What Is Your Most Traumatic Injury Experience?

[BobG]

There was the time I smashed a finger in a barn door, also at night doing an experiment (you'll notice a pattern here). That one was bad enough that the fingernail fell off and is still a bit misshapen today. I think that injury hurt the most until the nail finally broke loose and relieved the pressure of the swelling under it, and then it was kind of disgusting that it oozed fluid from under the nail for a few days. That was shortly before one friend's wedding, because I had to try to hide the finger behind the bouquet for the wedding photos (I was a bridesmaid).

I dropped a cement mixer on my middle finger and had the same problem. I could still use it and work, but at night the fluid would build up under the fingernail and it would hurt like hell. Finally going to the emergency room one night was the worst. The doctor got out an electric soldering iron, looked at the expression on my face, said "This going to hurt you a lot more than it hurts me", and burned a hole in my fingernail so it would drain.

After that, it did feel a lot better. The fingernail finally fell off and I used it as a guitar pick for a while.

 

[turbo]

After that, it did feel a lot better. The fingernail finally fell off and I used it as a guitar pick for a while.

Too cool! I lost a big toenail under similar circumstances and never thought to use it as a guitar pick.

Just a little tip - the closest thing to the character of a human nail (in use as a guitar pick) is tortoise-shell. Go to flea markets and lawn sales and see if you can find some natural tortoise-shell toiletry items (hair combs, brushes, hand-mirrors, etc) that are broken. Buy them cheap and fashion picks out of them. They are the best! There is a reason why pick-makers resorted to tortoise-patterned celluloid. Real tortoise wears well, with a fine texture that makes a guitar string sing, like horse-tail on a violin bow.

 

[BobG]

Too cool! I lost a big toenail under similar circumstances and never thought to use it as a guitar pick.

"He went mad, I tell you! He ran excitedly away from the computer and inexplicably started banging his toe with a rock! And screaming in agony each blow! It was horrible!"

 

[skeptic2]

So, because misery loves company (even vicariously through the interwebz), what is your worst injury?

I just had surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon. Painful and annoying since it is my right foot, so I cannot drive.

So what was/is your worst injury?

I had a ruptured achilles tendon too and that was my worst injury. I had a cast up to my hip for three weeks and then two more knee high casts for three weeks each. I was driving a stick shift at the time and tried to figure out a way to drive with my right leg in a cast. I couldn't. Finally a close friend loaned me his automatic Volvo until I got rid of the casts. To drive I put my right leg on the passenger seat and drove with my left foot. It's not as hard as it sounds.

After the casts came off it was worse. If I had to push the brake hard for more than about a second, the muscles in my leg would cramp.

In all it took about a full year to recover. Good luck.

 

[Antiphon]

Ferris wheel bearing jammed. My full weight was applied to my left testicle for about a minute and a half. About a minute into it I felt somethng go 'pop'. It hurts to this day.

 

[DaveC426913]

Ferris wheel bearing jammed. My full weight was applied to my left testicle for about a minute and a half. About a minute into it I felt somethng go 'pop'. It hurts to this day.

Well serves you right for balancing a ferris wheel on your testicle! They're not toys you know.

 

[Moonbear]

I dropped a cement mixer on my middle finger and had the same problem. I could still use it and work, but at night the fluid would build up under the fingernail and it would hurt like hell. Finally going to the emergency room one night was the worst. The doctor got out an electric soldering iron, looked at the expression on my face, said "This going to hurt you a lot more than it hurts me", and burned a hole in my fingernail so it would drain.

After that, it did feel a lot better. The fingernail finally fell off and I used it as a guitar pick for a while.

Okay, I never considered using the nail as a guitar pick. *looks askew at BobG*

Though, yes, everyone and their brother told me to just poke a hole in the nail to relieve the pressure (I wouldn't have needed to go to the ER for it, everything I would have needed, we had in the lab). But I was still just hoping not to lose the nail, especially since I had that upcoming wedding to be in. It took care of itself quickly enough. The nail separated from the back, near the cuticle, first. Once it lifted from that side, all the pressure was relieved, and it just took another couple days for it to finish falling off.

I did want to inflict a similar injury on the other student who was supposed to be helping me that night and showed up late because she was at a party and drunk, so no help at all.

