How many of you have ever been cut by a chainsaw?

[JackJerryJohnTheTreeWorker]

I was at work on Tuesday, June 14th, it was about 11am when my grandpa called me to push the tree over. I walked over and started pushing while my grandpa cut. And instead of going over, some vines caught it and pulled it straight down, pulling my right forearm into the saw. I was at the hospital in less than 5 minutes and the tourniquet I put on had the bleeding stopped before I got there. Long story short I have about 20 stitches, of which only 8 are on the outside of my skin, and I was about the width of a piece of paper from getting my tendons cut. It also cut a nerve and I can't feel anything from my wrist to the cut. I have to say I'm 20, I've broken bones, I've been stabbed, sliced, cut, beaten, etc. None of it hurt as bad as when I got by the chainsaw . Last thing for those who don't know is if you get cut on your arm by a chainsaw, your whole arm hurts, from the tips of your fingers to the shoulder blade.

[JJ]

Glad you got so lucky that it did minimal damage. I've never been cut with one myself - I'm legally blind in one eye and any time I've reached for a chainsaw my loved ones have staged an intervention. Literally in at least one instance.

However last year during a production at our community theater our lighting guy was cutting a tree on a non performance day when the chainsaw hit a knot and bucked right into his calf. Like you he got very lucky and didn't have permanent damage. It did take a long time to heal and his whole leg was sore for a long time because of the type of trauma a chainsaw does.He was still able to go up the stairs to the lighting loft but it wasn't pleasant.That was last fall. Now the only residual is a scar .

Hope you heal smoothly and quickly

Johnny

[Guest KerryUK]

I once knew somebody who stood on a hay scythe - straight through his shoe and right into the bottom of his foot, ouchers.

Hope you heal quickly and take care.

[tracy_j]

It's a bit late to say be careful, but I hope you recover quickly and well.

Personally I hate them! I have only used one once and being covered in sawdust was really not me. Dangerous filthy devices. One could almost say a vivid example of why I'm not a man!

Tracy

[Charlize]

I have been lucky to date. I'm using a chainsaw less now than i once did but between the sawmill, heating the house with wood and the fuel for the maple syrup operation we do a great deal of sawing on the farm. Thank you for your story. It reminds me to be careful.

Hugs,

Charlize

[Timber Wolf]

Ouch!!!?

When I lived in my northwoods paradise, I loved cutting firewood with my chainsaw. Your story is a good reminder to me how fast things can go wrong if I'm not careful.

Lots of love & hopes for a fast recovery,

Timber wolf?

[Guest Kaylee]

No, I can't say that I have. Frankly... chainsaws make me uncomfortable. I have a full wood shop, and separateetal shop, and have spent my life around power tools... and those things still bother me for some reason.

I hope you heal quickly, and properly my dear

Hugs,

Kaylee

[bobbisue]

I'm glad it wasn't worse you should get the feeling back though it may take quite some time as nerve regrowth is slow please everyone remember to gear up when using equipment such as this it can save your life

bobbisue

[MarcieMarie12]

I am skittish around power tools, I am always worried I'll hurt myself of destroy something...I've never wielded a chainsaw.

[Carolyn Marie]

Yikes! I'm glad you're OK and hope that you get feeling in your arm back. That sounds terrible. I've never been cut by a power tool, but I did almost lose a finger when I was a kid when I put my hand next to where my dad was shoveling manure from a trailer.

Carolyn Marie

[VickySGV]

Not a chain saw, although I own one, but a regular 10" table saw kicked back a safety push stick that had a "wood knife" edge on it into my wrist. 14 sutures and now a distinctive scar on the inside of my wrist. It was an ouch for sure, and I now use a different type of push stick.

[Jani]

Once with a jigsaw being used in an "unconventional" manner, so it was my fault. I calmly walked from my shop to the house telling my son to follow me as I was afraid I would pass out. I was afraid to look at it but the damage wasn't too bad, all things considered. Needless to say, lesson learned.

[Jennifer T]

Have used chain saws quite a bit over the years. I burn wood to heat my home. I once had a chainsaw kickback after I'd released the trigger and I swung it away for my torso. The ensuing arc landed the rotating chain across my shin, which simply hit bone. It didn't hurt much, but because the laceration was jagged and the chain dirty, it took longer to heal than I thought it should.

Glad to hear to werent hurt worse. Be careful out there and heal quickly.

Peace

[Briana]

Glad that's all that happened and that you are ok and recovering. People underestimate how difficult and dangerous it is to fell a tree...if you're not careful and know what you're doing. Depending on which nerve, you may get some of your feeling back. Better chance with smaller nerve branches than large main ones. Also, because a chainsaw causes considerable soft tissue damage coupled with a wide cut, any you do get back can take a considerable amount of time. Hopefully sensation comes back.

And Vicky - you're very lucky. Like chainsaws, table saws can cause a lot of damage very quickly. They're excellent at quickly removing fingers, whole hands, and even a few lower arms. I took care of more than a few critical care & ER patients that got "bit" by the table saw and/or push stick. I can't overemphasize the safety rules when using one like safety glasses, no long baggy sleeves or dangling jewelry etc., using proper push sticks/feather boards, and not being ALL JACKED UP! "Here...hold my beer while I remove the guard and cut this."

[JJ]

I took the kick back guard off my table saw once because it made the project I was working on harder to do.

The very next board I sawed had a hidden knot which caused it to kick back and break my thumb. That made the project a whole lot harder than the guard did and taught me a lesson.

Johnny

[Briana]

Typical guy! Always taking shortcuts. (Said tongue in cheek!!) Seriously, I can think of 5 specific instances of taking care of table saw accident patients that were a result of taking the guard off to make a task easier. All 5 were industrial. I'm sure there was a manger/supervisor or 5 that were in a little trouble.

[JackJerryJohnTheTreeWorker]

Lol wow when i started this post i didnt expect this many people to reply. Everyone will be happy to know im almost healed up now it should be completely healed by next tuesday, which is 5 weeks since i got cut. I went to the hospital about 3 weeks ago and got the stitches on the outside of my arm taken out because the ones on the inside of my arm are supposed to dissolve, but ive taken out 5 already since then.

[Briana]

Hey JJ, good to read that all is getting better. Usually the internal stitches dissolve just fine but sometimes, especially on extremities a few can partially dissolve and migrate out to the surface. They feel like stubby prickly whiskers & can be very itchy. LOL The body can be very efficient at getting rid of things in it that don't belong.

[Mayo]

No, but I did stab my big toe with a pitchfork once.

[JackJerryJohnTheTreeWorker]

That reminds me of the time i stabbed myself in the knee with my knife

[MarcieMarie12]

I gave myself 3 stitches cutting a zip tie toward my self with a hooked blade.

[Guest KerryUK]

I've lost count of the amount of times I've slipped with a spanner/wrench or screwdriver and gouged lumps out of myself - and my goodness, it always HURTS so much.