28 years ago

[GunnyMack]

Today is the anniversary of my breaking my wrist.
Storms were forecasted so we did not work. Hey a day off during Bow season I decided to hang a stand, which went off without a hitch. Being as I made quite a bit of noise I opted to hunt a different spot to finish the day.
On my way into this other stand I jumped a doe but she didn't give me a shot. I got to the stand and prepared to go up.
I was shooting a long bow at the time and I was able to hold my bow by the bottom limb and reach up to hook it on the top step .
This being a built stand I tugged on the 2x4 steps checking them as I climbed.
As I grabbed to top step it pulled out of the tree!
Well I hung in mid air like ol Wiley Coyote for what seemed like a full minute before gravity took effect.
I landed on my feet but again gravity is a cruel mistress and my momentum carried me backwards. Instead of tuck and roll my arms went backwards to try and catch myself. Wrong move!
Instantly I know there was a problem!!
When I hit the ground and rolled backwards my quiver on my back I heard arrows crack and my bow bounced off my chest. To this day I'm grateful I had a long bow and not a compound!!
By this time my wrist is swelling, my head is still spinning as I gather myself. My deer drag served as a sling as I walked about a half mile to my truck.
Cell phones were on the market by then, I had one but service was laughable.
Get to the truck and realized I was lucky that it was my left wrist and that I had an automatic transmission.
Still no cell service so I drive to town and the vets office, I knew I could use their phone.
One of the girls at the vets office saw me coming and knew something wasn't right, I was a bit shocky I guess.
They allowed me to use the phone to call my mother who was at work. Being i was fresh from CO and didnt have a Dr I had to find someplace to go have my arm looked at.Mom told me to go to the Dr's office near where she worked. Then the vet tech cut my wrist watch off my arm.
I got back in my truck, picked up Mom and to the Dr.
They took me right to the xray room, took a few views and told me they couldn't do anything as one of the fractures was a 90° and I had to go to a specialist.
By now I was reminded I had face paint on, in full camo to boot! Off to the bathroom to get myself cleaned up and back to the truck.
Get to the orthopedic doc and walk into a very busy office. You could have heard a pin drop when I walked through the door- in that area they don't see too many bowhunters with a busted wing I guess.
Fill out the paperwork and wait. Finally get called in and wait some more.
The doctor comes in the door, looking at my xrays and says you need surgery to fix the 90° fracture. He then looks at my paperwork and say oh you don't have insurance, ill be right back. 10 minutes later he comes in the room and says no surgery needed. Well either I do( with insurance)or I dont( without).
Anyhow this doctor has not looked at me, no eye contact, not even seen my feet- just xrays and forms.
So he says we are going to cast from mid Bicep to fingers.
Ok let's do it.
What color cast do you want?
What ya got?
White,blue,green,pink,camo
At this point I say LOOK AT ME!
Well I guess you want camo.
He sticks his hand in the box on the shelf and says - sorry im out of camo.
Ok white please.- mistake on my part!
So
The cast is on, drop mom off at work and drive home.
As I open the garage door I hear my ever faithful 96lb Labrador. Lady, pounding her tail against the washing machine. Over the years of her banging her tail she had dented the skin of the washer.
My still being a bit out of it I open the door and Lady sees a big pristine rawhide! Remember I said white was a mistake? Well she reached out and grabbed my wrist, I dropped to my knees on the steps and she just about pulled me in the house!
Once she realized it wasn't a rawhide she let me go and I got my feet and got inside.
That was my 26th birthday!
4 weeks later when I went back for new cast they were still out of camo!

[Grizz]

OK this goes into the Archive Folder !!

[Bill in Oregon]

That's not a happy memory. Heights give me the heebee-jeebees so you'll never catch me in a tree stand. In fact, you will rarely catch me on an eight-foot stepladder.
And good grief, Will, you are only 54! A pup -- raising pups! No wonder you have the enrgy to cope with the littles toots' antics with good grace and humor!

[GunnyMack]

Yes Bill I'm 54 but I've been in construction since 14, I feel 104!

[gamekeeper]

Well you are still a bow hunter so the treatment must have been successful have great BD Will...

[GunnyMack]

Thank you GK, my British brethren!

[GunnyMack]

Well my reminiscing of the good ol days came back to bite me today!
My wood pellets were delivered this morning. A few years ago I devised a chute system so I can just pour the pellets into 4x4 boxes I built they have casters so i can move them around . I got a ton down the chute and in the box, went down the 4 steps to move the box and the floor blew out!
The nice leisurely hour pouring pellets turned into 2.5 hours with my shop vac sucking the box empty so I could repair it.
I tell ya if I didn't have carp luck I'd have no luck at all !

[AJMD429]

.
LOL - one year I had a big white cast on my leg. I couldn’t walk with much stealth at all. I had been used to sneaking quietly out jo climb in my deer stand in the dark before dawn. So, instead, I cover it up with some brown Carhart coveralls and slept on the floor of what might best be described as a ‘gazebo’ that we usually target shoot from. The hundred yards of the range is planted with timothy and alfalfa that we mow a few times a year, so sure enough I was there when it got light and I got myself a deer. That night it snowed lightly and within about 30 feet from where I slept there were coyote tracks - not exactly dangerous animals, but kind of creepy all the same when you’re sleeping on the floor in a building without doors

[Griff]

Happy Birthday! Make the most of it!

[Paladin]

Happy Birthday! Make the most of it!

+1

[piller]

Glad you healed OK.