 

[zomgwtf]

Well serves you right for balancing a ferris wheel on your testicle! They're not toys you know.

LOL WOW!

I don't even get what happened... is he saying he sat on his testicle and it went 'pop'. That's the most hilarious injury I've ever heard about, no offense to anyone.

 

[Antiphon]

LOL WOW!

I don't even get what happened... is he saying he sat on his testicle and it went 'pop'. That's the most hilarious injury I've ever heard about, no offense to anyone.

None taken. The bearing on my cart jammed so as the ferris wheel went around, I went upside down and then the wheel stopped. While upside down I was resting against a small metal bar that should have been a restraint. In this case it was the only thing keeping me from tumbling out of the cart. I had to rest my weight on it and to keep from falling out and maintain balence, the weight was located over the left 'nad. An interesting physics problem in hindsight. At the time though it was more about the fear of dying and the agony of a very stresses testicle.

The worst part was I was with a girl I liked who was having fun soni had to pretend ibwas having fun too. A metaphor for life if you will that I later came to understand as poetic.

 

[zomgwtf]

None taken. The bearing on my cart jammed so as the ferris wheel went around, I went upside down and then the wheel stopped. While upside down I was resting against a small metal bar that should have been a restraint. In this case it was the only thing keeping me from tumbling out of the cart. I had to rest my weight on it and to keep from falling out and maintain balence, the weight was located over the left 'nad. An interesting physics problem in hindsight. At the time though it was more about the fear of dying and the agony of a very stresses testicle.

The worst part was I was with a girl I liked who was having fun soni had to pretend ibwas having fun too. A metaphor for life if you will that I later came to understand as poetic.

Oooo you almost fell out of the ferris wheel. Completely different story, now it's not so funny but rather tragic. Was your 'left nad' ok or did it rupture? That's pretty serious.

I had thought you had just sat on it for a prolonged period of time.

 

[pcman]

sorry to hear that ~~~

 

[Chi Meson]

Ferris wheel bearing jammed. My full weight was applied to my left testicle for about a minute and a half. About a minute into it I felt somethng go 'pop'. It hurts to this day.

The judges agree (the male ones at least).

You win.

 

[TubbaBlubba]

Ferris wheel bearing jammed. My full weight was applied to my left testicle for about a minute and a half. About a minute into it I felt somethng go 'pop'. It hurts to this day.

I think Freud's spirit just ripped my soul apart.

 

[Norman]

The judges agree (the male ones at least).

You win.

Yes, yes we do.

 

[Antiphon]

Oooo you almost fell out of the ferris wheel. Completely different story, now it's not so funny but rather tragic. Was your 'left nad' ok or did it rupture? That's pretty serious.

I had thought you had just sat on it for a prolonged period of time.

It didn't rupture but something else further up probably did. If any of you men have had the experience where you have tight pants and you sit down just right to make your 'nad "pop upward", well it was like that times 100. Oddly I never went to the doctor but perhpas its time. Perhaps I'll tell the doctor I won a contest and need them to help me claim the prize.

 

[BobG]

If any of you men have had the experience where you have tight pants and you sit down just right to make your 'nad "pop upward", ...

So let's see. The two competing styles are pants so big they're constantly falling down or pants so tight ...

You know, back in my day, men wore pants that fit. Of course, back in my day, we didn't have days yet.

 

[pantaz]

Broken bones in chronological order:
1. Left elbow (about 4 years old -- fell off bunk bed)
2. Left foot, three bones in five places. (Skateboarding)
3. Right forearm, both bones, three places. (Soccer)
4. Left clavicle and four ribs. (Motorcycle)
5. Left wrist. (Motorcycle)
6. Right patella. (Ladder.) Pins and wires required.

However, my worst injury didn't involve broken bones. I was 14, riding my bicycle on the sidewalk, and one of the pedals broke. I lost control, fell, and slid off the sidewalk and under a parked car. There happened to be someone in the car, but they didn't see me. They began to drive away... over my back. A friend riding with me jumped in front of the car and stopped him, otherwise he probably would have driven over my legs. Our family photo album has pictures showing the tire marks imprinted on my back.

I was in the hospital for about a week with (if I remember correctly) mild internal bleeding. No surgery, no broken bones, just a couple of severe abrasions (I still have the scars).