial scratch is one thing, but an opening/tear in the epitelium and damage to sclera could be threatening to the eye. Hopefully the doctor can dispatch a prescription before the pharmacy closes.
 
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  • #28
So, Evo, have you been to the doctor yet?

How did this situation turn out?
 
  • #29
G01 said:
So, Evo, have you been to the doctor yet?

How did this situation turn out?
My appointment is this afternoon. Out in bright light I can see the tear much clearer, but it does look much better. I will report in after I see the doctor.
 
  • #30
Evo said:
My appointment is this afternoon. Out in bright light I can see the tear much clearer, but it does look much better. I will report in after I see the doctor.

(crosses fingers) :smile:
 

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